Click on the link below that best describes your circumstances. You may need to click on more than one link to find out what you could be entitled to. If you need more information you can contact our Benefit Advisor.
Click Here to be forwarded to the Benefit Advisors information page .
Further Options;
I am unemployed or working less than 16 hours a week
I am Working 16 hours a week or more
I am a lone parent
I have dependent children
I am sick/disabled
I am a Carer
I am a widow/widower
I am a Pensioner
I am unemployed or working less than 16 hours a weekJobseekers Allowance is paid to people who are unemployed or working part-time who are looking for full-time work. The jobseeker is required to sign on at their local Jobcentre Plus office once a fortnight and receives a National Insurance credit.
There are two parts to Jobseekers Allowance:
Contribution Based is a personal allowance based upon your past National Insurance contributions. It can be paid for up to 26 weeks and is taxable. It is not affected by your savings but may be reduced if you have earnings or private pensions.
Income Based is for people whose income is below levels set by the Government. The amount you receive depends on income, savings and your family circumstances. If you have savings over £16,000 you will not get this benefit. Extra amounts can be paid for certain housing costs and mortgage interest.
If you get Income Based Jobseekers Allowance you will normally get maximum Housing and Council Tax Benefit, health benefits (e.g free prescriptions and eye tests) and other benefits such as free school meals.
For more information about Jobseekers Allowance or to apply online visit
www.jobcentreplus.com, call into your local Jobcentre Plus office or ring them on 0800 0556688.
Income Support is for people under the qualifying age for
pension credit whose income is below levels set by the Government. It is for people who are unable to work or work less than 16 hours a week (24 hours for your partner).
To get Income Support you must be unable to work full-time because you are one of the following:
- sick / disabled
- a lone parent responsible for a child below a specified age
- a carer
- pregnant and within 11 weeks of your expected date of confinement.
The amount you receive depends on income, savings and your family circumstances. If you have savings over £16,000 you will not get this benefit. Extra amounts can be paid for certain housing costs and mortgage interest.
If you get Income Support you will normally get maximum Housing and Council Tax Benefit, health benefits (e.g free prescriptions and eye tests) and other benefits such as free school meals.
For more information about Income Support visit www.jobcentreplus.com, call into your local jobcentre plus office or ring them on 0800 0556688.
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I am Working 16 hours a week or more
Working Tax Credit is a payment to top up your earnings if you are on a low income. It is tax free and normally paid by your employer through wages. If you are self-employed you will be paid directly by HM Revenue and Customs.
The amount you get depends on taxable income and your personal circumstances. Help is also available towards the cost of childcare, which is paid directly to the main carer.
You can get Working Tax Credit if you work 16 hours a week or more and are: - aged 16 or over, single and responsible for a child
- aged 16 or over and disabled
- aged 50 or over and returning to work after receiving certain benefits, or
Work 24 hours a week or more, aged 16 or over, a couple and responsible for a child.
Aged 25 or over and work at least 30 hours a week,or
For more information about Working Tax Credit and to make an application visit www.taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk or call freephone 0845 300 3900.
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I am a lone parent
Income Support is for people under the qualifying age for pension credit whose income is below levels set by the Government. It is for people who are unable to work or work less than 16 hours a week (24 hours for your partner).
To get Income Support you must be unable to work full-time because you are one of the following: - sick / disabled
- a lone parent responsible for a child below a specified age
- a carer
- pregnant and within 11 weeks of your expected date of confinement.
The amount you receive depends on income, savings and your family circumstances. If you have savings over £16,000 you will not get this benefit. Extra amounts can be paid for certain housing costs and mortgage interest.
If you get Income Support you will normally get maximum Housing and Council Tax Benefit, health benefits (e.g free prescriptions and eye tests) and other benefits such as free school meals.
For more information about Income Support visit www.jobcentreplus.com, call into your local jobcentre plus office or ring them on 0800 0556688.
Child Tax Credit is for people aged 16 or over who are looking after at least one child, or young person in full time education or registered with the careers service or connexions. It can be paid to couples or lone-parents who are in or out of work. It is tax free and paid to the main carer by HM Revenue and Customs.
The amount that you get depends on taxable income and your family circumstances.
For more information about Child Tax Credit and to make a claim visit www.taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk or call freephone 0845 300 3900.
Working Tax Credit is a payment to top up your earnings if you are on a low income. It is tax free and normally paid by your employer through wages. If you are self-employed you will be paid directly by HM Revenue and Customs.
The amount you get depends on taxable income and your personal circumstances. Help is also available towards the cost of childcare, which is paid directly to the main carer.
You can get Working Tax Credit if you work 16 hours a week or more and are: - aged 16 or over and responsible for a child
- aged 16 or over and disabled
- aged 50 or over and returning to work after receiving certain benefits
- work 24 hours a week or more, aged 16 or over, a couple and responsible for a child
You can also get Working Tax Credit if you are aged 25 or over and work at least 30 hours a week.
For more information about Working Tax Credit and to make an application visit www.taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk or call freephone 0845 300 3900.
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I have dependant children
Child Tax Credit is for people aged 16 or over who are looking after at least one child, or young person in full time education or registered with the careers service or connexions. It can be paid to couples or lone-parents who are in or out of work. It is tax free and paid to the main carer by HM Revenue and Customs.
The amount that you get depends on taxable income and your family circumstances.
For more information about Child Tax Credit and to make a claim visit www.taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk or call freephone 0845 300 3900.
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I am sick/disabled
Disability Living Allowance is a benefit for people under 65 who find it difficult to care for themselves or have problems walking. If you receive Disablity Living Allowance when you become 65 you will continue to receive this benefit. If you are 65 or over and do not receive this benefit you will need to claim Attendance Allowance
This is a tax free benefit and is not affected by your income, savings or other benefits. Getting this benefit may mean you receive more Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
You can get Disability Living Allowance if you have problems or need help with any of the following: - washing and bathing
- preparing and cooking a main meal
- getting in or out of bed
- dressing or undressing
- walking outdoors
- losing your balance or falling.
You do not need to be receiving help from another person to get this benefit. You must have had these difficulties for at least three months (unless you have a terminal illness).
Disability Living Allowance has two parts :
The Care Component is paid at one of three rates if you need help or have problems with personal care.
- The lower rate of £21.00 a week
- The middle rate of £53.00 a week
- The higher rate of £79.15 a week.
There is no lower age limit for the care component.
The Mobility Component is paid at one of two rates if you have problems or need some-one with you when you walk outdoors.
- The lower rate of £21.00 a week which can be paid from the age of five.
- The higher rate of £55.25 a week which can be paid from the age of three.
If you get the middle or higher rate of the care component:
- it may mean that your carer can claim Carers Allowance.
If you get the higher rate of the mobility component you may get :
- a blue badge for your car from Social Services.
- exemption from paying road tax from The Disability Benefits Unit, ring 0845 712 3456 for further information.
For more information about Disability Living Allowance visit www.dwp.gov.uk or ring The Department for Works and Pensions on 0800 88 22 00.
Incapacity Benefit has been replaced by Employment and Support Allowance from 27 October 2008. Existing Incapacity benefit customers will, for the time being, continue to receive their current benefits. In the longer term, everyone will be moved to Employment and Support Allowance.
For more information about Incapacity Benefit visit www.jobcentreplus.com, call into your local Jobcentre Plus office or phone them on 0800 055 6688.
Employment and Support Allowance is for people under pension age who are unable to work full-time because of an illness or disability. You can claim it if you are employed but cannot get Statutory Sick Pay from your employer, self employed or unemployed.
There are two parts to Employment and Support Allowance
Contribution Based is based on the National Insurance contributions you have paid. Savings and income do not normally affect the amount of benefit you can get, however if you receive an occupational pension your award may be reduced.
If you have not paid enough contributions you will not receive any benefit but you may still get a National Insurance credit for each full week you are off work. The credits are important as they count towards future benefit claims, including State Pension.
If you are under 20 (or under 25 if you have been in education), and have been ill for at least 28 weeks, you may be able to get Employment and Support Allowance without having paid National Insurance contributions.
Income Related is for people whose income is below levels set by the government. The amount you receive depends upon income, savings and your family circumstances. If you have savings over £16,000 you will not get this benefit. Extra amounts can be paid for certain housing costs and mortgage interest.
If you get Income Related Employment and Support Allowance you will normally get maximum Housing and Council Tax Benefit, health benefits (e.g free prescriptions and eye tests) and other benefits such as free school meals.
For more information about Employment and Support Allowance visit Jobcentre Plus , call into your local Jobcentre Plus office or ring them on 0800 0556688.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is for people who become disabled because of an accident at work or due to certain diseases caused by their job. You do not need to have paid National Insurance contributions to receive this benefit. If the accident or disease was caused by self-employed work you cannot claim.
The amount you receive depends on how badly you were disabled as a result of the industrial injury or disease.
For further information about Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit visit www.jobcentreplus.com or ring 0845 6088779.
Income Support is for people under the qualifying age for pension credit whose income is below levels set by the Government. It is for people who are unable to work or work less than 16 hours a week (24 hours for your partner).
To get Income Support you must be unable to work full-time because you are one of the following: - sick / disabled
- a lone parent responsible for a child below a specified age
- a carer
- pregnant and within 11 weeks of your expected date of confinement.
The amount you receive depends on income, savings and your family circumstances. If you have savings over £16,000 you will not get this benefit. Extra amounts can be paid for certain housing costs and mortgage interest.
If you get Income Support you will normally get maximum Housing and Council Tax Benefit, health benefits (e.g free prescriptions and eye tests) and other benefits such as free school meals.
For more information about Income Support visit www.jobcentreplus.com, call into your local jobcentre plus office or ring them on 0800 0556688.
Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people aged 65 or over who find it difficult to care for themselves because of illness or disability. If you are under 65 you should claim Disability Living Allowance.
This is a tax free benefit and is not affected by your income, savings or other benefits. Getting this benefit may mean you receive more Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
You can get Attendance Allowance if you have difficulty or need help with any of the following: - washing and bathing
- eating and drinking
- getting in or out of bed
- dressing and undressing
- losing your balance or falling
You do not need to be receiving help from another person to get this benefit. You must have had these difficulties for at least six months (unless you have a terminal illness).
The benefit is paid at one of two rates:
- The lower rate of £53.00 a week if you have difficulties during the day or at night.
- The higher rate of £79.15 a week if you have difficulty during the day and the night.
If you get Attendance Allowance it may mean that your carer can apply for Carers Allowance.
For more information about Attendance Allowance or to make a claim visit www.dwp.gov.uk or ring The Department for Works and Pensions on 0800 88 22 00.
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I am a Carer
Carers Allowance is paid to a person who is unable to work full- time because they are caring for a disabled person. It can also be paid to someone who has retired.
To get Carers Allowance you must be: - Aged 16 or over
- Earning less than £100 a week after certain deductions e.g. tax and National Insurance contributions
- Spending at least 35 a hours a week looking after someone who is getting one of these benefits
- Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate of care
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- War Pension Constant Attendance Allowance
If you already receive a state benefit or state pension you may not get a payment of Carers Allowance but you will have an underlying entitlement. This may get you extra help with Income Support, Pension Credit and Housing and Council Tax Benefit. You will normally receive a National Insurance credit if you receive Carers Allowance or have an underlying entitlement.
By claiming Carers Allowance the benefits for the person you look after may be reduced so seek professional advice before you apply.
For more information about Carers Allowance or to make a claim visit Direct.gov, call into your local jobcentre plus office or ring them on 0800 882200.
Income Support is for people under the qualifying age for pension credit whose income is below levels set by the Government. It is for people who are unable to work or work less than 16 hours a week (24 hours for your partner).
To get Income Support you must be unable to work full-time because you are one of the following: - sick / disabled
- a lone parent responsible for a child below a specified age
- a carer
- pregnant and within 11 weeks of your expected date of confinement.
The amount you receive depends on income, savings and your family circumstances. If you have savings over £16,000 you will not get this benefit. Extra amounts can be paid for certain housing costs and mortgage interest.
If you get Income Support you will normally get maximum Housing and Council Tax Benefit, health benefits (e.g free prescriptions and eye tests) and other benefits such as free school meals.
For more information about Income Support visit www.jobcentreplus.com, call into your local jobcentre plus office or ring them on 0800 0556688.
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I am a widow/widower
Bereavement Benefits are paid to both men and women. They are all based on the National Insurance contributions paid by your late husband or wife unless they died as a result of an industrial accident or prescribed industrial injury.
There are three different bereavement benefits: - Widowed Parent’s Allowance is a taxable weekly benefit for a bereaved parent.
You can get this benefit if :
- you are bringing up at least one child, or a women expecting your late husband’s baby ; and
- under pension age. - Bereavement Allowance is a taxable weekly benefit paid for 52 weeks from the date your spouse died.
You can get this benefit if :
- you were aged 45 or over when your spouse died ; and
- under pension age. - Bereavement Payment is a one-off, tax free payment that can be paid in addition to Widowed Parents Allowance or Bereavement Allowance.
You can get the payment if you are:
- under pension age ; or
- over pension age if your late husband or wife did not get a Retirement Pension when they died.
For more information about Bereavement Benefits or to make a claim visit www.jobcentreplus.com ,call into your local Jobcentre Plus office or ring them on 0800 0556688.
Social Fund Funeral Payment is a payment to help towards the cost of a funeral. The payment depends on the circumstances of the person arranging the funeral not those of the person who has died. The person claiming the payment must be the closest relative of the deceased.
To qualify for a payment you must receive one of the following:
- Income Support
- Jobseekers Allowance (income-based)
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
- Working Tax Credit that includes an increase for a disable worker.
- Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
For more information about Funeral Payments or to make a claim visit www.jobcentreplus.com or call into your local Jobcentre Plus office, or ring them on 0800 0556688
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I am a Pensioner
Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people aged 65 or over who find it difficult to care for themselves because of illness or disability. If you are under 65 you should claim Disability Living Allowance.
This is a tax free benefit and is not affected by your income, savings or other benefits. Getting this benefit may mean you receive more Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
You can get Attendance Allowance if you have difficulty or need help with any of the following: - washing and bathing
- eating and drinking
- getting in or out of bed
- dressing and undressing
- losing your balance or falling
You do not need to be receiving help from another person to get this benefit. You must have had these difficulties for at least six months (unless you have a terminal illness).
The benefit is paid at one of two rates:
- The lower rate of £53.00 a week if you have difficulties during the day or at night.
- The higher rate of £79.15 a week if you have difficulty during the day and the night.
If you get Attendance Allowance it may mean that your carer can apply for Carers Allowance.
For more information about Attendance Allowance or to make a claim visit www.dwp.gov.uk or ring The Department for Works and Pensions on 0800 88 22 00.
Pension Credit is an entitlement for people who have reached the minimum qualifying age. There are two parts to Pension Credit these are called Guarantee Credit and Savings Credit.
- Guarantee Credit provides a guaranteed level of income, for people who have reached the minimum qualifying age, of £145.40 a week for a single person or £222.05 a week for a couple. These amounts may be higher if you or your partner are disabled, a carer, making mortgage payments or certain other housing costs.
- Savings Credit provides a reward for people aged 65 and over, for some of the income and savings you have for your retirement. It is worth up to £18.06 a week for a single person or £22.89 a week for couples.
Savings will affect the amount of Pension Credit awarded but there is no limit to the amount of savings you can have or number of hours you can work.
You may qualify for either the Guarantee Credit or Savings Credit or both.
For more information about Pension Credit visit www.pensions.gov.uk or make a claim by phoning 0800 99 1234. Calls are free and a member of staff will complete an application form with you over the phone.
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A Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment to help older people with their winter heating bills. These payments are usually sent out automatically but some people will need to apply. There is a deadline for claims so applications must be made by the end of March for the previous Winter.
If you would like more information on the Winter Fuel Payment please
Click here to visit the Winter Fuel Payment website, or contact the Winter Fuel Payment helpline on 08459 151515.
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