The benefits that you can get will depend on your individual circumstances. Listed below are some of the main benefits you may be entitled to:
Employment and Support Allowance
Incapacity Benefit and Income Support
Housing and Council Tax Benefit
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
You may be entitled to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) if you are:
over the age of 16;
under pension age;
limited in your ability to work due to ill health or disability; and
assessed by Jobcentreplus as having limited capability to work.
To make a claim you will need to call the contact centre on 0800 055 6688.
The contact centre will take the details of your claim and arrange an interview for you. At a later stage, you will have to complete a ESA50 form which will help assess if you are incapable to work. You may also need to see a doctor for a medical assessment.
If your claim is unsuccessful you may wish to appeal the decision. If you choose not to appeal or your appeal is unsuccessful, you will need to sign on as available for work.
ESA has two parts, a contribution based part and an income related part. If you have paid the right National Insurance contributions, you will receive Contributory ESA. This is not means tested except that an occupational pension or personal pension over £85 will reduce the amount that you get.
There are special rules for people under the age of 20 (or under 25 in certain cases) when they become ill and do not meet the national insurance rules, but are too ill to work.
If you cannot get Contributory ESA you may be able to get Income Related ESA, but this will depend on you and your partners income and savings. You cannot get Income Related ESA if your partner works 24 hours per week or more or you have savings above £16,000.
Income related ESA can help with mortgage payments so you can receive both parts of ESA at the same time.
Extra help for children can be claimed through Child Tax Credit.
For more information on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), visit the Directgov website available on this page under external links.
Incapacity Benefit and Income Support
Incapacity Benefit and Income Support were previously paid to people who were unable to work because of illness or a disability. Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) replaced these benefits in October 2008. If you already receive one of these benefits because you are ill or disabled, you will continue to receive it until you are either ineligible or you are transferred over to ESA. This will happen between 2011 and 2014.
There will be some protection for people who received more from these benefits than they do under ESA.
For more information on Incapacity Benefit and Income Support, visit the Directgov website available on this page under external links.
Permitted work rules
These rules apply to people who are claiming benefit because they are too ill to work (for example ESA, IS, Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance).
It is possible to do some work and not lose your benefit but there are time limits in some cases and earnings rules.
For more information contact our public helpline on 020 8583 5016.
Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance is a tax-free benefit to help with extra costs you may have because you are ill or disabled. It is not based on your disability but on the needs you may have.
You may be entitled to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) if you are under 65 at the time of your first claim and have problems which can include:
walking or going out;
cooking;
looking after yourself (for example washing, dressing, moving about or communicating); or
staying safe and doing things on your own.
DLA is not means tested and can be paid whatever money you have coming in (this includes other means tested benefits). In some cases it may increase the amount of other means tested benefits that you can get. DLA is not taxable.
Disability Living Allowance is for people with physical disabilities, mental ill health and learning disabilities. Children can also qualify for this benefit if their needs are more than those of an average child of their age.
Please note: there is a separate form to apply for children.
There are plans to change this benefit from 2013 and replace it with the Personal Independence Payment.
For more information on Disability Living Allowance, visit the Directgov website available on this page under external links.
Attendance Allowance
This is similar to Disability Living Allowance but it is for people who are 65 or over at the time of their first claim. This benefit does not take into account walking problems and can only be paid to people who have problems looking after themselves or need someone to keep an eye on them to make sure they are safe.
Attendance Allowance is not taxable or means tested and does not affect any other means tested benefits you may get. In some cases it may increase the amount of other means tested benefits that you can get.
For more information on Attendance Allowance, visit the Directgov website available on this page under external links.
Housing and Council Tax Benefit
Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit are payments which can help you pay your rent and Council Tax if you are on a low income.
You may be entitled to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit if you are:
responsible for rent and/or Council Tax; and
on a low income with savings of less than £16,000.
These are both means tested benefits and are claimed from the Local Authority.
Housing and Council Tax Benefit will not cover your mortgage but you may be able to get help with this if you are on Pension Credit, Income Support, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance or Income Related Employment and Support Allowance.
If you have savings over £16,000 and are under the qualifying age for Pension Credit, you will not be able to claim either of these benefits. There are special rules if you are over the Pension Credit qualifying age. For more information about this please see ‘Benefits – Age 60 plus’ on the right side of this page under ‘related pages’.
For more information on Housing and Council Tax Benefit's, visit the Directgov website available on this page under external links.
Tax Credits
Tax credits are payments from the government. If you're responsible for at least one child or young person, you may qualify for Child Tax Credit. If you work, but are on a low income, you may qualify for Working Tax Credit. You can often get both types of tax credits.
You may be entitled to Working Tax Credit if you work at least 16 hours a week and you are:
aged 16 or over and responsible for at least one child; or
aged 16 or over and disabled; or
aged 25 or over and usually work at least 30 hours a week
There are special rules if you are aged 50 or over and work at least 16 hours a week.
From April 2011, people aged 60 and over who work 16 hours a week will qualify for Working Tax Credit.
Child tax credit can be claimed if you have at least one dependant child.
Tax credits are means tested and are paid by HM Revenues and Customs. However, the means test is more generous for Child Tax Credit than for some other benefits. This means you can still receive the basic amount even if you are on quite a high level of income.
For more information on Tax Credits, visit the HM Revenues and Customs website available on this page under external links.
Industrial Injuries Benefit
You may be entitled to Industrial Injuries Benefit, if you have suffered an illness or disability as a result of an accident at work or an industrial disease.
The benefits are not means tested but the award will depend upon the level of disability that the accident or illness has caused. The benefits are completely separate from any compensation that you may get from your employer as a result of your disability.
For more information on Industrial Injuries Benefit, visit the Directgov website available on this page under external links.
Health Benefits
Most National Health Service (NHS) treatment is free but there can be charges for some things. You may be able to get help with NHS health costs if for example you're on a low income.
You may be entitled to Health Benefits if you:
are on a low income;
do not have savings over £16,000; and
need help with prescription costs, dental or optician fees, travelling to hospital or for surgical aids.
You may also qualify for other reasons such as your age, certain named health conditions, pregnancy or if you are responsible for a child under 12 months of age.
The benefits and tax credits that you may be entitled to, will depend upon your circumstances.
If you are not sure about anything you should always seek advice. You can call us on our public helpline number 020 8583 5016.