Attendance Allowance

If you are aged over 65 and need help with your personal care (washing, dressing, moving around indoors, taking medication, etc) you may be able to get Attendance Allowance. It is not taxable and is not means-tested. Call 0800 882200 for a claim form. The forms can be complicated and you may want to get help to fill them in.

Disability Living Allowance

If you are aged under 65 and need help with your personal care or help with getting around out of doors, you may be able to get Disability Living Allowance. It can also be claimed on behalf of children aged under 16. Disability Living Allowance is paid in two parts: a ‘care’ component and a ‘mobility’ component. You may be paid one or both components. Disability living allowance is not taxable and is not means-tested. Call 0800 882200 for a claim form. The forms can be complicated and you may want to get help to fill them in.

Carer’s Allowance

If you are aged over 16 and are a carer for someone who gets attendance allowance (or the middle or higher rate of the Disability Living Allowance care component) you may be able to get Carer’s Allowance. You must be earning under £95 per week if you are working, and not be in full time education. You must also show that you are caring for the disabled person for at least 35 hours a week, but you do not need to be living with them. Carer’s Allowance is taxable and may affect the payment of other benefits that you or the person you are caring for get, so it may be useful to get some advice before claiming. Call 0800 882200 for a claim form.

Employment and Support Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance is a new benefit. It was introduced in October 2008, and replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support for people who are sick and who need to make a claim after this date. There are two types of Employment and Support Allowance: contributory (based on your National Insurance contributions) and means-tested (based on your income and savings). Your claim can normally be taken over the phone, but you can ask to be sent a form to fill in. Call 0800 0556688 to claim.

Income Support

If you are a carer or are sick and getting paid Statutory Sick Pay from your employer, you may be able to get Income Support. This is a means-tested benefit and you will need to have savings of under £16,000 to be able to qualify. Your claim can normally be taken over the phone, but you can ask to be sent a form to fill in. Call 0800 0556688 to claim.

Working Tax Credit

If you have a disability and are on a low to moderate income, and are working over 16 hours a week, you may be able to claim Working Tax Credit. This is paid by HM Revenue and Customs. Call 0845 300 3900 to claim.

If you have a long-term disability as a result of an injury at work, or certain industrial diseases, you may be able to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. Call 01229 842700 to claim.

If you are unemployed

Jobseeker’s Allowance

You can claim Jobseeker’s Allowance if you are unemployed and able to look for work. There are two types of Jobseeker’s Allowance: contributory (based on your National Insurance contributions) and income - based (based on your income and savings). Your claim is normally taken over the phone and you will be given some dates to attend follow-up appointments at your local Jobcentre Plus office. Call 0800 0556688 to claim.

If you are a lone parent

Income Support

If you are a lone parent and your youngest child is aged under 12 years, or if any of your children get Disability Living Allowance and you work under 16 hours per week, you may be able to claim Income Support. You must have savings of under £16,000 to qualify. If your youngest child is aged over 12, you may have to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance. Income Support is a means-tested benefit. Call 0800 0556688 to claim.

If you have children

Child Benefit

If you have children who you are responsible for who are aged under 20 and in full-time non-advanced education, you should be able to claim Child Benefit. If you share their care with another person, you should take advice about claiming. Child Benefit is not means-tested and is not taxable. Call 0845 302 1444 to claim.

Child Tax Credit

If you have children you are responsible for, and have an annual taxable income of under £58,000 (or higher in certain circumstances), you may be able to claim Child Tax Credit. You do not need to be working to get this benefit. Call 0845 300 3900 to claim.

If you are aged over 60

Pension Credit

If you are aged over 60 and have a low to moderate income, you may be able to claim Pension Credit. There are two types of Pension Credit: a ‘guarantee’ element and ‘savings credit’. Both types are means-tested, but unlike Income Support and Employment and Support Allowance (means-tested), there is no rule about the maximum amount of savings that you can have. There are also no rules about how many hours you (or your partner if you have one) can work. Call 0800 991234 to claim.

If you are responsible for paying rent or Council Tax

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

You can claim Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Benefit if you have a low to moderate income. You can claim even if you are working. If you are getting Income Support, means-tested Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Pension Credit guarantee, you will automatically be paid the maximum amount of Housing Benefit that you are entitled to, but you still have to make a seperate claim for this benefit. Unless you are getting Pension Credit guarantee, you will not be able to get Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit if you have over £16,000 in savings.

If you are a tenant of a private landlord, the amount of Housing Benefit that you can get will be worked out using the 'Local Housing Allowance' amounts for the area that you live in.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit are paid by your local district or borough council. Contact them to make your claim.

If you have a mortgage

If you have a mortgage, you may be able to get help towards the cost of your mortgage repayments if you are getting Income Support, Pension Credit or Employment and Support Allowance. If you are aged under 60, you will normally get no help towards your mortgage costs for the first 39 weeks of your claim (this is reducing to 13 weeks from January 2009). You will normally only qualify for help with your mortgage if it was taken out to buy your home or to do certain essential home improvements. To claim the help with your mortgage costs, tell the Department of Work and Pensions that you have a mortgage when you make your claim.

If you are working

Working Tax Credit

If you are working, you may be able to claim Working Tax Credit. If you are 25 and over, do not have a disability and do not have children, you will need to be working at least 30 hours a week to be able claim Working Tax Credit. If you are aged 16 and over, have a disability or have children, then you have to be working at least 16 hours a week. The amount you get is based on your taxable income and that of your partner if you have one. If you have children, you may also qualify for some Child Tax Credit. Call 0845 300 3900 to claim.