A-Z of benefits and tax credits

Attendance allowance

To claim the person must be:

• aged 65 or over
• they must need a lot of care or supervision because they have a mental or physical disability; or have eyesight or hearing difficulties.

They must also have needed the care or supervision for six months.

Bereavement benefits

Bereavement allowance
The bereavement allowance has replaced widow's pension. It is paid to widows, widowers and surviving civil partners between 45 and pension age, but only for 52 weeks after the date of death, and is subject to contribution conditions.

Bereavement payment
This is a lump sum payment of £2,000 paid after your husband, wife or civil partner has died. This is subject to your late partner meeting the contribution conditions, or if his or her death is the result of an industrial accident or prescribed industrial disease and he or she was not entitled to retirement pension or was under the state pension age when he or she died.

Widowed parents allowance
A benefit paid if your late husband, wife or civil partner met the national insurance conditions or his or her death was caused by their job and you have a child. You get (or could get) child benefit if you are a women expecting your late husband's baby.

Child benefit

Child benefit is a benefit paid to people who are responsible for a child. An amount is paid for each child. A higher amount is paid for the eldest eligible child. The person does not have be a parent of a child to qualify for child benefit but does have to be responsible for each child.

Child tax credit

This replaces child allowances for other means tested benefits. An allowance is paid for each dependant child. Child Tax Credit is money for people in or out of work who have dependant children.

Council tax benefit

Council tax benefit is a benefit paid to people who have a lower level of income and savings. The amount you get depends on the family circumstances, your income and savings and you have to be liable to pay council tax.

Disability living allowance

This is a benefit for children and adults and is paid if they need help looking after themselves, need supervision or have difficulty walking. For children the extra care or supervision needs have to be in excess of other children of the same age. They must satisfy the rules for three months before they claim and must expect to have difficulties with walking, or have care or supervision needs for the next six months.  

Education maintenance allowance

For January 2011 you cannot apply for this allowance but this will still be paid to school or college students who already get it up until the end of the 2011 academic year. From January 2011 learner support funds are available through schools, colleges and learner providers.

Employment and support allowance income-related and contribution-Based

This is a benefit paid to working age people who are unable to work through illness or disability. There are two types of benefit contributor and income related. This benefit can be paid when statutory sick pay has ceased or paid immediately if they did not qualify.

Free school meals

Free school meals are paid if the parent or guardian gets:

• income support or  income-based jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance (income-related)
• guarantee credit of pension credit
• child tax credit (but not working tax credit) with a yearly taxable income of £16,190 or less
• The proof needed for asylum seekers to receive free school meals for their children is their IND letter or IND card, children's social care letter or their NASS letter.

More information about free school meals

Funeral expenses payment

A payment to help with funeral costs, including burial and cremation for people who receive one of the following benefits:

• income support
• income-based jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance (income-related) 
• pension credit
• housing benefit
• council tax benefit (or the council tax payer where you live gets a second adult rebate because you are on a low income)
• working tax credit which includes a disability or severe disability element
• child tax credit at a rate higher than the family element
• to claim this, the person has to be responsible for the funeral. There are strict rules regarding this and the person should seek advice.

Guardian's allowance

Guardian's allowance is a benefit paid to people looking after children who are effectively orphans.

Help with health costs

Some people are entitled to pay either reduced or no NHS charges for: prescriptions, sight tests, glasses, dental treatment, wigs and fabric supports and hospital fares. People receiving certain benefits (such as income support) automatically get help with NHS charges. For other people entitlement is based on individual circumstances or low income.

Healthy Start vouchers

Healthy Start vouchers can be exchanged for free milk, (including formula milk), fruit or vegetables. You can get healthy start vouchers if you are pregnant and under 18 years. You can also claim them if you, or your partner, are at least ten weeks pregnant or have a child under four years and you get any of the following:

• income support or  income-based jobseeker’s allowance
• employment and support allowance (income-related)
• child tax credit (but are not entitled to working tax credit) and have a low income.

For more information and to obtain or download the claim form at healthystart.nhs.uk

Housing benefit

Housing benefit is paid to people who have low income and savings who need help with rent payments. Housing benefit will only be paid for rent and some charges included in the rent will not be paid such as heating and hot water. There could be a deduction from benefit if anyone else is living in the household. The benefit entitlement depends on family circumstances, income and savings and the amount of rent paid.

• more information about housing and council tax benefit.

Income support

Income support is paid to working-age people to top up low income or to people who have no income and savings. The amount you get depends on family circumstances, health, and caring responsibilities. People may qualify if they do not get jobseeker's allowance, employment and support allowance or working tax credits.

Carer's allowance

A benefit for those who provide care to someone who gets attendance allowance or the middle or higher rate care component of disability living allowance. The claimant must be caring for 35 hours a week and have earnings of less than £100. This amount usually increases every October.

Jobseeker's allowance

Jobseeker's allowance is a benefit paid to people who are unemployed or who work for less than 16 hours per week and who are looking for full time work. There are two types of jobseeker's allowance:

• contribution-based jobseekers allowance if you satisfy the national insurance contributions conditions
• income-based jobseekers allowance if you pass the means test.

You do not have to have paid national insurance contributions to qualify for income-based jobseeker's allowance and you can meet the criteria for both.

Maternity allowance

A benefit paid to pregnant women or women who have a new baby and who have worked but are not entitled to statutory maternity pay. To qualify for this benefit you have to satisfy the contribution conditions.

Pension credit

Pension credit is paid to people of qualifying retirement age. There is no capital limit but weekly income is taken into account. There are two types of pension credit:

• guarantee credit that is paid to people at qualifying retirement age who have low income
• savings credit, an extra allowance paid to people over 65 who have savings or pension  retirement.

Retirement pension

This is paid to people who are of state retirement age. The rules have recently changed and to find out more ring the Pension Service on 0845 606 0265. Rates of payment are based on national insurance contributions.

Social fund

(Department for Work and Pensions)

Budgeting loan
Budgeting loans are interest-free and can be used to pay for household items and debt repayments. Payments are discretionary and the person needs to be on income support, employment and support allowance income-related or income-based jobseeker's allowance. Repayments are calculated over a set period and are deducted from benefit payments.

Community care grant
Community care grants are paid to people to support independent living in the community or to ease exceptional pressure on that person or their family. The payments are discretionary and you have to be on income support, employment and support allowance income-related or income-based jobseeker's allowance.

Crisis loan
Crisis loans are paid to any applicant in the event of an emergency or a disaster. They are discretionary and the applicant needs to demonstrate that without this form of help their health or safety is at risk. Payments can be madefor weekly living expenses or household items. They do not need to be on certain benefits but they must have no other means but the ability to pay back the loan.

Sure Start maternity grant  

This is a single payment paid for the first child to to help with the expenses of a new baby. It is paid to those who are pregnant or have recently given birth and who get income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, pension credit and certain rates of child tax credit or working tax credit.

War pensions

War disablement pension (WDP) and war widows' pensions are benefits paid to people who have been injured or disabled as a result of any service in Her Majesty's armed forces before 6.4.2005. The armed forces compensation scheme has been paid to soldiers since this date.

Winter fuel payment

The winter fuel payment is an annual payment paid to people who meet the qualifying age, currently 5.7.1950. (October 2010) payment is between £1,100 and £300.

Working tax credit

Working tax credit is for people in paid work with low earnings. People with children or a disability may get higher payments. Help towards the cost of childcare can be claimed while the parent or guardian is at work.

---

Page last updated Sep 16, 2011 10:36 AM