Your Personal Adviser or your placement will support you to make the appropriate benefit claim. Your Personal Adviser will ensure you have all information about receiving the benefits you are entitled to.
While you are waiting to receive your benefits, the Local Authority support you with an independent living allowance, which is equivalent to benefits.
Here is some information to help you understand the different benefits.
Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. It’s paid monthly.
If you already get benefits Universal Credit will replace the following benefits:
• Child Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Working Tax Credit
If you currently receive any of these benefits, you cannot claim Universal Credit at the same time.
If you require any more information, click this link.
Jobseeker’s Allowance is an allowance to support you when you are looking for work. To find out more information, please see click this link.
All of the following must also apply to you (and your partner if you have one):
• You have no income or a low income, and no more than £16,000 in savings;
• You’re not in full-time paid work (you can work less than 16 hours a week, and your partner can work less than 24 hours a week);
• You’re not eligible for Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance;
• You live in England, Scotland or Wales.
You must also be at least one of the following:
• Pregnant;
• A lone parent (including a lone adoptive parent) with a child under 5;
• A lone foster parent with a child under 16;
• A single person looking after a child under 16 before they’re adopted;
• A carer;
• On maternity, paternity or parental leave;
• Unable to work and you receive Statutory Sick Pay, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance;
• In full-time education (not university), aged between 16 and 20, and a parent;
• In full-time education (not university), aged between 16 and 20, and not living with a parent or someone acting as a parent;
• A refugee learning English - your course needs to be at least 15 hours a week, and you must have started it within 12 months of entering the UK;
• In custody or due to attend court or a tribunal.
You do not need a permanent address - for example, you can still claim if you:
• Sleep rough;
• Live in a hostel or care home.
If you need more information, click this link.
If you’re ill or disabled, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) offers you:
• Financial support if you’re unable to work;
• Personalised help so that you can work if you’re able to.
You can apply for ESA if you’re employed, self-employed or unemployed. You might be transferred to ESA if you’ve been claiming other benefits like Income Support or Incapacity Benefit.
Work Capability Assessment
If you claim ESA you must have a Work Capability Assessment. This is to see to what extent your illness or disability affects your ability to work.
You’ll then be placed in one of 2 groups if you’re entitled to ESA:
• Work-related activity group, where you’ll have regular interviews with an adviser;
• Support group, where you do not have interviews;
What you’ll get
How much ESA you get depends on:
• Your circumstances, such as income;
• The type of ESA you qualify for;
• Where you are in the assessment process.
Use a benefits calculator to work out how much you can get.
Click on this link for more information.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a new benefit replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for adults aged 16-64. DLA will continue as a separate benefit for children aged under 16 years.
Initially, PIP only applied to those making a new claim, but it is now also replacing existing DLA awards for some claimants.
