Benefits: What's Available and How to Get Them

The welfare benefits system is complex. Many people do not know what to claim.

You can get help and advice from the CarersLine on 0808 808 7777 or:

• www.carersonline.org.uk
• a Citizen’s Advice Bureau
• a welfare rights unit
• a disability organisation
• an Age Concern branch
• a carers project.

You can find these in the phone book or ask at your local library or council offices.

What benefits are available?

Carers

Carer’s allowance (CA) (formerly invalid care allowance)

This is the main benefit for carer’s. It is paid at a basic rate of £43.15 a week. To get CA you must:

• care for at least 35 hours a week;
• the person you look after must receive attendance allowance or the middle or higher rate of the care component of the disability living allowance
• be 16 or over
• earn £77 a week or less after specific expenses
• study for less than 21 hours a week if you are a student
• satisfy UK residence and immigration conditions

not receive any of the following benefits at a higher rate: retirement pension, incapacity benefit, contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance and bereavement benefits (but see the carer premium section).

CA can continue for 8 weeks after the person that you look after dies if you continue to satisfy the rules not related to the receipt of specified benefits or caring for them.

Some benefits, like retirement pension or incapacity benefit, allow your partner to claim extra money for you; called a dependant’s addition. Your partner cannot get a dependant’s addition for you if you get CA in your own right.

Sometimes, if you claim CA, the person that you look after can lose some of their benefit. If the person you look after gets income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, housing benefit or council tax benefit, seek advice before claiming.

To get a claim form for CA, call the Department of Work and Pensions’ enquiry line for carers and disabled people on 0800 882200 (0800 220674 in Northern Ireland).

The carer premium

This is not a benefit, but an extra allowance used in the calculation of income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit (rate rebate in Northern Ireland). It can make you up to £25.10 better off a week.

A carer premium is included in the benefit calculation if you or your partner:

• gets carer’s allowance; or
• cannot get carer’s allowance because you receive another specified benefit paid at a higher rate.

National insurance

Credits

You receive a national insurance contribution credit for each week you receive CA, or cannot get CA because you get a bereavement benefit. You also get a credit for each week that you claim a benefit because you are unable to work due to illness or disability or ‘sign on’ as available for work. The credit protects your right to a retirement pension and state second pension and may help you qualify for incapacity benefit or jobseeker’s allowance in the future.

Home responsibilities protection

If you cannot get a contribution credit you may be able to get home responsibilities protection. This helps you satisfy the contribution conditions for retirement pension and the state second pension. If you claim income support as a carer, you will receive the protection automatically. You also get automatic protection for retirement pension if you receive child benefit for a child under 16, and for state second pension if you receive child benefit for a child under 6. Otherwise you can apply for the protection for each tax year when:

u you look after someone for at least 35 hours a week; and

u the person you look after gets attendance allowance or the care component of disability living allowance at the middle or higher rate;

u you looked after the person for at least 48 weeks of the tax year.

You must apply for the protection within 3 years of the end of the tax year. To claim the protection contact your local Inland Revenue office.

People who are ill or have a disability

Incapacity benefit (IB)

This benefit is for people who are unable to work because of illness or disability. To get it you must:

• have paid enough national insurance contributions;
• not get statutory sick pay from your employer;
• be over 16 and under retirement age (60 for a woman; 65 for a man).

IB and younger people

If you are aged under 20 (or under 25 if you have been in education or training) and have been incapable of work for at least 196 days, you can claim IB without having paid national insurance contributions.

Claim incapacity benefit at your local social security or Jobcentre plus office.

If you are under 19, you cannot get IB if you are in education unless the course is for less than 21 hours a week - not including any teaching that is appropriate only for disabled people.

Disability living allowance (DLA)

This is a benefit for people who first claim before the age of 65.

To get DLA, you must have satisfied the rules below for at least three months and be likely satisfy them for the next 6 months. If you are terminally ill these time limits may not apply.

DLA is paid no matter what other income or savings you have. It can be paid in addition to most other benefits.

DLA does not reduce the amount you get in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit (rate rebate in Northern Ireland) and may increase these benefits.

There are two parts to the benefit: a care component and a mobility component. Getting the middle or highest rate of the care component may mean your carer can apply for carer’s allowance. Getting the higher rate of the mobility component can mean you get a blue badge for your car from social services and exemption from road tax from the Disbility Benefits Unit (tel: 0845 712 3456).

The care component

Is for people who:

• cannot cook a main meal; or
• find things like dressing, bathing, communicating or moving around their own home very difficult; or
• have a terminal illness; or
• need someone to keep an eye on them to make sure they are safe.

It is paid at one of 3 rates. There is no lower age-limit unless the benefit is paid because you cannot cook - where the age-limit is 16 years.

The mobility component

Is for people who because of their illness or disability have difficulties walking. It is paid at one of 2 rates.

The higher rate is paid if you walking ability is very limited because of a physical disability, or you have a severe learning disability. The lower rate is paid if you have a physical disability, mental illness or learning disability and need someone with you when walking in an unfamiliar area.

The higher rate can be paid from the age of 3; the lower rate from the age of 5.

Claim DLA by ringing the Department of Work and Pensions’ enquiry line for carers and disabled people on 0800 882200 (0800 220674 in Northern Ireland).

Attendance allowance (AA)

This benefit is for people who first claim on or after their 65^th birthday. It is paid at one of 2 rates. It is paid if:

• you have a teminal illness; or
• you find things like dressing, bathing, communicating or moving around your home, very difficult; or
• you need someone to keep an eye on you to make sure you are safe.

To qualify you must have had these needs for at least 6 months. If you are terminally ill this time limit may not apply.

AA is paid no matter what other income or savings you have. It can be paid in addition to most other benefits.

AA does not reduce the amount you get in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit (rate rebate in Northern Ireland) and may increase these benefits. Getting AA can mean that your carer can apply for carer’s allowance.

Claim AA by ringing the Department of Work and Pensions’ enquiry line for carers and disabled people on 0800 882200 (0800 220674 in Northern Ireland).

Industrial injuries benefit (IIB)

This is a benefit for people who have had an industrial accident or developed an industrial disease whilst working as an employee. You will need to show that the accident or disease “arose out of and in the course of” your job.

Claim IIB on forms available from your local Social Security Office.

For people on a low income

Income support/minimum income guarantee

This is for people whose income is below minimum levels set by the Government. For people over 60, income support is called the minimum income guarantee. The minimum level varies with your circumstances.

Usually, to get income support you must be unemployed or work for less than 16 hours a week. If you have a partner they must work for less than 24 hours a week. Most people are expected to look for work and claim jobseeker’s allowance. Others can claim income support instead. Amongst the people who can claim income support are carers, single parents, people aged 60 or over and people who are ill or have a disability. Some carers can get income support regardless of the number of hours they work.

You cannot claim income support if you have savings over £8,000 (or £12,000 if you or your partner are 60 or over). If you are a couple, your combined savings must be less than the limit. The savings rules are different for people in residential care.

If you were claiming income support before

6 April 2003, and have a dependent child, you will continue to receive allowances for your children in your income support. In April 2004 you will transfer to a combination of income support and the child tax credit.

If you claim on or after 6 April 2003 you can either get income support for both the adults and dependent children in your household or, until

6 April 2004, or receive a combination of income support an the child tax credit. If you are unsure what to claim seek further advice.

Claim income support from your local social security office or Jobcentre plus or, if over 60, the Pensions Service helpline on 0800 028 1111.

Jobseeker’s allowance

This is paid to people who are unemployed and are expected look for work. An amount based on past national insurance contributions can be paid for up to 6 months regardless of how much you have in income or capital. An income-based amount can be paid, based on rules simliar to those for income support.

Claim jobseeker’s allowance from your local Jobcentre.

Tax credits

Two tax credits are available from 6 April 2003: the working tax credit and the child tax credit.

Child tax credit

This is for people who look after a child under 16 (or under 19 in education). The amount that you get depends on your income and personal circumstances. You may be able to get extra credit if you have a disabled child.

Single people and couples who are responsible for a child are likely to qualify for the credit if they have an annual taxable income of up to £58,000 - this income limit may be higher if you have a child under 1 year. Child maintenance is not counted as part of your income.

Working tax credit

This is for people who are in work. Usually you must be over 25 and work for at least 30 hours a week. You can get WTC 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 specified benefits.

The amount you get depends on your income and personal circumstances.

To claim the tax credits, or for more information contact the Inland Revenue’s helpline on 0845 300 3900 (0845 603 2000 in Northern Ireland).

Housing benefit and council tax benefit

This is for people who are on a low income and pay rent or council tax (rates). Your savings must be £16,000 or less.

To claim housing benefit, council tax benefit, or rate rebate contact you local housing authority. You may be able to get help with your council tax through other schemes if, for instance, you are a carer, you have left your home empty, you live alone or you property is adapted for a disabled person.

Social Fund

The Social Fund gives grants and loans to cover one-off expenses. People on specified means-tested benefits may be able to claim help with:

• funeral expenses;
• maternity expenses.

People on income support or income-based jobseeker’s allowance may be able to get:

u a community care grant for specified travel expenses or to help disabled or homeless people to set-up home, or disabled people to stay in their home;

• budgeting loans to help buy things like furniture or household equipment.

People who need help urgently because of a disaster or an emergency may be able to get a crisis loan.

Claim help from the social fund at your local social security or jobcentre plus.

Health benefits

People on a low income who have less than £8,000 in savings (or £12,000 if you are aged 60 or over), may be able to claim:

• free prescriptions
• free or reduced dental charges
• free eye tests and vouchers for glasses.

Pension credit

From October 2003, the minimum income guarantee will be replaced by the pension credit. The credit will have 2 parts: a guarantee credit, equivalent to the minimum income guarantee for people aged 60 or over and a savings credit, to provide extra income for people 65 or over with modest savings or small occupational or personal pensions.

There will be no amounts for dependent children in the pension credit - these should be paid through the child tax credit.

People receiving the minimum income guarantee will be awarded the pension credit automatically. Other pensions should be sent an information pack by the end of summer 2003.

Printed April 2003