Child Benefit
Child Benefit is payable if you are responsible for a dependant child or qualifying young person, who passes the residence and presence tests. There is no lower age limit for the child when claiming Child Benefit.
It is tax-free and is not dependant on your income or savings, or whether you stay at home with the child. You do not have to be the parent of the child.
Income Support & Incapacity Benefit
Income Support is a means tested benefit intended to provide for basic living expenses, for you and your partner (if you have one). It does not depend on National Insurance contributions and can be paid on it's own if there is no other income or can top-up other benefits or earnings, i.e. part-time work, up to the rate the law says you need to live on.
Income Support is for people who are not obliged to sign on to work, for example. for people who are incapable of work through ill-health or disability, carers or lone parents.
Incapacity Benefit is for people who cannot work due to illness or disability. Usually, you must have paid enough National Insurance contributions to qualify.
Housing and Council Tax Benefit
Housing Benefit helps people pay their rent. It can also be known as a Rent Rebate or Rent Allowance.
Council Tax is a domestic property based tax, paid to the Local Authority to help pay for the services provided. Council Tax is only charged on domestic properties or dwellings. Council Tax Benefit is awarded as a rebate towards the Council Tax liability.
Industrial Disablement Benefit
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is the main Industrial Injuries benefit and is paid to compensate those who have suffered disablement from a loss of physical or mental faculty, caused by an industrial accident or prescribed disease.
Overpayment of Benefit
An overpayment of benefit is recoverable if it was overpaid because you failed to disclose a material fact, or you misrepresented a material fact, even if you acted in all innocence.
Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance is a benefit paid for adults and children with disabilities. It is for people who need help looking after themselves and those who find it difficult to walk or get around.
You do not need to have someone looking after you to qualify.
Disability Living Allowance is tax free and is not means tested.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Jobseeker's Allowance is for people who are unemployed or working less than 16 hours per week and are available and actively looking for work.
There are two forms of Jobseeker's Allowance. Contribution based Jobseeker's Allowance and Income based Jobseeker's Allowance is
Carer's Allowance
Carers Allowance is that you must spend, at least, 35 hours a week caring for the person.
You do not have to be related to the disabled person and you can claim Carer's Allowance even if you have never worked.
Child Tax Credit & Working Tax Credits
Child Tax Credit is a means-tested or income related payment for people, whether working or not, who are responsible for children.
Working Tax Credit is a means-tested or income related payment for those in low-paid work, to replace Working Families and Disabled Persons Tax Credit.
Social Fund
The discretionary Social Fund provides grants and interest-free loans for a variety of needs that cannot be easily met by weekly benefits.
There are three types of payment. Community Care Grant, Budget Loans and Crisis Loans.
Key Contact: John Grady.