Benefits

If you are an employee you are usually entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for up to 28 weeks. Many employers also have a company sickness policy that can be more generous than SSP. You should be able to find this in your contract, employee handbook or by asking your manager or HR team.

You can find out more about Statutory Sick Pay on the government website here.

If you have extra living costs because of a disability or health condition you might be able to get the personal independence payment. This is often called “PIP”.

If you live in Scotland, you will need to apply for adult disability payment instead. You can find out more about this here. If you are in Scotland and are already getting personal independence payment you will automatically be moved to adult disability payment by the summer of 2024. You can find out more about moving to adult independence payment here.

Who can get PIP?

You might be able to get PIP if all of these things apply:

• you are over 16
• you are under the state retirement age (unless you have had PIP before)
• you have difficulty doing some specified everyday tasks or getting around
• you expect these difficulties to last at least 12 months from when they started

If you have been told by a medical professional that you might have less than 12 months to live you can get PIP more quickly. You will not have to have a face-to-face assessment.

In this case you will need to ask the medical professional to fill in a form called an SR1. They should fill this in and either give it to you or send it straight to the department for work and pensions (DWP). You should call the PIP new claims phone line to start your claim.

The PIP assessment and reviews

If you are claiming PIP for the first time, someone will assess how difficult you find daily tasks. They will decide if you will get the payment and how much money you will get.

The amount of money you get for PIP is reviewed after a set amount of time. When you first get PIP you should be told when you will have a review.

When the review is due you will be sent a letter which will tell you what to do. You might have to have another assessment as part of your review.

What the assessors will look at

There are two parts to the PIP. You might get a payment for one or for both of these.

The daily living part is for help with everyday life. The assessment will look to see if you need help to do any of these things:

• eat, drink or prepare food
• wash and use the toilet
• get dressed and undressed
• read and communicate with others
• manage medicines and medical treatment
• make decisions about money
• socialise and be around other people

The mobility part is for help with getting out or moving around. The assessment will look to see if you need help to do any of these things:

• work out a route and follow it
• move around
• leave your home

Difficulties with mobility do not have to be because of a physical disability. They could also be due to a learning difficulty or mental health condition.

The assessment will look at how difficult you find the daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will look at:

• if you can do the task safely
• how long it takes you
• how often your condition affects this task
• if you need extra equipment or help from someone, including a family member

If your claim is successful this information will be used to decide:

• if you will get the daily living part or the mobility part or both
• for each part, if you will get the lower weekly rate or the higher weekly rate

For example, you might get the lower weekly rate for the daily living part. And the higher weekly rate for the mobility part.

you can find all the current rates on this page.

Make sure you tell the assessor about all the difficulties your condition causes. Even if you are managing to cope with them at the moment. Or they are only a problem some of the time. If you need help to do some things, for example from a family member, tell the assessor.

How to make a claim for PIP

• In England and Wales you can call the PIP new claims phone line on 0800 917 2222.
• Other ways to start a claim in England and Wales.
• In Northern Ireland you can call 0800 012 1573.
• Other ways to start a claim in Northern Ireland.

In Scotland this benefit is called the Adult disability payment. Click here to find out how to apply online and other ways to make a claim in Scotland.

More detailed information on PIP

• Citizens Advice information about PIP. This includes more detailed information on preparing for the assessment, reviews, and appeals.
• Government information on PIP.

Universal Credit is the main benefit for adults under the state pension age. You may be entitled to it if you have a low income. This includes people who cannot work because of a health condition.

Who can claim Universal Credit?

To claim universal credit you must:

• be over 18 and under state pension age
• live in the UK
• have £16,000 or less in money, savings or investments

If you live with a partner, you must make a joint claim for Universal Credit. Even if only one of you is eligible. Your partner’s income and savings might affect how much money you will get from Universal Credit.

If you or your partner are getting Pension Credit this will stop when you make a claim for Universal Credit. You will probably get more money by staying on Pension Credit. But get advice on what is best in your case.

How does my medical condition affect Universal Credit?

If you cannot work because of a disability or medical condition, you may be able to get extra money through Universal Credit.

Some people will get this automatically. But usually you will have to provide a “fit note” from a healthcare professional. You will then have to fill in a form called a “work capacity questionnaire” or “UC50”. This can be quite complicated, so set aside time to do it and take breaks if you need to. You can find out a lot more information about the work capability form and how to fill it in on the citizens advice website here.

You may then need to have a “Work Capability Assessment”. This will be an appointment with a medical professional. They will ask you questions and might want to examine you.

The assessment is used to decide if you are:

• able to look for work now
• not able to work now but will be in the future (limited capability for work or LCW)
• not able to work or get ready to work (limited capability for work -related activity or LCWRA)

You can find out more about the assessment on the citizens advice page here.

How much money will I get from Universal Credit?

There are two parts to Universal Credit. A “standard allowance” and a group of extra amounts.

The basic amount of money you can get from Universal Credit is called the standard allowance. This depends on:

• Your age (the rate is slightly lower for people under 25)
• If you live with a partner

You can find the current rates on the government page here.

Your standard allowance might be reduced

• If you or your partner work, this will depend on how much you earn.
• If you have other income, for example from a pension.
• If you have more than £6000 in money, savings or investments.
• In some cases where you owe money for things like council tax, child maintenance or overpayments of benefits Find out more here.

On top of the standard allowance you might be entitled to more money

• If you have children.

This amount will be higher if any of your children are disabled or if you pay for childcare from a registered provider. Find out more here

• If you have a disability or health condition that means you have “limited capacity for work and work related activity”.

You will need to fill in a “capacity for work” form. You may need to do a “work capacity assessment” Find out more here

• If a medical professional has said that you might have less than 12 months to live.

You can find out more about benefits if you are nearing the end of life here.

• If you spend more than 35 hours a week caring for someone who gets a health or disability benefit.
• If you need help with housing costs.

This includes help with private, council or housing association rent. And help with service charges if you own a leasehold property. Find out more here

If your circumstances change

If there are any important changes in your life you must report these using your Universal Credit account. This is really important. You could have to pay a penalty or be taken to court if you do not. How a change affects your Universal Credit will depend on several things, so it’s a good idea to get personal advice.

Changes you must report include:

• changes to your health condition
• stopping work
• starting a new job
• moving in with your partner
• changes to your rent

For a longer list, and information on how to report the change go to the government website here.

More detailed information about Universal Credit

• Citizens advice. Lots of information, including help if you are having problems with your claim.
• Government website more information about Universal Credit here

How to claim Universal Credit

• Government website how to claim Universal Credit.
• Citizens advice help to claim advisors.

You might be able to claim ESA If you have a disability or health condition that affects how much you can work.

Who can claim ESA?

You cannot claim ESA if you are getting statutory sick pay. But you can apply for ESA up to three months before your statutory sick pay ends. The application process can take several months. So it is worth applying early if you think you might not be well enough to return to work.

You might be able to claim ESA if all of these apply:

• you are an adult under the state pension age
• your ability to work is limited because of an illness or disability
• you are not getting statutory sick pay
• you have paid or been credited enough class 1 or 2 National insurance contributions in the last 2 full tax years before you claim

You can check on your national insurance contributions here. You will need to have a “fit note” from your doctor to apply for ESA.

You may have to have a “work capability assessment”. If you need an assessment, you will be sent a letter telling you to fill in a “capability for work questionnaire”. You might then have to have an appointment for a “work capacity assessment”. If you are also claiming Universal Credit you will have one “work capacity assessment” for both these claims.  You ca find more detailed information on filling in the form and the assessment on the citizens advice page here.

In some cases you can apply for ESA while you are working. You can see the current rules about this here.

How much money will I get from ESA?

Most people will get paid an “assessment rate” for 13 weeks while your ESA claim is being looked at. The amount you will receive is a little bit higher if you are over 25.

Once this assessment is done you will be put into 1 of 2 groups

• The work-related activity group. If it is thought that you will be able to go back to work in the future.
• The Support group. If you can not work now and are not expected to prepare for work in the future.

People in the support group get a higher amount of ESA.

You can see the current amounts for the assessment rate, work related activity group and support group on this page

Claiming other benefits if you get ESA.

Universal Credit

If you are eligible, you can claim Universal Credit and ESA at the same time.

This will not increase the amount of money you get overall. But it can still be worth it.

If you are claiming both benefits, the amount of money you get for ESA will be taken off your Universal Credit payment. So you will get the same amount as you would have if you only got Universal Credit.

But claiming ESA means that you will get a different type of National Insurance Credit. This can be important if you want to claim some other types of benefit in future.

Enhanced disability premium

If you are in the support group for ESA you will also qualify for an extra payment. This is called the “enhanced disability premium”. You might also be able to apply for a higher level of payment called the “severe disability payment”. You can find out more about these here.

More detailed information about ESA

• Citizens advice information pages have lots of information about ESA.
• Government pages on ESA, including how to apply.

You might be able to claim new style JSA for up to 182 days if:

• you are looking for work
• you live in England, Scotland or Wales

It is different to the old income-based jobseekers allowance. If you are on the old scheme you can continue to receive that benefit until your circumstances change, or you move to Universal Credit.

The system is a bit different in Northern Ireland. You can find out about JSA in northern Ireland, and how to apply, here.

Who can get JSA?

There are a lot of rules about who can claim JSA. If you are not sure, contact Jobcentre Plus for advice.

To claim JSA you must be:

• 18 or over (there are some exceptions for 16 and 17 year olds)
• under the state pension age
• available for work
• not in full time education
• not working at the moment or working less than 16 hours a week
• not have an illness or disability that stops you working

You must also have worked as an employee. And paid Class 1 national insurance contributions in the last 2 to 3 years. Or have national insurance credits.

You can check your national insurance contributions here

If you have savings these will not affect your claim. If you have a partner, their income and savings will not affect the claim.

How do I claim JSA?

You can find out how to apply for JSA here.

After you have applied you will be contacted within 14 days by The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). If you might be eligible for JSA you will have to have an interview at your local Jobcentre Plus office.

Once you are getting JSA, you will have to show that you are looking for work. You will also have to attend regular appointments at your local Jobcentre Plus.

If you are eligible, you can claim Universal Credit at the same time as JSA.

More detailed information about JSA

• Information about JSA if you live in Northern Ireland.
• Citizens advice information about JSA.
• Government information about JSA.
• How to apply for JSA.

Who can get Pension Credit?

To get Pension Credit you must be over state pension age and have a low income.

You might also be able to get extra help if you are a carer, severely disabled, or responsible for a child or young person.

You must live in England, Scotland, or Wales.

If you live in Northern Ireland you can also claim Pension Credit. But it is a little different. You can find information and how to apply here.

If you have a partner you have to apply as a couple.

How much money will I get from Pension Credit?

How much you will get is complicated and depends on lots of things including:

• any other money you are getting (your income)
• if you have a partner
• if you have savings
• some housing costs
• some other benefits
• if you are severely disabled
• if you have some types of caring responsibility

The government website has a calculator that you can use to see how much Pension Credit you could get. You can find this here.

You can also call the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234

Citizens Advice has more detailed information on how to work out if you might be able to claim Pension Credit here.

More information on Pension Credit

Citizens Advice information on Pension Credit

Government information on Pension Credit for England, Scotland, and Wales

Government information on Pension Credit for Northern Ireland

Who can get Attendance Allowance?

To claim Attendance Allowance you must be:

• over state pension age
• have a physical or mental disability that means you need someone to look after you
• have had this condition for at least 6 months.

You cannot get Attendance Allowance if:

• you live in a care home, and it is paid for by your local authority
• you already get any of these benefits:
  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Adult Disability Payment

Some people will have to have an assessment to be able to claim Attendance Allowance. This will depend on your disability.

Attendance Allowance is not means tested. So it does not matter how much money you are getting from a pension or other income. Or if you have savings.

You can apply for Attendance Allowance even if you are already getting help. For example from a family member.

How much money will I get from Attendance Allowance?

How much money you can get from Attendance Allowance depends on how much help you need. There are 2 rates. The higher rate is for people who need help during the day and night.

If a doctor has told you that you might have less then 12 months to live, you will get the higher rate. You should apply for Attendance Allowance. And ask your doctor to fill in a form called an SR1. They can then either give the form to you or send it straight to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

You can see the current rates on this page.

If you are entitled to Attendance Allowance you might also be able to claim other benefits. It is worth getting personal advice to make sure you do not miss out on anything.

More information on Attendance Allowance

Citizens Advice information on Attendance Allowance

Government information for Attendance Allowance in England, Scotland, and Wales

Government information for Attendance Allowance in Northern Ireland

Carer’s Allowance is a benefit for people who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone else. You do not have to be related to the person you are caring for. And you do not have to live with them. But if more than one person is caring for them, only one person can claim Carer’s Allowance.

Who can get Carer’s Allowance?

Carer’s Allowance is only available to people earning under a certain amount of money each week. You can find the current amount on this page.

If you earn less than this, you might be able to get Carer’s Allowance if all of these apply:

• you are 16 or over
• you spend at least 35 hours each week caring for the same person
• you are not in full time education
• you are not studying for more than 21 hours a week

Most people also have to live in England, Scotland or Wales.

The person you care for must already be getting a “qualifying benefit”. These include:

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Attendance Allowance

You can find the full list of qualifying benefits here.

Exactly who can get Carer’s Allowance is complicated. You should get personal advice before claiming Carer’s Allowance. It can have an impact on other benefits that you and the person you care for are getting.

More information about Carer’s Allowance

Government information about Carer’s Allowance, including the current weekly rate

Citizens Advice information about Carer’s Allowance

Most people cannot make a new claim for Housing Benefit. You will need to apply for Universal Credit.

You might be able to get Housing Benefit if one of these things applies:

• you have reached state pension age and you are single
• you and your partner have both reached state pension age
• you or your partner have been getting Pension Credit since before May 2019
• you live in some types of supported, temporary or sheltered housing

But there are lots of exceptions to this. You can find a list of them here.

If you think you might be able to claim Housing Benefit you will have to apply to your local council.

You can find out who your local council is and how to contact them here.

More information on Housing Benefit

Citizens advice information on Housing Benefit. This includes information on how an extra bedroom might affect your benefit.

Government information on Housing Benefit