in this section
Where to get help and general advice
What will affect your claim?
Unemployed and 18+
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Unemployed and age 16/17?
Aged 16-19, in school or FE (or recently left)
Pregnant?
New baby?
Caring for children
Sickness.
Disabled? Carer?
Help with paying rent
Help with paying Council Tax
Emergencies or extra expenses
For Contact Details see our A-Z
What follows is only a general guide, and certainly doesn't cover every benefit or rule. If you need help, or are struggling to make ends meet, get advice to find out what you are entitled to, especially if your situation is at all complicated!
Where rates are given these are for 2011/12. All rates are normally increased each April.
Depending on your income or circumstances, you may be entitled to free prescriptions, and free or partial help with dental care and glasses. See 'Free NHS treatment'
WHERE TO GET HELP
For advice about what benefits you might be entitled to and how to apply, go to Castlegate or CAB, or call the Council Benefits Advice Team. Castlegate will also help with filling in forms, and you can use the phone there too. A Benefits Advice Team adviser can visit you at home if necessary or you can make an appointment at their office.
Future Prospects can help with benefits if they are linked to work or learning. For Contact Details see our A-Z.
If you are having problems claiming benefits or you are not happy with a decision, get advice from Castlegate or CAB. CAB also have specialist debt advisers if you are not happy with decisions made by a benefits agency. You'll need to speak to a general adviser at CAB first, who can refer you to a specialist if needed.
If you are need help with your Housing Benefit claim, you can speak to a Benefits Assessor who'll go through your claim with you first. If you are making a new claim, their '24 Hour Pledge' means that if you have all the evidence and information they need (e.g. proof of rent, proof of income, ID etc) your claim for Housing Benefit can be processed within 24 hours. For more information on Housing Benefit see here. For Contact Details see our A-Z.
For online information about benefits and entitlements look at direct.gov.uk or the benefits checker on moneysavingexpert.com.
GENERAL ADVICE
Most benefits claims are started over the phone, by ringing the Jobcentre Plus new claims helpline. Tax Credits and Child Benefit have their own helpline numbers. For Contact Details see our A-Z.
If using the phone is a problem to you, go to the Jobcentre Plus and ask for help. Otherwise they will take information from you by phone, which they will write down and send to you for checking.
You will need your postcode, and National Insurance number - but if you don't have it, don't let that delay you. You will only usually get benefits from the time when you first start your claim but it's worth asking for your claim to be backdated if you have good reason. Tax Credits can be backdated up to 3 months. You will also need identification (passport, birth certificate, bank papers etc).
Benefits are normally paid into your bank or building society account, or Post Office card account. See here for information about basic bank accounts. If you have no money while you are waiting for your first payment, you may be able to get a Crisis Loan. See here.
You will receive a written decision about any claim for benefits. If you think the decision is wrong, you have the right to appeal, and they may change their decision if they look at it again. Get advice.
WHAT WILL AFFECT YOUR CLAIM?
Your age may affect how much money you get, for example Income Support and JSA rates are lower for those under 25. Some benefits can't be claimed if you are below a certain age, and if you are under 16 you can't claim any benefits for yourself (except Child Benefit for your own child); your parent/guardian should claim for you.
Most benefits will be affected if you are married or living with someone as if you were married - i.e. 'cohabiting'. Same-sex couples are treated in the same way as opposite-sex couples. If you are single, but treated as a couple because you live with someone else, get advice.
Income Support, Income-based JSA, income related ESA, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are all affected by your own or your partner's earnings, although a small amount of your earnings is disregarded. This is £5 is you are single, £10 if you are a couple, £20 if you are disabled (£95pw if you are on ESA doing 'permitted work') and £20 if you are a single parent (£25 for HB and CTB). These benefits may also be affected by any savings you have.
IF YOU ARE... UNEMPLOYED AND 18+
You may be able to claim Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). If you have a partner you may be able to claim for them, but if one of you is under 18, extra rules apply so get advice.
• Weekly rates for JSA (also Income Support and irESA)
Age 16-24: £53.45 pw Age 25 or over: £67.50 pw
Couple rate: both aged 18 or over: £105.95 pw
For couples where one or both of you is under 18, a lower rate of £80.75 may apply, depending on your circumstances.
• If you are 16/17 and unemployed, see here
• If you are pregnant, see here
• If you can't work due to sickness, see here
• If you have a disability, see here
• If you are paying rent see here, or Council tax, see
here
If you are working part-time then you will lose some benefit.
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Make a claim by ringing the Jobcentre Plus new claims helpline as soon as you are unemployed. For Contact Details see our A-Z. You (and your partner, if you are claiming for them) will have to attend a 'new jobseeker's interview'. Be on time - showing up late can affect your claim. You will also get a short interview each time you sign on, and another after 13 weeks.
Jobcentre Plus will ask you about why you are unemployed. If you left a job or got sacked because of misconduct you may lose benefit (but still make a claim as soon as you can, otherwise you may lose even more benefit!) This is called a sanction. If you don't think they were fair to sanction you, get advice and appeal. Appeals have a good chance of overturning the decision. You should not be sanctioned for leaving a training placement if it is your first offence.
To claim JSA you must be looking for a job (or training
placement).
You have to 'sign on' every two weeks, and show you are 'available for' and 'actively seeking'
work, and will have a short interview each time. Keep a record of everything you
do towards finding work.
You can put 'reasonable' restrictions on your availability for work - e.g.
what areas you can travel to for work, the pay, the hours of the day you can work. These must be 'reasonable' (i.e. leave you with a
good chance of getting a job) or you could lose benefit. You can restrict your availability to your usual job/pay for up to 13 weeks.
You should also be able to make restrictions because you care for someone, or you have a disability
that restricts the type of work that you can do.
JSA is normally paid every fortnight in arrears.
IF YOU ARE... UNEMPLOYED AND AGE 16/17
Very few 16/17 year olds are able to claim JSA. This is because your parents or guardian are normally expected to support you financially at least until you are 18, and longer if you stay in Further Education. If you have left school or college less than 20 weeks ago, your parents may still be able to claim benefits for you see below
However you may be able to claim JSA 'hardship payments' in some circumstances for example;
• your parents are unable to support you for example because they are claiming benefits or on a low income themselves or
• because you are temporarily laid off or on short time working, and are available for work or
• because you are accepted as having to live away from home and you are looking for a job or training placement.
You will have to speak to someone from the Young Person's section of the Jobcentre Plus who will verify your situation. You must register for work or training with Castlegate and see a worker there on a regular basis. If you do not do this the Jobcentre can stop your benefits. For Contact Details see our A-Z.
At 18 you will be entitled to JSA under the normal rules. See here.
• For weekly JSA rates (with IS and irESA) see here
IF YOU ARE... AGED 16-19 & IN SCHOOL OR F.E. (or recently left)
If you are living with your parent(s) or guardian
... they are normally expected to support you financially whilst you remain in school or Further Education, and can continue to claim Child Benefit and Tax Credits for you. They can reapply for these if you go back into education or an approved training course during this time.
When you leave school or Further Education, whether at the end of your studies or because you quit the course, your parent(s)/guardian should be able to continue to claim benefits for you for up to 20 weeks after you leave. However they will need to inform the Child Benefit Office and Tax Credits Office within 3 months of the date of your leaving, and you will have to register for work or training with Castlegate.
If you are a parent yourself and still in school or Further Education, your parent/guardian can either continue to claim benefits for you and your child, or you can claim Income Support etc. in your own right (assuming you are 16+). Ask for advice about which is the best option.
If you are not living with your parent/guardian
You may still be able to claim Income Support whilst you continue in education but only in certain circumstances. Firstly your education needs to be 'relevant education' or 'approved training' see *Note below. Secondly, you need to be under 20 (or 21 for "second chance learning" - seek advice) and have been accepted for your course or training before your 19th birthday. You would also need to fit into one of the following groups:
• you cannot live with your parents / guardian because you are estranged from them (e.g. they have kicked you out or you are in physical or moral danger or there is a serious risk to your physical or mental health if you stay OR
• you have no living parents or guardian OR
• you have left care and you cannot live with your parents (though Social Services may have to support you financially instead) OR
• you live apart from your parents and they cannot support you (because e.g. they are ill or disabled, in prison or can't come to this country because of immigration laws) OR
• you are a refugee or have limited leave to enter or remain in the UK and you are learning English at least 15 hours a week (for 9 months only during your first year in Great Britain)
* Note: relevant education means you are studying at school or college for more than 12 hours a week not above 'A' level or equivalent. You also qualify up to the 'terminal date' after the last term you were in education, even if you only attended for one day in that term. Get advice about the terminal date that applies to you. If you will be 20 before your course ends, get advice. 'Approved' training includes some of the 'Employability Programmes' here, but does not include apprenticeships.
If you have left home or been kicked out, it is important that you do not give up your education as well, as you are likely to be better off staying in education. You should be entitled to the new bursary of £1200 per year on top of your Income Support (replacing EMA). For more information See here.
• If you are paying rent see here
You may be entitled to free school meals if you are in Year 11 or Sixth Form, and may get help with travel costs to college/sixth form if you live more than 3 miles away. See york.gov.uk and search for 'travel post 16'.
If you need to claim for your partner, get advice.
• For weekly income support rates (and JSA) see here.
To make a claim for Income Support you will have to talk to someone from the Young Person's section of Jobcentre Plus - call in at Castlegate or a Jobcentre Plus office to arrange an interview. At the interview you'll be asked why you cannot live at home. Your own evidence should normally be believed. If supporting evidence is needed this can be from e.g. a support worker or teacher you have contact with. There is no need for confirmation from your parents.
If you tell them you have been abused at home they may want to tell Social Services or the police about it. Normally they do not do this without your permission, but they may do so if they think the abuse is serious.
If it is your choice to move out of home, and there is no reason why you would not be able to return, you may not be able to claim Income Support; however you may still be able to claim other benefits, such as Housing Benefit if you are paying rent. (see here) Your parents may choose to support you, or you could work part-time while studying. see here.
If you need money to live on immediately, apply for a crisis loan. see here.
IF YOU ARE... PREGNANT
If you are pregnant, you cannot make any claim for benefits earlier than 11 weeks before the week the baby is due, unless you can claim for some other reason. (Apart from Healthy Start Vouchers - see below). This might be because you are sick and unable to work (see here), because you are unemployed (see here if you are 18+ or here if you are 16/17) or because you are in Further Education and have to live away from home. see here.
You may be able to claim Healthy Start Vouchers if you are pregnant or have a child under age 4. These are worth £3.10 pw (£6.20 for a baby under 12 months) to put towards the cost of fresh or frozen fruit and veg, milk, vitamins etc. Claiming depends on your income, though if you are under 18 and pregnant you automatically qualify. Your midwife should have forms or look at healthystart.nhs.uk to see if you qualify.
Once you have reached 11 weeks before the week the baby is due (weeks are worked out Sunday to Saturday, and you will have to wait for your MatB1 at your 20 week scan to get the date confirmed) you may be able to claim benefits depending on your circumstances.
If you are pregnant and working
You should be able to claim either Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from your employer, or if not, Maternity Allowance (MA) from Jobcentre Plus, depending on the length of time you have been working and your average earnings. You can wait to claim these right up until the baby is due if you want. For SMP you must give your employer at least 28 days notice of the date from which you expect your employer to pay you SMP.
SMP and MA can be claimed for 39 weeks. The first 6 weeks of SMP may be at a higher rate, but after that, SMP and MA are at a maximum of £128.73 per week and depend on your earnings:
SMP is based on the wages earned roughly from the 22nd week to the 15th week before the week your baby is due, so if you are on a low wage but can increase your earnings in that period for example by doing extra hours, you may be better off later - get advice.
For MA you can choose the 8 weeks where you earned the most, within a certain time period, to maximise your MA. Ask for advice.
in the first instance, apply to your employer for SMP, as they are responsible for working out if you are entitled to it, and paying this to you if you are. Otherwise, claim MA by ringing the Jobcentre Plus new claims helpline. If you are in a couple, you can claim SMP or MA independent of your partners earnings.
If you are pregnant and not working
You may be able to claim Income Support, but if you are in a couple, and your partner is working, their earnings will be taken into account, and you may not qualify.
For weekly income support rates (and JSA) rates
see here
Once your baby is born, you should be entitled to claim other benefits as well, for example Tax Credits and Child Benefit.
IF YOU... NEED HELP WITH THE COST OF YOUR NEW BABY
You may be able to claim a Sure Start Maternity Grant (SSMG). This is a grant of £500 to pay towards the cost of a first baby. You do not have to pay it back. If you (or your partner) are claiming Income Support, Income-based JSA or income related ESA you can claim this before the baby is born - apply from 11 weeks before the baby is due.
Otherwise you may be able to claim in the first 3 months after your baby is born if you are on a low income. This is based on the level of Tax Credits you are entitled to. Ring the Jobcentre Plus new claims helpline, or download form SF100 from direct.gov.uk
IF YOU ARE... CARING FOR CHILDREN
You may be able to claim Healthy Start Vouchers. See here.
You should be able to claim Child Benefit, whatever your income. Child Benefit is paid to couples and lone parents who are responsible for a child. Unlike Child Tax Credit you do not have to be over 16 to claim it. To claim, ring the Child Benefit helpline. For Contact Details see our A-Z.
• Child Benefit weekly rate:
First or only child: £20.30. Additional children: £13.40 each
You may be able to claim Tax Credits, depending on your income. There are two types of Tax Credit, and they are claimed together from the Tax Credits helpline. You can claim Child Tax Credit whether or not you are working. To be able to claim Working Tax Credit, you or your partner need to be working 16 hours or more a week. Working Tax Credit can also pay up to 70% of your childcare costs. For Contact Details see our A-Z.
IF YOU... CAN'T WORK BECAUSE YOU ARE SICK
If you are unemployed when you become sick you will need to claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) from Jobcentre Plus. For Contact Details see our A-Z.
If you are working when you become sick, your employer must pay you Statutory Sick Pay (if you normally earn at least £102 per week on average). After 28 weeks you must claim ESA.
• Statutory sick pay is £81.60 per week
IF YOU... HAVE A DISABILITY (WHETHER OR NOT YOU WORK)
Benefits are available if you have a disability, or if you are unable to work because of a disability. The rules can be complicated - you should seek advice. There is, for example, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) which is for those who need help to look after themselves or help in getting around. The amount will depend on how much help you need. It is paid on top of other benefits - and can increase the amount of other benefits that you get, for example, extra Income Support or Housing Benefit.
Working Tax Credit can also be claimed by people 16+ who are in work, but at a disadvantage in getting a job because of a disability.
IF YOU ARE... CARING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS SICK OR DISABLED
You may be able to claim 'Carer's Allowance' if you are caring for someone else for at least 35 hours per week. This will depend for example on your income (you need to be earning less than £100 per week net) and what benefits the person you are caring for claims.
If you are unemployed you may be able to claim Carer's Allowance instead of having to sign on - you may also get some Income Support as well. If you are claiming an overlapping benefit, it may still be worth putting in a claim for Carer's Allowance, as having an 'underlying entitlement' to Carer's Allowance can increase, for example, the amount of Housing Benefit you get. Get advice.
IF YOU... NEED HELP WITH PAYING YOUR RENT
You may be able to claim Housing Benefit. You can claim from age 16 onwards. You can claim if you are working and on a low income, or unemployed, or sick or disabled. You can claim if you are studying part time. If you are in full time education, you can usually only claim in limited circumstances - get advice.
You do not need your landlord's permission to apply for Housing Benefit, and they do not have to know that you are applying for it or receiving it, as long as you have proof of how much you are paying and what it is for. This would usually be provided by your tenancy agreement and/or rent book.
You cannot usually get Housing Benefit if you are paying rent to a close relative for living with them. However if you are paying them rent for another property they own you may be able to, so it is worth putting in a claim. Housing Benefit only pays towards rent, and not bills or services such as meals or cleaning.
If you make a claim for Income Support, income based JSA or income related ESA it should also start a claim for Housing Benefit at the same time. Otherwise you can get a claim form from Castlegate, the Housing Benefit Office or download from york.gov.uk. See also here about getting help with your claim and the Housing Benefit office '24 Hour Pledge'.
For Contact Details see our A-Z.
How much Housing Benefit will you get?
If you are on Income Support, income-based JSA or income related ESA and live in Council or Housing Association property, you will get 100% of
your rent paid through Housing Benefit. If you are in private rented accommodation then you will get the
current 'Local Housing Allowance' rate (see
below).
If you are working, your Housing Benefit is reduced depending on your income.
Housing Benefit is paid in arrears, every week. If you are still struggling to pay your rent and it is causing you hardship you may be able to get 'Discretionary Housing Payments' but you'll need to apply for these. Tell them about other circumstances, such as whether you are pregnant, or have a disability or mental health problem. You can also sometimes get Discretionary Housing Payments to help pay the deposit or rent in advance to secure a new place, depending on your circumstances. Get advice.
Housing Benefit is normally paid to you, not your landlord. However it can be paid direct to the landlord where this helps you secure or keep your tenancy. You can also get it paid to them direct if you struggle to manage your own affairs. If you are in arrears by eight weeks or more your landlord can apply in any case to have it paid direct to themselves.
If you are in private rented accommodation, your maximum Housing Benefit will be calculated using the new Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. Your LHA is based on the number of adults and the age of any children in your household, including any people that live with you (though adult 'non-dependents' may be expected to contribute towards the rent, and reduce your Housing Benefit depending on their age and earnings. Ask for advice).
However if you are under 25*, single and without children, this will only be the 'shared room rate' even if you are in a one bedroom flat (though this might not apply if you are a care leaver). If you are a childless couple of any age you are entitled to the 'one bedroom' LHA rate, unless you are actually living in shared accommodation, in which case only the 'shared room rate' applies.
* Note: the 'shared room rate' is likely to apply to those under 35 from January 2012. Get advice.
The figures for LHA are published each month on york.gov.uk, so you can work out how much Housing Benefit you will get.
IF YOU... NEED HELP WITH PAYING YOUR COUNCIL TAX
You may be able to claim Council Tax Benefit.
Council Tax is a tax on houses and flats. All home-owners and tenants over 18 have to pay it. However if you live in a shared house it should be paid by the landlord. If you live by yourself you can apply for a 25% reduction. If you are under 18 you are exempt from paying it.
If you are on Income Support, Income based JSA or income related ESA you should get 100% Council Tax Benefit. If you are working but on a low income, your Council Tax Benefit will be reduced depending on your income.
Most full time students and some part time students are exempt from paying Council Tax. Rules covering students can be complicated, so get advice.
If you've applied for Housing Benefit this covers Council Tax Benefit as well. Otherwise phone Council Tax Benefits. For Contact Details see our A-Z.
IF YOU... NEED MONEY FOR AN EMERGENCY OR EXTRA EXPENSE
You may be able to get a loan or grant from the Social Fund, part of Jobcentre Plus. Crisis or Budgeting Loans loans must be repaid through your benefits or wages each week. Grants (e.g. a Community Care Grant) don't have to be paid back. There is no guarantee of getting money in most cases, but if you need a payment, make a claim.
Crisis Loans can be made for emergencies e.g. money until your benefits come through, extra living costs, paying for B & B if you are homeless, or paying rent in advance. Budgeting loans can be made for extra household expenses such as a new cooker or shoes.
Grants may be given for one off expenses e.g. if you have been homeless they may help with the cost of resettling into a new tenancy, or for certain travel costs, funeral costs and other one off costs.
Ring the Jobcentre Plus Crisis Loan applications number or get Budgeting Loan or Community Care Grant forms from Jobcentre Plus or from direct.gov.uk.