Overview

You

can

only

make

a

claim

for

Child

Tax

Credit

if

you

already

get

Working

Tax

Credit

If

you

can

not

apply

for

Child

Tax

Credit

you

can

apply

for

Universal

Credit

instead

You

might

be

able

to

apply

for

Pension

Credit

if

you

and

your

partner

are

State

Pension

age

or

over

What

you

’ll

get

The

amount

you

can

get

depends

on

how

many

children

you

’ve

got

and

whether

you

’re

making

a

new

claim

for

Child

Tax

Credit

already

claiming

Child

Tax

Credit

Child

Tax

Credit

will

not

affect

your

Child

Benefit

You

can

only

claim

Child

Tax

Credit

for

children

you

’re

responsible

for

If

you

're

making

a

new

claim

You

can

only

make

a

claim

for

Child

Tax

Credit

if

you

already

get

Working

Tax

Credit

You

can

only

claim

Child

Tax

Credit

for

children

you

’re

responsible

for

What

you

’ll

get

The

amount

you

could

get

depends

on

when

your

children

were

born

If

all

your

children

were

born

before

April

You

could

get

the

child

element

of

Child

Tax

Credit

for

all

of

your

children

You

’ll

also

get

the

basic

amount

known

as

the

family

element

If

one

or

more

of

your

children

were

born

on

or

after

April

You

could

get

the

child

element

of

Child

Tax

Credit

for

up

to

children

You

might

get

the

child

element

for

more

children

if

exceptions

apply

You

’ll

only

get

the

family

element

if

at

least

one

of

your

children

was

born

before

April

Child

Tax

Credit

rates

for

the

to

tax

year

Element

Yearly

amount

The

basic

amount

this

is

known

as

the

family

element

Up

to

For

each

child

this

is

known

as

the

child

element

Up

to

For

each

disabled

child

Up

to

on

top

of

the

child

element

For

each

severely

disabled

child

Up

to

on

top

of

the

child

element

and

the

disabled

child

element

Use

the

tax

credit

calculator

to

work

out

how

much

you

could

get

Moving

to

the

UK

from

the

EEA

You

must

wait

months

before

claiming

Child

Tax

Credit

if

you

arrived

in

the

UK

from

the

EEA

on

or

after

July

and

do

not

work

There

are

some

exceptions

who

will

not

have

to

wait

months

for

example

refugees

You

're

already

claiming

Child

Tax

Credit

How

much

Child

Tax

Credit

you

get

depends

on

your

circumstances

You

must

tell

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

if

your

circumstances

change

If

your

claim

started

before

April

You

get

the

basic

amount

of

Child

Tax

Credit

known

as

the

family

element

the

child

element

for

children

born

before

April

If

you

have

another

child

on

or

after

April

you

’ll

usually

only

get

the

child

element

for

them

if

they

’re

the

second

child

you

’re

claiming

for

You

might

get

the

child

element

for

more

children

if

exceptions

apply

If

your

claim

started

on

or

after

April

You

get

the

child

element

for

up

to

children

You

might

get

the

child

element

for

more

children

if

exceptions

apply

You

only

get

the

family

element

if

at

least

one

of

your

children

was

born

before

April

If

all

your

children

were

born

before

April

You

get

the

child

element

for

all

your

children

You

also

get

the

basic

amount

known

as

the

family

element

Child

Tax

Credit

rates

for

the

to

tax

year

Element

Yearly

amount

The

basic

amount

this

is

known

as

the

family

element

Up

to

For

each

child

this

is

known

as

the

child

element

Up

to

For

each

disabled

child

Up

to

on

top

of

the

child

element

For

each

severely

disabled

child

Up

to

on

top

of

the

child

element

and

the

disabled

child

element

Use

the

tax

credit

calculator

to

work

out

how

much

you

could

get

How

you

're

paid

All

benefits

pensions

and

allowances

are

paid

into

an

account

a

bank

account

for

example

of

the

person

mainly

responsible

for

the

child

You

’re

paid

every

week

or

every

weeks

from

the

date

of

your

claim

up

to

the

end

of

the

tax

year

April

unless

your

circumstances

change

How

to

claim

You

can

no

longer

make

a

new

claim

for

Child

Tax

Credit

You

can

apply

for

Universal

Credit

instead

You

might

be

able

to

apply

for

Pension

Credit

if

you

and

your

partner

are

State

Pension

age

or

over

You

can

only

make

a

claim

for

Child

Tax

Credit

if

you

already

get

Working

Tax

Credit

To

claim

Child

Tax

Credit

update

your

existing

tax

credit

claim

by

reporting

a

change

in

your

circumstances

online

or

by

phone

Responsibility

for

a

child

You

can

only

claim

Child

Tax

Credit

for

children

you

’re

responsible

for

You

’re

usually

responsible

for

a

child

if

they

live

with

you

all

the

time

they

normally

live

with

you

and

you

’re

the

main

carer

they

keep

their

toys

and

clothes

at

your

home

you

pay

for

their

meals

and

give

them

pocket

money

they

live

in

an

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

but

are

financially

dependent

on

you

Contact

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

if

you

’re

not

sure

you

’re

responsible

for

the

child

If

you

share

responsibility

for

a

child

and

you

can

not

agree

who

should

claim

you

can

both

apply

HMRC

will

decide

for

you

If

you

adopted

or

fostered

a

child

You

can

claim

for

an

adopted

or

fostered

child

if

you

’re

not

getting

money

from

your

local

council

Health

and

Social

Services

Board

in

Northern

Ireland

If

you

do

get

money

call

HMRC

to

find

out

if

you

can

claim

If

you

’re

responsible

for

a

disabled

child

You

may

get

extra

Child

Tax

Credits

if

your

child

either

gets

Disability

Living

Allowance

Personal

Independence

Payment

or

Armed

Forces

Independence

Payment

is

certified

blind

or

was

within

weeks

of

your

tax

credits

claim

You

still

qualify

if

Disability

Living

Allowance

Personal

Independence

Payment

or

Armed

Forces

Independence

Payment

stops

because

the

child

goes

into

hospital


Overview

You

may

get

a

Cold

Weather

Payment

if

you

’re

getting

certain

benefits

or

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

You

’ll

get

a

payment

if

the

average

temperature

in

your

area

is

recorded

as

or

forecast

to

be

zero

degrees

celsius

or

below

over

consecutive

days

You

’ll

get

for

each

day

period

of

very

cold

weather

between

November

and

March

The

to

Cold

Weather

Payment

scheme

has

now

ended

You

’ll

be

able

to

check

if

your

area

is

due

a

payment

when

next

year

’s

scheme

starts

on

November

Cold

Weather

Payments

are

different

to

Winter

Fuel

Payments

What

you

'll

get

You

’ll

get

for

each

day

period

of

very

cold

weather

between

November

and

March

After

each

period

of

very

cold

weather

in

your

area

you

should

get

a

payment

within

working

days

It

’s

paid

into

the

same

bank

or

building

society

account

as

your

benefit

payments

Cold

Weather

Payments

do

not

affect

your

other

benefits

Eligibility

You

may

get

Cold

Weather

Payments

if

you

’re

getting

Pension

Credit

Income

Support

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Universal

Credit

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

Pension

Credit

You

’ll

usually

get

Cold

Weather

Payments

if

you

get

Pension

Credit

Income

Support

and

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

You

’ll

usually

get

Cold

Weather

Payments

if

you

get

Income

Support

or

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

and

have

any

of

the

following

a

disability

or

pensioner

premium

a

child

who

is

disabled

Child

Tax

Credit

that

includes

a

disability

or

severe

disability

element

a

child

under

living

with

you

Income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

You

’ll

usually

get

Cold

Weather

Payments

if

you

get

income

related

ESA

and

are

in

a

work

related

activity

group

or

support

group

If

you

’re

not

in

either

group

you

might

also

get

Cold

Weather

Payments

if

you

have

any

of

the

following

a

severe

or

enhanced

disability

premium

a

pensioner

premium

a

child

who

is

disabled

Child

Tax

Credit

that

includes

a

disability

or

severe

disability

element

a

child

under

living

with

you

Universal

Credit

You

’ll

usually

get

Cold

Weather

Payments

if

you

get

Universal

Credit

and

you

’re

not

employed

or

self

employed

One

of

the

following

must

also

apply

you

have

a

health

condition

or

disability

and

have

limited

capability

for

work

with

or

without

work

related

activity

you

have

a

child

under

living

with

you

You

’ll

also

be

eligible

if

you

have

a

disabled

child

amount

in

your

claim

whether

you

’re

employed

or

not

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

SMI

You

’ll

usually

get

Cold

Weather

Payments

if

you

get

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

SMI

and

have

any

of

the

following

a

severe

or

enhanced

disability

premium

a

pensioner

premium

a

child

who

is

disabled

Child

Tax

Credit

that

includes

a

disability

or

severe

disability

element

a

child

under

living

with

you

How

to

claim

You

do

not

need

to

apply

If

you

’re

eligible

to

get

a

Cold

Weather

Payment

you

’ll

be

paid

it

automatically

The

to

Cold

Weather

Payment

scheme

has

now

ended

You

’ll

be

able

to

check

if

your

area

is

due

a

payment

when

next

year

’s

scheme

starts

on

November

If

you

have

a

baby

or

a

child

under

comes

to

live

with

you

Tell

Jobcentre

Plus

if

you

get

Income

Support

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

or

income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

and

you

’ve

had

a

baby

a

child

under

has

come

to

live

with

you

You

will

not

automatically

get

Cold

Weather

Payments

if

you

do

not

If

you

do

not

receive

your

Cold

Weather

Payment

Tell

the

Pension

Service

or

Jobcentre

Plus

if

you

think

you

should

’ve

received

a

Cold

Weather

Payment

but

you

have

not

If

you

’re

getting

Universal

Credit

sign

in

to

your

account

and

add

a

note

to

your

journal

If

you

do

not

have

an

online

account

ring

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

instead

The

phone

number

is

on

letters

about

your

Universal

Credit

claim

Hospital

stays

Tell

the

Pension

Service

or

Jobcentre

Plus

if

you

go

into

hospital

this

could

affect

your

payment

If

you

’re

getting

Universal

Credit

sign

in

to

your

account

and

add

a

note

to

your

journal

If

you

do

not

have

an

online

account

ring

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

instead

The

phone

number

is

on

letters

about

your

Universal

Credit


Overview

Benefit

payments

and

entitlement

may

change

or

stop

if

you

your

partner

or

your

child

is

sent

to

prison

or

a

young

offenders

institution

in

custody

awaiting

trial

on

remand

You

must

tell

the

Tax

Credit

Office

about

prison

sentences

You

can

not

claim

State

Pension

while

you

’re

in

prison

If

you

’re

in

prison

or

on

remand

You

can

get

help

from

a

benefits

adviser

to

suspend

or

close

down

benefits

you

’re

no

longer

able

to

claim

if

you

go

to

prison

or

on

remand

If

your

partner

or

child

is

in

prison

or

on

remand

If

your

partner

or

child

has

gone

to

prison

or

is

on

remand

you

must

tell

whoever

pays

your

benefits

and

find

out

if

your

benefit

claims

will

be

affected

if

you

can

claim

other

benefits

You

may

still

be

entitled

to

benefits

if

your

partner

has

gone

to

prison

as

long

as

you

satisfy

the

benefit

entitlement

conditions

in

your

own

right

Benefits

that

stop

or

are

suspended

Your

entitlement

to

benefit

stops

if

you

go

to

prison

apart

from

Housing

Benefit

for

shorter

sentences

help

with

council

tax

if

you

’re

eligible

tax

credits

and

Child

Benefit

in

some

cases

Industrial

Injuries

Disabled

Benefit

which

is

suspended

You

’ll

stop

getting

Carer

’s

Allowance

if

the

person

you

care

for

goes

to

prison

or

is

on

remand

Benefits

while

on

remand

If

you

’re

on

remand

you

can

not

claim

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

Income

Support

apart

from

help

with

housing

costs

Working

Tax

Credit

although

your

partner

may

be

able

to

claim

for

an

absent

partner

Disability

Living

Allowance

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

or

Incapacity

Benefit

Attendance

Allowance

Pension

Credit

apart

from

help

with

housing

costs

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

You

will

not

be

entitled

to

Statutory

Sick

Pay

or

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

from

your

employer

Benefit

arrears

If

you

’re

owed

any

benefit

arrears

at

the

time

you

’re

sent

to

prison

or

on

remand

you

can

make

a

request

in

writing

for

these

to

be

paid

to

someone

else

Benefit

arrears

if

you

’re

not

convicted

If

you

’re

not

convicted

you

can

get

benefit

arrears

for

Contributory

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Incapacity

Benefit

Benefit

arrears

if

you

’re

convicted

If

you

’re

sent

to

prison

and

claim

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

you

may

be

entitled

to

up

to

a

year

’s

arrears

whenever

you

’re

released

Claiming

benefits

on

release

If

you

’re

entitled

to

benefits

you

can

put

in

new

claims

as

soon

as

you

leave

prison

You

may

also

be

able

to

get

other

financial

and

practical

support

You

can

not

claim

Job

Seeker

’s

Allowance

if

you

’re

released

on

temporary

licence

ROTL

Housing

Benefit

You

may

be

able

to

continue

getting

Housing

Benefit

or

make

a

claim

for

the

first

time

if

you

go

to

prison

or

are

on

remand

Making

a

new

Housing

Benefit

claim

You

can

only

make

a

new

claim

for

Housing

Benefit

if

one

of

the

following

is

true

you

have

reached

State

Pension

age

you

live

in

temporary

accommodation

you

live

in

sheltered

or

supported

housing

with

special

facilities

such

as

alarms

or

wardens

When

you

will

not

be

able

to

claim

You

will

not

be

entitled

to

claim

Housing

Benefit

if

you

’re

likely

to

be

on

remand

for

more

than

weeks

you

’re

likely

to

be

in

prison

for

more

than

weeks

including

any

time

on

remand

you

’re

not

intending

to

return

home

on

release

you

’re

claiming

as

a

couple

and

you

’ve

split

up

the

property

is

going

to

be

rented

out

On

remand

If

you

’re

single

You

can

claim

Housing

Benefit

payments

for

up

to

weeks

while

you

’re

on

remand

if

you

’re

likely

to

return

home

in

a

year

or

less

If

you

’re

in

a

couple

You

can

claim

joint

Housing

Benefit

for

up

to

weeks

while

one

of

you

is

on

remand

if

it

’s

likely

to

be

for

a

year

or

less

If

your

child

is

on

remand

Your

Housing

Benefit

payments

can

continue

for

up

to

weeks

if

your

child

’s

on

remand

if

they

’re

likely

to

be

away

for

a

year

or

less

In

prison

If

you

’re

single

You

can

claim

Housing

Benefit

for

up

to

weeks

if

you

’re

single

and

go

to

prison

and

are

likely

to

return

home

in

weeks

or

less

including

any

time

on

remand

If

you

’re

in

a

couple

You

can

claim

joint

Housing

Benefit

for

up

to

weeks

if

one

of

you

has

gone

to

prison

and

is

likely

to

return

home

in

weeks

or

less

including

any

time

on

remand

If

your

partner

’s

been

the

one

claiming

Housing

Benefit

and

goes

to

prison

you

may

be

able

to

claim

it

instead

You

may

need

to

have

your

name

added

to

the

tenancy

agreement

if

it

’s

not

there

already

If

your

child

is

in

prison

If

your

child

goes

to

prison

you

’ll

need

to

contact

your

local

council

to

see

if

your

Housing

Benefit

entitlement

will

change

For

example

if

you

rent

from

a

private

landlord

the

amount

of

benefit

paid

is

limited

depending

on

who

’s

living

with

you

Council

Tax

exemption

and

reduction

You

will

not

count

as

an

adult

living

in

a

property

for

Council

Tax

if

you

’re

in

prison

or

on

remand

If

you

’re

single

You

can

apply

for

your

home

to

be

exempt

from

Council

Tax

if

you

’re

single

in

prison

or

on

remand

and

there

’s

no

one

living

there

Your

home

will

not

be

exempt

if

you

’re

in

prison

for

not

paying

Council

Tax

or

a

fine

for

not

paying

it

If

you

’re

in

a

couple

On

remand

You

can

apply

or

continue

to

get

joint

Council

Tax

Reduction

if

your

partner

’s

on

remand

and

is

expected

home

in

a

year

or

less

In

prison

You

can

claim

or

continue

to

claim

joint

Council

Tax

Reduction

if

your

partner

’s

expected

to

be

in

prison

for

weeks

or

less

including

any

time

on

remand

Making

a

new

claim

You

’ll

get

a

discount

off

your

Council

Tax

bill

if

your

partner

’s

going

to

be

absent

for

more

than

weeks

and

you

’re

the

only

adult

in

the

property

You

may

be

able

to

apply

for

Council

Tax

Reduction

if

you

do

not

already

get

it

Tax

Credits

Reporting

changes

You

must

tell

the

Tax

Credit

Office

about

changes

that

affect

your

tax

credits

They

’ll

tell

you

what

happens

next

Working

Tax

Credit

If

you

’re

single

Your

Working

Tax

Credit

will

stop

if

you

’re

single

and

you

’re

on

on

remand

you

’re

sent

to

prison

you

’re

sent

to

a

young

offenders

institution

If

you

’re

in

a

couple

You

may

be

able

to

continue

claiming

Working

Tax

Credit

if

you

’re

in

a

couple

and

your

partner

goes

to

prison

for

a

year

or

less

You

must

work

a

certain

number

of

hours

a

week

to

qualify

Any

work

you

do

while

you

’re

serving

a

sentence

or

on

remand

will

not

be

counted

Child

Tax

Credit

If

you

’re

single

and

you

go

to

prison

Your

Child

Tax

Credit

may

stop

if

you

’re

single

with

children

and

go

to

prison

The

Tax

Credit

Office

will

decide

by

looking

at

whether

you

’re

still

responsible

for

your

child

how

long

you

’re

in

prison

for

if

you

’re

still

in

regular

contact

if

your

child

’s

with

you

in

prison

The

person

looking

after

your

child

or

children

may

be

able

to

claim

Child

Tax

Credit

if

you

can

not

If

you

’re

in

a

couple

and

one

of

you

goes

to

prison

Your

Child

Tax

Credit

will

continue

if

you

’re

in

a

couple

and

one

of

you

goes

on

remand

or

to

prison

If

your

child

goes

to

prison

You

’ll

still

get

Child

Tax

Credit

if

your

child

goes

to

prison

for

months

or

less

You

will

not

get

Child

Tax

Credit

for

your

child

’s

sentence

if

it

’s

more

than

months

Child

Benefit

You

can

continue

to

claim

Child

Benefit

when

you

’re

in

prison

if

your

child

is

with

you

in

prison

the

child

you

’re

claiming

for

for

is

living

with

someone

else

and

you

pay

an

equivalent

sum

to

them

You

can

also

ask

to

transfer

the

Child

Benefit

payment

to

someone

else

If

your

child

is

being

cared

for

by

the

local

council

your

Child

Benefit

payments

will

stop

after

weeks

If

your

child

goes

to

prison

or

is

on

remand

Your

Child

Benefit

payments

will

stop

after

weeks

if

your

child

goes

to

prison

or

is

on

remand

You

’ll

get

arrears

if

they

’re

cleared

of

the

offence

Looking

after

someone

else

’s

child

You

may

be

able

to

claim

Child

Benefit

and

Guardian

’s

Allowance

if

you

look

after

your

partner

’s

child

or

someone

else

’s

child

while

they

’re

in

prison

You

may

also

be

able

to

to

claim

Child

Tax

Credit

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

SMI

is

no

longer

a

benefit

It

’s

now

only

available

as

a

loan

You

can

not

get

an

SMI

loan

if

you

’re

serving

a

prison

sentence

but

your

partner

might

be

able

to

claim

instead

Your

partner

’s

name

may

not

have

to

be

on

the

mortgage

to

be

able

to

claim

Getting

an

SMI

loan

while

on

remand

If

you

’re

single

and

on

remand

you

may

be

able

to

continue

getting

SMI

loan

payments

if

you

meet

the

eligibility

conditions

You

can

not

get

an

SMI

loan

or

Income

Support

if

you

’re

part

of

a

couple

and

on

remand

but

your

partner

can

claim

benefit

and

housing

costs

Eligibility

If

you

’re

on

remand

you

must

be

getting

Pension

Credit

or

Income

Support

to

get

an

SMI

loan

You

’ll

need

to

apply

for

one

of

these

benefits

if

you

’ve

previously

qualified

for

SMI

by

getting

Income

based

Job

Seeker

’s

Allowance

or

Employment

and

Support

allowance

You

’ll

only

be

able

to

get

SMI

loan

payments

you

will

not

be

paid

Pension

Credit

or

Income

Support

If

you

get

Income

Support

and

have

accepted

an

offer

of

an

SMI

loan

you

can

only

get

loan

payments

after

you

’ve

been

receiving

the

benefit

for

consecutive

weeks


Overview

You

can

dispute

an

overpayment

decision

if

you

’ve

been

asked

to

pay

back

tax

credits

disagree

with

a

tax

credits

decision

if

you

think

your

tax

credits

are

wrong

complain

if

you

think

you

’ve

been

treated

unfairly

Call

the

helpline

first

if

you

think

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

made

a

mistake

Dispute

a

tax

credits

overpayment

You

can

be

overpaid

tax

credits

even

if

you

told

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

about

a

change

of

circumstances

on

time

You

’ll

normally

have

to

repay

these

Disputes

are

usually

only

successful

if

HMRC

made

a

mistake

Fewer

than

in

tax

credit

disputes

are

successful

How

to

dispute

Tell

HMRC

online

or

by

post

You

can

do

this

even

if

you

’re

no

longer

getting

tax

credits

HMRC

will

continue

to

reclaim

overpayments

while

they

review

your

dispute

Deadlines

Send

your

dispute

form

within

months

of

either

the

date

on

the

first

letter

statement

or

notice

you

received

telling

you

that

you

’ve

been

overpaid

the

decision

date

on

your

Annual

Review

notice

You

can

only

send

it

after

the

deadline

in

exceptional

circumstances

for

example

you

were

in

hospital

for

the

months

If

you

’ve

requested

a

mandatory

reconsideration

you

need

to

send

your

dispute

form

within

months

of

getting

a

reconsideration

decision

What

happens

next

You

’ll

get

a

dispute

decision

letter

telling

you

if

you

have

to

repay

the

tax

credits

how

much

you

have

to

repay

the

reasons

for

the

decision

If

you

do

not

agree

with

the

decision

You

can

send

HMRC

new

information

ask

them

to

review

the

information

you

sent

You

need

to

do

this

within

days

of

getting

your

dispute

decision

letter

unless

there

are

exceptional

circumstances

for

example

you

were

in

hospital

You

can

only

ask

for

the

decision

to

be

reviewed

once

HMRC

will

continue

to

reclaim

overpayments

while

they

review

your

information

You

can

contact

an

organisation

like

Citizens

Advice

if

you

have

not

got

any

new

information

and

you

’re

still

unhappy

Disagree

with

a

tax

credits

decision

Call

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

if

you

think

your

tax

credits

are

wrong

They

can

check

your

award

and

may

be

able

to

change

it

if

it

’s

wrong

There

’s

a

different

way

of

disagreeing

with

an

overpayment

decision

If

they

do

not

change

it

or

you

still

think

it

’s

wrong

You

can

ask

for

the

decision

to

be

reconsidered

by

filling

in

a

WTC

AP

form

This

process

is

called

mandatory

reconsideration

You

can

fill

in

the

form

online

or

print

it

and

send

it

to

HMRC

You

need

to

do

this

within

days

of

getting

your

award

notice

unless

there

are

exceptional

circumstances

for

example

you

were

in

hospital

If

you

disagree

with

the

result

If

you

’re

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

you

can

appeal

to

the

Social

Security

and

Child

Support

Tribunal

If

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

appeal

to

the

Appeals

Service

Northern

Ireland

Complain

about

tax

credits

You

can

complain

about

things

like

unreasonable

delays

or

the

way

you

’ve

been

treated

There

’s

a

different

process

if

you

think

your

tax

credits

are

wrong

or

you

want

to

dispute

a

tax

credits

overpayment

How

to

complain

You

can

complain

online

call

or

write

telephone

complaints

are

usually

dealt

with

faster

To

complain

online

you

need

a

Government

Gateway

user

ID

and

password

If

you

do

not

have

a

user

ID

you

can

create

one

when

you

complain

You

can

call

or

write

to

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

If

you

write

include

your

National

Insurance

number

your

full

name

address

and

telephone

number

details

of

what

happened

and

when

how

you

’d

like

your

complaint

settled

the

word

Complaint

at

the

top

of

your

letter

If

you

do

not

agree

with

the

response

Ask

HMRC

to

review

their

response

and

send

you

a

final

decision

If

you

’re

unhappy

with

the

final

decision

you

can

contact

the

Independent

Adjudicator

You

may

be

able

to

claim

costs

for

example

for

postage

or

phone

calls

if

HMRC

admits

they

made

a

mistake

Ask

them

for

details


What

Universal

Credit

is

Universal

Credit

is

a

payment

to

help

with

your

living

costs

It

’s

paid

monthly

or

twice

a

month

for

some

people

in

Scotland

You

may

be

able

to

get

it

if

you

’re

on

a

low

income

out

of

work

or

you

can

not

work

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

If

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

go

to

Universal

Credit

in

Northern

Ireland

Sign

in

Sign

in

to

your

Universal

Credit

account

if

you

already

have

one

If

you

already

get

other

benefits

Universal

Credit

is

replacing

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

get

any

of

these

benefits

you

do

not

need

to

do

anything

unless

you

have

a

change

of

circumstances

you

need

to

report

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

contacts

you

about

moving

to

Universal

Credit

If

you

get

tax

credits

they

will

stop

when

you

or

your

partner

applies

for

Universal

Credit

Check

how

tax

credits

and

Universal

Credit

affect

each

other

Eligibility

You

may

be

able

to

get

Universal

Credit

if

you

’re

on

a

low

income

or

out

of

work

you

’re

or

over

there

are

some

exceptions

if

you

’re

to

you

’re

under

State

Pension

age

or

your

partner

is

you

and

your

partner

have

or

less

in

savings

between

you

you

live

in

the

UK

If

you

’re

an

EU

EEA

or

Swiss

citizen

you

and

your

family

usually

also

need

settled

or

pre

settled

status

under

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

to

get

Universal

Credit

The

deadline

to

apply

to

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

is

June

The

number

of

children

you

have

does

not

affect

your

eligibility

for

Universal

Credit

but

it

may

affect

how

much

you

get

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

check

what

benefits

you

could

get

if

you

’re

not

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

If

you

live

with

your

partner

Your

partner

’s

income

and

savings

will

be

taken

into

account

even

if

they

are

not

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

If

you

’re

or

over

and

in

training

or

studying

full

time

You

can

make

a

new

claim

for

Universal

Credit

if

any

of

the

following

apply

you

live

with

your

partner

and

they

’re

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

you

’re

responsible

for

a

child

either

as

a

single

person

or

as

a

couple

you

’re

in

further

education

are

or

under

and

do

not

have

parental

support

for

example

you

’re

estranged

from

your

parents

and

you

’re

not

under

local

authority

care

If

you

’re

moving

from

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

You

can

make

a

new

claim

for

Universal

Credit

if

you

’re

in

full

time

education

and

all

of

the

following

apply

you

’re

entitled

to

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

or

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

you

’ve

already

been

assessed

as

having

limited

capability

for

work

you

make

a

new

claim

before

your

ESA

ends

or

as

soon

as

you

’re

notified

that

your

ESA

claim

has

ended

If

you

’re

or

You

can

make

a

new

claim

for

Universal

Credit

if

any

of

the

following

apply

you

have

medical

evidence

and

are

waiting

for

a

Work

Capability

Assessment

you

’re

caring

for

a

severely

disabled

person

you

’re

responsible

for

a

child

you

’re

in

a

couple

with

responsibility

for

at

least

one

child

and

your

partner

is

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

you

’re

pregnant

and

it

’s

weeks

or

less

before

your

expected

week

of

childbirth

you

’ve

had

a

child

in

the

last

weeks

you

do

not

have

parental

support

for

example

you

’re

estranged

from

your

parents

and

you

’re

not

under

local

authority

care

If

you

’re

studying

full

time

You

can

also

make

a

claim

if

you

’re

in

full

time

further

education

and

any

of

the

following

apply

you

do

not

have

parental

support

and

you

’re

not

under

local

authority

care

you

have

limited

capability

for

work

and

you

’re

entitled

to

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

or

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

you

’re

responsible

for

a

child

you

’re

in

a

couple

with

responsibility

for

a

child

and

your

partner

is

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

If

you

’re

in

a

couple

and

one

of

you

is

State

Pension

age

You

and

your

partner

can

claim

Universal

Credit

as

a

couple

if

one

of

you

is

under

State

Pension

age

and

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

When

you

both

reach

State

Pension

age

your

Universal

Credit

claim

will

stop

You

may

be

able

to

apply

for

Pension

Credit

or

other

benefits

as

a

couple

when

your

Universal

Credit

stops

Ask

your

Jobcentre

Plus

work

coach

what

else

you

could

be

eligible

for

What

you

'll

get

Your

Universal

Credit

payment

is

made

up

of

a

standard

allowance

and

any

extra

amounts

that

apply

to

you

for

example

if

you

have

children

have

a

disability

or

health

condition

which

prevents

you

from

working

need

help

paying

your

rent

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

see

how

much

you

could

get

How

much

Universal

Credit

you

get

will

depend

on

your

earnings

Your

circumstances

are

assessed

every

month

Changes

in

your

circumstances

can

affect

how

much

you

’re

paid

for

the

whole

assessment

period

not

just

from

the

date

you

report

them

The

benefit

cap

may

limit

the

total

amount

of

benefit

you

receive

Standard

allowance

Your

circumstances

Monthly

standard

allowance

Single

and

under

Single

and

or

over

In

a

couple

and

you

’re

both

under

for

you

both

In

a

couple

and

either

of

you

are

or

over

for

you

both

Extra

amounts

You

may

get

more

money

on

top

of

your

standard

allowance

if

you

’re

eligible

If

you

have

children

If

you

have

or

children

you

’ll

get

an

extra

amount

for

each

child

If

you

have

or

more

children

you

’ll

get

an

extra

amount

for

at

least

children

You

can

only

get

an

extra

amount

for

more

children

if

any

of

the

following

are

true

your

children

were

born

before

April

you

were

already

claiming

for

or

more

children

before

April

other

exceptions

apply

You

’ll

get

an

extra

amount

for

any

disabled

or

severely

disabled

child

no

matter

how

many

children

you

have

or

when

they

were

born

How

much

you

’ll

get

Extra

monthly

amount

For

your

first

child

born

before

April

born

on

or

after

April

For

your

second

child

and

any

other

eligible

children

per

child

If

you

have

a

disabled

or

severely

disabled

child

or

If

you

need

help

with

childcare

costs

up

to

of

your

costs

up

to

for

one

child

and

for

or

more

children

You

might

get

the

extra

amount

if

you

start

caring

for

another

child

depending

on

when

they

were

born

and

how

many

children

you

have

If

you

have

a

disability

or

health

condition

How

much

you

’ll

get

Extra

monthly

amount

If

you

have

limited

capability

for

work

and

work

related

activity

If

you

have

limited

capability

for

work

and

you

started

your

health

related

Universal

Credit

or

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

claim

before

April

If

you

get

the

severe

disability

premium

you

may

also

be

entitled

to

an

extra

transitional

protection

payment

if

you

’re

moving

to

Universal

Credit

If

you

care

for

a

severely

disabled

person

How

much

you

’ll

get

Extra

monthly

amount

If

you

provide

care

for

at

least

hours

a

week

for

a

severely

disabled

person

who

receives

a

disability

related

benefit

This

is

on

top

of

any

extra

amount

you

get

if

you

have

a

disabled

child

Housing

costs

You

could

get

money

to

help

pay

your

housing

costs

How

much

you

get

depends

on

your

age

and

circumstances

The

payment

can

cover

rent

and

some

service

charges

If

you

’re

a

homeowner

you

might

be

able

to

get

a

loan

to

help

with

interest

payments

on

your

mortgage

or

other

loans

you

’ve

taken

out

for

your

home

Other

support

you

could

get

If

you

receive

Universal

Credit

you

may

also

be

able

to

get

other

financial

support

depending

on

your

circumstances

How

your

earnings

affect

your

payments

If

you

’re

employed

how

much

Universal

Credit

you

get

will

depend

on

your

earnings

Your

Universal

Credit

payment

will

reduce

gradually

as

you

earn

more

for

every

you

earn

your

payment

reduces

by

There

’s

no

limit

to

how

many

hours

you

can

work

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

see

how

increasing

your

hours

or

starting

a

new

job

could

affect

what

you

get

The

work

allowance

You

can

earn

a

certain

amount

before

your

Universal

Credit

is

reduced

if

you

or

your

partner

are

either

responsible

for

a

child

or

young

person

living

with

a

disability

or

health

condition

that

affects

your

ability

to

work

This

is

called

a

work

allowance

Your

work

allowance

is

lower

if

you

get

help

with

housing

costs

Your

circumstances

Monthly

work

allowance

You

get

help

with

housing

costs

You

do

not

get

help

with

housing

costs

If

your

employer

has

put

you

on

temporary

leave

furlough

If

you

’re

on

furlough

because

your

employer

has

no

work

for

you

you

can

get

up

to

of

your

wages

paid

through

the

Coronavirus

Job

Retention

Scheme

up

to

a

monthly

limit

of

Your

employer

takes

care

of

this

You

can

check

if

your

employer

can

use

the

scheme

If

your

payment

stops

because

your

earnings

increased

As

your

income

increases

your

payment

will

reduce

until

you

’re

earning

enough

to

no

longer

claim

Universal

Credit

Your

payment

will

then

be

stopped

You

’ll

be

told

when

this

happens

If

your

earnings

decrease

after

this

you

can

claim

Universal

Credit

again

If

you

received

your

last

payment

months

ago

or

less

you

can

restart

your

old

claim

by

signing

in

to

your

Universal

Credit

account

You

’ll

need

to

report

any

changes

in

your

circumstances

If

you

’re

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

your

payments

will

restart

with

the

same

monthly

assessment

period

you

had

previously

If

you

received

your

last

payment

more

than

months

ago

you

’ll

need

to

make

a

new

claim

for

Universal

Credit

You

can

make

a

new

claim

by

signing

in

to

your

Universal

Credit

account

You

will

not

be

paid

on

the

same

date

as

your

previous

claim

It

usually

takes

around

weeks

to

get

your

first

payment

Surplus

earnings

If

your

monthly

earnings

are

more

than

over

the

amount

where

your

payment

stopped

this

becomes

surplus

earnings

Your

surplus

earnings

will

be

carried

forward

to

the

following

month

where

they

count

towards

your

earnings

If

your

earnings

including

your

surplus

earnings

are

then

still

over

the

amount

where

your

payment

stops

you

will

not

get

a

Universal

Credit

payment

If

your

earnings

fall

below

the

amount

where

your

payment

stopped

your

surplus

will

decrease

Once

your

surplus

has

gone

you

’ll

be

able

to

get

a

Universal

Credit

payment

again

You

’ll

need

to

reclaim

Universal

Credit

every

month

until

your

earnings

have

reduced

enough

to

get

another

payment

You

can

talk

to

your

work

coach

for

more

information

about

surplus

earnings

The

statement

in

your

online

journal

will

show

your

work

allowance

and

when

the

surplus

reduces

If

you

separate

from

your

partner

If

you

’re

part

of

a

couple

that

claims

Universal

Credit

together

any

surplus

earnings

will

be

divided

equally

between

you

if

you

separate

You

’ll

then

need

to

re

apply

individually

with

your

part

of

the

surplus

earnings

counting

towards

your

earnings

If

you

’re

a

victim

of

domestic

abuse

you

do

not

take

on

any

surplus

earnings

from

your

partner

Talk

to

your

work

coach

to

make

sure

your

partner

’s

surplus

earnings

are

not

divided

between

you

If

you

’re

self

employed

You

can

carry

over

a

loss

as

well

as

a

surplus

to

the

following

month

A

loss

will

be

deducted

from

your

next

month

’s

earnings

How

you

're

paid

Universal

Credit

is

paid

once

a

month

usually

into

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

Your

payment

can

include

an

amount

for

housing

which

you

’ll

usually

need

to

pay

to

your

landlord

If

you

’re

not

able

to

open

a

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

call

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

to

arrange

a

different

way

of

getting

paid

Find

out

how

you

’ll

be

paid

if

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

Your

first

payment

It

usually

takes

around

weeks

to

get

your

first

payment

If

you

need

help

with

your

living

costs

while

you

wait

for

your

first

payment

you

can

apply

for

an

advance

The

wait

before

your

first

payment

is

made

up

of

a

one

month

assessment

period

and

up

to

days

for

the

payment

to

reach

your

account

Payment

dates

After

the

first

payment

you

’ll

be

paid

on

the

same

date

of

every

month

If

your

payment

date

is

on

a

weekend

you

’ll

be

paid

on

the

working

day

before

You

’ll

get

a

monthly

statement

that

tells

you

how

much

Universal

Credit

you

’re

going

to

get

Call

the

helpline

straight

away

if

your

payment

does

not

arrive

on

time

If

you

live

in

Scotland

You

can

get

paid

once

or

twice

a

month

If

you

’re

making

a

new

claim

you

’ll

get

a

notification

about

how

often

you

want

to

be

paid

You

get

this

after

your

first

payment

If

you

’re

already

getting

Universal

Credit

and

have

not

had

a

notification

you

can

ask

your

work

coach

to

be

paid

twice

a

month

When

you

’re

paid

twice

a

month

your

first

payment

will

be

for

a

full

month

You

’ll

get

the

first

half

of

your

second

month

’s

payment

a

month

after

this

The

second

half

will

be

paid

days

later

This

means

there

will

be

about

a

month

and

a

half

between

your

first

payment

and

the

full

amount

for

your

second

month

After

this

you

’ll

be

paid

twice

a

month

If

you

live

with

a

partner

If

you

both

claim

Universal

Credit

you

’ll

get

one

payment

each

month

for

your

household

If

you

live

in

Scotland

and

you

’ve

chosen

to

be

paid

twice

monthly

you

’ll

receive

payments

each

month

for

your

household

Phone

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

if

you

’re

worried

about

getting

access

to

this

money

How

often

you

’re

paid

can

affect

your

Universal

Credit

If

you

’re

paid

once

a

month

on

the

same

date

and

nothing

changes

in

your

earnings

then

your

Universal

Credit

amount

should

stay

the

same

Your

Universal

Credit

can

be

affected

if

you

receive

no

wages

or

more

than

one

set

of

wages

during

some

assessment

periods

This

could

happen

if

you

’re

paid

weekly

every

weeks

or

every

weeks

your

monthly

payment

date

changes

for

example

you

get

paid

on

the

last

working

day

of

each

month

If

your

monthly

payment

date

changes

You

’ll

need

to

sign

into

your

online

account

to

check

how

much

your

next

monthly

payment

will

be

If

it

looks

like

you

’ll

get

paid

too

much

or

too

little

Universal

Credit

ask

your

work

coach

to

move

your

wages

into

another

assessment

period

If

you

’re

paid

weekly

every

weeks

or

every

weeks

You

’ll

be

told

if

your

earnings

are

too

high

and

whether

you

’ll

need

to

reapply

to

continue

to

get

Universal

Credit

How

often

you

’re

paid

by

your

employer

The

impact

Every

weeks

Once

a

year

you

’ll

get

sets

of

wages

in

one

assessment

period

Every

weeks

Twice

a

year

you

’ll

get

sets

of

wages

in

one

assessment

period

Every

week

Four

times

a

year

you

’ll

get

sets

of

wages

in

one

assessment

period

How

to

claim

Apply

for

Universal

Credit

online

You

have

to

apply

as

a

couple

if

you

and

your

partner

live

together

You

do

not

need

to

be

married

The

Universal

Credit

team

might

phone

you

after

you

’ve

sent

your

application

if

they

need

more

information

or

if

you

can

not

verify

your

identity

online

You

can

not

claim

Universal

Credit

and

tax

credits

at

the

same

time

If

you

get

tax

credits

they

will

stop

when

you

or

your

partner

applies

for

Universal

Credit

Check

how

tax

credits

and

Universal

Credit

affect

each

other

What

you

need

to

apply

You

’ll

need

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

details

call

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

if

you

do

not

have

one

an

email

address

information

about

your

housing

for

example

how

much

rent

you

pay

details

of

your

income

for

example

payslips

details

of

savings

and

any

investments

like

shares

or

a

property

that

you

rent

out

details

of

how

much

you

pay

for

childcare

if

you

’re

applying

for

help

with

childcare

costs

If

you

do

not

provide

the

right

information

when

you

apply

it

might

affect

when

you

get

paid

or

how

much

you

get

You

also

have

to

verify

your

identity

online

You

’ll

need

some

proof

of

identity

for

this

for

example

your

driving

licence

passport

debit

or

credit

card

Apply

for

Universal

Credit

online

Apply

now

If

you

can

not

verify

your

identity

online

The

Universal

Credit

team

will

phone

you

to

help

you

verify

your

identity

Help

with

your

application

If

you

need

help

with

your

application

ask

straight

away

the

sooner

you

apply

for

Universal

Credit

the

sooner

you

get

your

first

payment

There

are

ways

to

get

help

with

your

Universal

Credit

application

Universal

Credit

helpline

Contact

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

if

you

can

not

use

digital

services

at

all

this

might

be

because

of

disability

or

your

circumstances

you

have

a

question

about

your

claim

and

can

not

access

your

online

claim

British

Sign

Language

BSL

video

relay

service

You

can

use

the

BSL

video

relay

service

to

make

a

claim

Find

out

what

you

need

to

do

to

use

the

service

The

service

is

available

Monday

to

Friday

am

to

pm

Help

to

Claim

Help

to

Claim

can

support

you

in

the

early

stages

of

your

Universal

Credit

claim

from

the

online

application

through

to

support

with

your

application

before

your

first

full

payment

It

’s

a

free

independent

confidential

and

impartial

service

provided

by

trained

advisers

from

Citizens

Advice

They

can

help

with

things

like

how

to

gather

evidence

for

your

application

or

how

to

prepare

for

your

first

Jobcentre

appointment

Get

Help

to

Claim

if

you

live

in

England

or

Wales

if

you

live

in

Scotland

After

you

apply

The

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

will

make

an

appointment

to

talk

to

you

either

over

the

phone

or

face

to

face

If

you

have

a

disability

or

illness

that

affects

your

work

You

may

need

a

Work

Capability

Assessment

to

see

how

your

disability

or

health

condition

affects

your

ability

to

work

Depending

on

the

outcome

of

your

assessment

you

may

be

eligible

for

an

extra

amount

on

top

of

your

standard

allowance

Terminal

illness

If

you

’re

terminally

ill

you

may

get

extra

money

for

Universal

Credit

If

you

’re

making

a

new

claim

you

can

declare

this

during

your

application

If

you

’ve

already

made

a

claim

you

’ll

need

to

report

this

as

a

change

of

circumstances

If

you

’ve

claimed

Universal

Credit

before

You

can

sign

in

to

your

account

to

make

a

new

claim

if

you

’ve

claimed

Universal

Credit

at

any

time

during

the

last

months

If

you

stopped

claiming

more

than

months

ago

you

’ll

need

to

reapply

for

Universal

Credit

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration

Get

an

advance

on

your

first

payment

If

you

need

help

to

pay

your

bills

or

cover

other

costs

while

you

wait

for

your

first

Universal

Credit

payment

you

can

apply

to

get

an

advance

The

most

you

can

get

as

an

advance

is

the

amount

of

your

first

estimated

payment

How

to

apply

You

can

apply

for

an

advance

payment

in

your

online

account

or

through

your

Jobcentre

Plus

work

coach

You

’ll

need

to

explain

why

you

need

an

advance

verify

your

identity

you

’ll

do

this

when

you

apply

online

or

on

the

phone

with

a

work

coach

provide

bank

account

details

for

the

advance

talk

to

your

work

coach

if

you

can

not

open

an

account

You

’ll

usually

find

out

the

same

day

if

you

can

get

an

advance

If

you

need

help

Call

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

if

you

need

help

applying

for

an

advance

payment

How

you

pay

back

your

advance

You

start

paying

it

back

out

of

your

first

payment

You

can

choose

how

many

months

you

pay

the

advance

back

over

within

the

time

limit

You

must

usually

pay

back

the

advance

within

months

if

you

apply

on

or

after

April

months

if

you

applied

before

April

You

do

not

pay

interest

on

it

the

total

amount

you

pay

back

is

the

same

Read

more

about

getting

a

Universal

Credit

advance

Your

responsibilities

You

’ll

make

an

agreement

called

a

Claimant

Commitment

with

your

work

coach

What

you

need

to

do

depends

on

your

situation

You

might

need

to

do

activities

such

as

write

a

CV

look

and

apply

for

jobs

go

on

training

courses

You

’ll

also

need

to

do

things

like

pay

your

own

rent

and

other

housing

costs

report

any

changes

in

your

circumstances

If

you

’re

claiming

with

your

partner

you

’ll

each

have

a

Claimant

Commitment

and

set

of

responsibilities

If

you

have

children

If

you

’re

a

single

parent

or

the

lead

carer

in

a

couple

your

responsibilities

will

change

as

your

youngest

child

gets

older

and

will

be

tailored

to

your

personal

circumstances

Age

of

your

youngest

child

Your

responsibilities

Under

You

do

not

need

to

look

for

work

Aged

You

do

not

need

to

look

for

work

You

need

to

have

phone

appointments

with

your

work

coach

to

discuss

plans

for

moving

into

work

in

the

future

Aged

You

do

not

need

to

look

for

work

You

need

to

have

regular

phone

appointments

with

your

work

coach

and

do

work

preparation

activities

for

example

writing

your

CV

Aged

or

Work

a

maximum

of

hours

a

week

or

spend

hours

a

week

looking

for

work

Aged

between

and

Work

a

maximum

of

hours

a

week

or

spend

hours

a

week

looking

for

work

or

older

Work

a

maximum

of

hours

a

week

or

spend

hours

a

week

looking

for

work

If

you

get

support

with

childcare

costs

You

must

report

your

childcare

costs

when

you

pay

them

prove

you

’ve

paid

your

childcare

provider

You

’ll

need

to

show

proof

of

your

childcare

provider

for

each

child

for

example

an

invoice

or

contract

that

includes

the

provider

’s

registration

number

and

full

contact

details

the

amount

you

paid

and

when

you

paid

it

for

example

a

receipt

or

bank

statement

You

can

report

childcare

costs

and

provide

proof

that

you

’ve

paid

by

signing

in

to

your

Universal

Credit

account

You

’ll

usually

get

the

childcare

amount

in

your

next

Universal

Credit

payment

If

you

pay

for

childcare

after

it

’s

been

provided

you

can

claim

up

to

months

of

past

costs

at

a

time

There

may

be

a

limit

to

how

much

you

get

back

if

you

claim

for

more

than

one

month

’s

fees

at

a

time

Talk

to

your

work

coach

for

advice

If

you

pay

for

childcare

in

advance

you

can

claim

up

to

months

of

advance

costs

at

a

time

You

’ll

be

paid

back

in

your

monthly

Universal

Credit

payments

during

the

months

the

childcare

is

for

If

your

payment

is

stopped

or

reduced

If

you

do

not

meet

your

responsibilities

or

what

you

’ve

agreed

in

your

Claimant

Commitment

your

Universal

Credit

could

be

stopped

or

reduced

This

is

called

a

sanction

There

are

different

levels

of

sanctions

and

they

’re

decided

based

on

what

you

did

and

how

often

You

’ll

get

half

a

sanction

if

you

apply

with

a

partner

and

only

one

of

you

does

not

meet

their

responsibilities

You

can

appeal

a

sanction

if

you

think

it

’s

wrong

Citizens

Advice

can

help

with

challenging

a

sanction

Help

if

your

payment

is

stopped

or

reduced

You

can

ask

for

a

hardship

payment

if

you

can

not

pay

for

rent

heating

food

or

hygiene

needs

because

you

got

a

sanction

You

’ll

repay

it

through

your

Universal

Credit

payments

they

’ll

be

lower

until

you

pay

it

back

You

must

be

or

over

You

’ll

have

to

show

that

you

’ve

tried

to

find

the

money

from

somewhere

else

only

spend

money

on

essentials

Call

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

to

ask

for

a

hardship

payment

Report

a

change

of

circumstances

You

need

to

report

changes

to

your

circumstances

so

you

keep

getting

the

right

amount

each

month

Changes

can

include

finding

or

finishing

a

job

having

a

child

moving

in

with

your

partner

starting

to

care

for

a

child

or

disabled

person

changing

your

mobile

number

or

email

address

moving

to

a

new

address

changing

your

bank

details

your

rent

going

up

or

down

changes

to

your

health

condition

becoming

too

ill

to

work

or

meet

your

work

coach

changes

to

your

earnings

only

if

you

’re

self

employed

changes

to

your

savings

investments

and

how

much

money

you

have

changes

to

your

immigration

status

if

you

’re

not

a

British

citizen

You

could

be

taken

to

court

or

have

to

pay

a

penalty

if

you

give

wrong

information

or

do

not

report

a

change

in

your

circumstances

How

to

report

You

can

report

a

change

of

circumstances

by

signing

in

to

your

Universal

Credit

account

If

you

get

a

job

or

increase

the

hours

you

work

Use

a

benefits

calculator

or

speak

with

your

work

coach

to

find

out

how

getting

a

job

or

an

increase

in

your

earnings

might

affect

your

Universal

Credit

claim

If

you

’ve

been

paid

too

much

You

may

have

to

repay

the

money

if

you

did

not

report

a

change

straight

away

gave

wrong

information

were

overpaid

by

mistake

Find

out

how

to

repay

the

money

you

owe

from

benefit

overpayment

If

you

have

a

terminal

illness

You

may

get

extra

money

if

you

’re

terminally

ill

If

your

life

expectancy

is

more

than

months

You

’ll

need

to

report

this

in

the

same

way

as

any

other

change

of

circumstance

If

your

life

expectancy

is

less

than

months

Report

the

change

online

through

your

Universal

Credit

account

You

’ll

be

contacted

about

what

to

do

next

You

can

also

get

someone

else

to

report

the

change

for

you

They

’ll

need

to

ask

a

doctor

or

healthcare

professional

to

fill

in

form

the

doctor

will

have

the

form

already

Either

the

doctor

or

your

representative

can

send

it

to

If

you

’ve

already

sent

form

for

Personal

Independence

Payment

or

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

you

do

not

need

to

send

it

again

You

will

not

need

to

have

a

Work

Capability

Assessment

Other

financial

support

If

you

’re

in

financial

difficulties

you

can

get

help

and

advice

from

the

government

local

councils

and

other

organisations

Advance

and

hardship

payments

If

you

do

not

have

enough

to

live

on

while

you

wait

for

your

first

payment

you

can

ask

for

an

advance

payment

after

you

’ve

made

a

claim

You

can

also

ask

for

a

hardship

payment

if

you

can

not

pay

for

rent

heating

food

or

hygiene

needs

because

you

got

a

sanction

You

need

to

pay

it

back

through

your

Universal

Credit

payments

they

’ll

be

lower

until

you

pay

it

back

Alternative

Payment

Arrangements

If

you

’re

having

financial

difficulties

or

you

’re

behind

on

your

rent

you

or

your

landlord

may

be

able

to

apply

for

an

Alternative

Payment

Arrangement

APA

Depending

on

your

circumstances

you

could

get

an

APA

to

get

your

rent

paid

directly

to

your

landlord

get

paid

more

frequently

than

once

a

month

receive

split

payments

if

you

’re

part

of

a

couple

Speak

to

your

work

coach

to

apply

for

an

APA

Budgeting

Advance

You

might

be

able

to

get

a

Budgeting

Advance

to

help

with

emergency

household

costs

such

as

replacing

a

broken

cooker

getting

a

job

or

staying

in

work

funeral

costs

You

’ll

repay

it

through

your

regular

Universal

Credit

payments

these

will

be

lower

until

you

pay

it

back

If

you

stop

getting

Universal

Credit

you

’ll

have

to

repay

the

money

in

another

way

How

much

you

can

borrow

The

smallest

amount

you

can

borrow

is

You

can

get

up

to

if

you

’re

single

if

you

’re

part

of

a

couple

if

you

have

children

What

you

get

depends

on

whether

you

have

savings

of

over

and

can

pay

the

loan

back

Eligibility

To

get

a

Budgeting

Advance

all

of

the

following

must

apply

you

’ve

been

getting

Universal

Credit

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Income

Support

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

or

State

Pension

Credit

for

months

or

more

unless

you

need

the

money

to

help

you

start

a

new

job

or

stay

in

work

you

’ve

earned

less

than

together

for

couples

in

the

past

months

you

’ve

paid

off

any

previous

Budgeting

Advance

loans

How

to

apply

Sign

into

your

Universal

Credit

account

and

contact

your

work

coach

They

can

tell

you

how

to

apply

Other

benefits

you

can

claim

If

you

want

to

claim

a

benefit

without

your

savings

your

partner

’s

savings

or

their

income

being

taken

into

account

you

can

apply

for

either

new

style

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

JSA

new

style

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

find

out

what

other

benefits

you

could

get

for

example

Personal

Independence

Payment

if

you

’re

disabled

Other

financial

support

you

might

get

If

you

receive

Universal

Credit

you

may

be

able

to

get

other

payments

too

The

support

you

could

get

might

be

different

in

Scotland

or

Wales

Help

with

housing

costs

and

bills

You

might

be

able

to

get

BT

Basic

or

KCOM

Flex

Packages

for

the

East

Riding

or

Hull

City

Council

local

authority

areas

if

you

have

no

income

a

Cold

Weather

Payment

Disabled

Facilities

Grants

Discretionary

Housing

Payments

if

your

Universal

Credit

payment

is

not

enough

to

pay

your

rent

Energy

Company

Obligation

ECO

Affordable

Warmth

a

reduction

in

your

Council

Tax

WaterSure

to

cap

your

bills

if

you

have

a

water

meter

You

can

get

advice

on

reducing

your

energy

bills

from

Simple

Energy

Advice

in

England

and

Wales

Energy

Savings

Trust

Scotland

in

Scotland

Bryson

Energy

in

Northern

Ireland

Help

if

you

’re

pregnant

or

have

a

child

You

might

be

able

to

get

free

early

education

for

year

olds

free

school

meals

Healthy

Start

vouchers

in

England

and

Wales

if

you

’re

pregnant

or

have

a

child

under

years

old

Best

Start

Foods

and

a

Best

Start

Grant

in

Scotland

if

you

’re

pregnant

or

have

a

child

under

years

old

a

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

in

England

and

Wales

a

Pregnancy

and

Baby

payment

in

Scotland

Help

with

legal

costs

You

might

be

able

to

get

help

with

prison

visiting

costs

help

with

the

costs

of

using

courts

or

tribunals

legal

aid

Help

with

other

costs

You

might

be

able

to

get

help

with

health

costs

including

prescriptions

and

dental

treatment

a

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

help

with

building

up

savings

through

Help

to

Save

Advice

on

money

and

debt

You

can

get

help

and

advice

from

your

Jobcentre

Plus

work

coach

Citizens

Advice

Money

Advice

Trust

the

Money

Manager

tool

from

Money

Advice

Service

My

Money

Steps

National

Debtline

Shelter

for

help

with

housing

and

homelessness

StepChange

Contact

Universal

Credit

You

can

contact

Universal

Credit

through

your

online

account

by

calling

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

If

your

query

is

about

claiming

new

style

benefits

with

Universal

Credit

You

could

get

new

style

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

or

new

style

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

JSA

at

the

same

time

or

instead

of

Universal

Credit

Apply

for

new

style

ESA

You

can

apply

for

new

style

ESA

online

or

contact

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

Apply

for

new

style

JSA

You

can

apply

for

new

style

JSA

online

or

contact

the

Jobcentre

Plus

helpline

If

you

have

a

query

about

an

existing

claim

for

new

style

ESA

or

JSA

Contact

the

Jobcentre

Plus

helpline


How

it

works

Help

to

Save

is

a

type

of

savings

account

It

allows

certain

people

entitled

to

Working

Tax

Credit

or

receiving

Universal

Credit

to

get

a

bonus

of

for

every

they

save

over

years

Help

to

Save

is

backed

by

the

government

so

all

savings

in

the

scheme

are

secure

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

How

payments

work

You

can

save

between

and

each

calendar

month

You

do

not

have

to

pay

money

in

every

month

You

can

pay

money

into

your

Help

to

Save

account

by

debit

card

standing

order

or

bank

transfer

You

can

pay

in

as

many

times

as

you

like

but

the

most

you

can

pay

in

each

calendar

month

is

For

example

if

you

have

saved

by

January

you

will

not

be

able

to

pay

in

again

until

February

You

can

only

withdraw

money

from

your

Help

to

Save

account

to

your

bank

account

How

bonuses

work

You

get

bonuses

at

the

end

of

the

second

and

fourth

years

They

’re

based

on

how

much

you

’ve

saved

What

happens

after

years

Your

Help

to

Save

account

will

close

years

after

you

open

it

You

will

not

be

able

to

reopen

it

or

open

another

Help

to

Save

account

You

’ll

be

able

to

keep

the

money

from

your

account

You

can

close

your

account

at

any

time

If

you

close

your

account

early

you

’ll

miss

your

next

bonus

and

you

will

not

be

able

to

open

another

one

Sign

in

Sign

in

to

your

Help

to

Save

account

if

you

already

have

one

What

you

’ll

get

You

can

earn

tax

free

bonuses

over

years

You

’ll

get

any

bonuses

you

’ve

earned

even

if

you

withdraw

money

After

your

first

years

you

’ll

get

a

first

bonus

if

you

’ve

been

using

your

account

to

save

This

bonus

will

be

of

the

highest

balance

you

’ve

saved

After

years

you

’ll

get

a

final

bonus

if

you

continue

to

save

This

bonus

will

be

of

the

difference

between

amounts

the

highest

balance

saved

in

the

first

years

years

and

the

highest

balance

saved

in

the

last

years

years

and

If

your

highest

balance

does

not

increase

you

will

not

earn

a

final

bonus

The

most

you

can

pay

into

your

account

each

calendar

month

is

which

is

over

years

The

most

you

can

earn

from

your

savings

in

years

is

in

bonus

money

Your

bonus

is

paid

into

your

bank

account

not

your

Help

to

Save

account

What

happens

if

you

withdraw

money

If

you

withdraw

money

it

will

be

harder

for

you

to

grow

your

highest

balance

earn

the

largest

possible

bonuses

Withdrawing

money

could

mean

you

are

not

able

to

earn

a

final

bonus

depending

on

how

much

you

withdraw

and

when

Eligibility

You

can

open

a

Help

to

Save

account

if

you

’re

any

of

the

following

receiving

Working

Tax

Credit

entitled

to

Working

Tax

Credit

and

receiving

Child

Tax

Credit

claiming

Universal

Credit

and

you

with

your

partner

if

it

’s

a

joint

claim

earned

or

more

from

paid

work

in

your

last

monthly

assessment

period

If

you

get

payments

as

a

couple

you

and

your

partner

can

apply

for

your

own

Help

to

Save

accounts

You

need

to

apply

separately

You

also

need

to

be

living

in

the

UK

If

you

live

overseas

you

can

apply

for

an

account

if

you

’re

either

a

Crown

servant

or

their

spouse

or

civil

partner

member

of

the

British

armed

forces

or

their

spouse

or

civil

partner

If

you

stop

claiming

benefits

You

can

keep

using

your

Help

to

Save

account

How

it

will

affect

your

benefits

Saving

money

though

a

Help

to

Save

account

could

affect

your

eligibility

for

certain

benefits

and

how

much

you

get

Universal

Credit

If

you

or

your

partner

have

or

less

in

personal

savings

this

will

not

affect

how

much

Universal

Credit

you

get

This

includes

any

savings

in

your

Help

to

Save

account

Your

Help

to

Save

bonuses

will

not

affect

your

Universal

Credit

payments

Working

Tax

Credit

Any

savings

or

bonuses

you

earn

through

Help

to

Save

will

not

affect

how

much

Working

Tax

Credit

you

get

Housing

Benefit

If

you

or

your

partner

have

or

less

in

personal

savings

this

will

not

affect

how

much

Housing

Benefit

you

get

This

includes

any

savings

in

your

Help

to

Save

account

Your

Help

to

Save

bonuses

will

not

affect

your

Housing

Benefit

payments

How

to

apply

You

need

a

Government

Gateway

user

ID

and

password

to

apply

If

you

do

not

have

a

user

ID

you

can

create

one

when

you

apply

You

’ll

be

asked

to

provide

your

UK

bank

details

when

you

apply

Apply

now

Sign

in

Sign

in

to

your

Help

to

Save

account

if

you

already

have

one


Overview

When

you

take

time

off

to

have

a

baby

you

might

be

eligible

for

Statutory

Maternity

Leave

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

paid

time

off

for

antenatal

care

extra

help

from

the

government

There

are

rules

on

when

and

how

to

claim

your

paid

leave

and

if

you

want

to

change

your

dates

You

can

work

out

your

maternity

pay

and

leave

online

You

may

also

be

eligible

to

get

Shared

Parental

Leave

and

Pay

Employment

rights

when

on

leave

Your

employment

rights

are

protected

while

on

Statutory

Maternity

Leave

This

includes

your

right

to

pay

rises

build

up

accrue

holiday

return

to

work

Leave

Statutory

Maternity

Leave

is

weeks

It

’s

made

up

of

Ordinary

Maternity

Leave

first

weeks

Additional

Maternity

Leave

last

weeks

You

do

not

have

to

take

weeks

but

you

must

take

weeks

leave

after

your

baby

is

born

or

weeks

if

you

work

in

a

factory

Use

the

maternity

planner

to

work

out

the

dates

for

your

ordinary

and

additional

leave

You

may

be

entitled

to

take

some

of

your

leave

as

Shared

Parental

Leave

Start

date

and

early

births

Usually

the

earliest

you

can

start

your

leave

is

weeks

before

the

expected

week

of

childbirth

Leave

will

also

start

the

day

after

the

birth

if

the

baby

is

early

automatically

if

you

’re

off

work

for

a

pregnancy

related

illness

in

the

weeks

before

the

week

Sunday

to

Saturday

that

your

baby

is

due

Use

the

maternity

planner

to

work

out

the

earliest

date

your

maternity

leave

can

start

Change

your

date

for

returning

to

work

You

must

give

your

employer

at

least

weeks

notice

if

you

want

to

change

your

return

to

work

date

Pay

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

SMP

is

paid

for

up

to

weeks

You

get

of

your

average

weekly

earnings

before

tax

for

the

first

weeks

of

your

average

weekly

earnings

whichever

is

lower

for

the

next

weeks

SMP

is

paid

in

the

same

way

as

your

wages

for

example

monthly

or

weekly

Tax

and

National

Insurance

will

be

deducted

Use

the

maternity

pay

calculator

to

work

out

how

much

you

could

get

If

you

take

Shared

Parental

Leave

you

’ll

get

Statutory

Shared

Parental

Pay

ShPP

ShPP

is

a

week

or

of

your

average

weekly

earnings

whichever

is

lower

Start

date

SMP

usually

starts

when

you

take

your

maternity

leave

It

starts

automatically

if

you

’re

off

work

for

a

pregnancy

related

illness

in

the

weeks

before

the

week

Sunday

to

Saturday

that

your

baby

is

due

Problems

and

disputes

Ask

your

employer

to

explain

your

SMP

if

you

think

it

’s

not

right

If

you

disagree

about

the

amount

or

your

employer

can

not

pay

for

example

because

they

’re

insolvent

contact

the

Statutory

Payment

Disputes

Team

Eligibility

Statutory

Maternity

Leave

You

qualify

for

Statutory

Maternity

Leave

if

you

’re

an

employee

not

a

worker

you

give

your

employer

the

correct

notice

It

does

not

matter

how

long

you

’ve

been

with

your

employer

how

many

hours

you

work

or

how

much

you

get

paid

You

can

not

get

Statutory

Maternity

Leave

if

you

have

a

child

through

surrogacy

you

could

get

Statutory

Adoption

Leave

and

Pay

instead

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

SMP

To

qualify

for

SMP

you

must

earn

on

average

at

least

a

week

give

the

correct

notice

give

proof

you

’re

pregnant

have

worked

for

your

employer

continuously

for

at

least

weeks

continuing

into

the

qualifying

week

the

week

before

the

expected

week

of

childbirth

If

you

usually

earn

an

average

of

or

more

a

week

and

you

only

earned

less

in

some

weeks

because

you

were

paid

but

not

working

on

furlough

under

the

Coronavirus

Job

Retention

Scheme

you

may

still

be

eligible

You

can

not

get

SMP

if

you

go

into

police

custody

during

your

maternity

pay

period

It

will

not

restart

when

you

’re

discharged

Early

births

or

you

lose

your

baby

You

can

still

get

Statutory

Maternity

Leave

and

SMP

if

your

baby

is

born

early

is

stillborn

after

the

start

of

your

week

of

pregnancy

dies

after

being

born

If

you

’re

not

eligible

for

SMP

Your

employer

must

give

you

form

explaining

why

you

can

not

get

SMP

within

days

of

making

their

decision

You

may

be

eligible

for

Maternity

Allowance

instead

How

to

claim

Statutory

Maternity

Leave

At

least

weeks

before

your

due

date

tell

your

employer

when

the

baby

is

due

and

when

you

want

to

start

your

maternity

leave

Your

employer

can

ask

for

this

in

writing

Your

employer

must

write

to

you

within

days

confirming

your

start

and

end

dates

Use

the

maternity

planner

to

work

out

when

you

must

claim

your

maternity

leave

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

SMP

Tell

your

employer

you

want

to

stop

work

to

have

a

baby

and

the

day

you

want

your

SMP

to

start

You

must

give

them

at

least

days

notice

in

writing

if

they

ask

for

it

and

proof

that

you

’re

pregnant

Your

employer

must

confirm

within

days

how

much

SMP

you

’ll

get

and

when

it

will

start

and

stop

If

they

decide

you

’re

not

eligible

they

must

give

you

form

within

days

of

making

their

decision

and

explain

why

Proof

you

’re

pregnant

You

need

to

give

your

employer

proof

of

the

pregnancy

to

get

SMP

You

do

not

need

it

for

maternity

leave

Within

days

of

your

SMP

start

date

or

as

soon

as

possible

if

the

baby

’s

born

early

give

your

employer

either

a

letter

from

your

doctor

or

midwife

your

certificate

doctors

and

midwives

will

give

you

this

no

more

than

weeks

before

the

due

date

You

will

not

get

SMP

if

you

do

not

give

your

employer

proof

that

the

baby

is

due

Extra

help

Maternity

benefits

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

see

what

help

you

can

get

from

Universal

Credit

Child

Benefit

Child

Tax

Credit

Working

Tax

Credit

this

can

continue

for

weeks

after

you

go

on

maternity

leave

Income

Support

you

may

get

this

while

you

’re

not

working

You

could

get

a

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

usually

if

it

’s

your

first

child

If

you

’re

not

eligible

for

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

you

could

get

Maternity

Allowance

from

the

government

Company

maternity

schemes

You

might

get

more

than

the

statutory

amount

of

leave

and

pay

if

your

employer

has

a

company

maternity

scheme

They

can

not

offer

you

less

than

the

statutory

amount

Extra

leave

You

could

get

weeks

unpaid

parental

leave

after

the

birth

this

may

be

restricted

to

weeks

per

year


How

it

works

You

and

your

partner

may

be

able

to

get

Shared

Parental

Leave

SPL

and

Statutory

Shared

Parental

Pay

ShPP

if

you

’re

having

a

baby

using

a

surrogate

to

have

a

baby

adopting

a

child

You

can

share

up

to

weeks

of

leave

and

up

to

weeks

of

pay

between

you

You

need

to

share

the

pay

and

leave

in

the

first

year

after

your

child

is

born

or

placed

with

your

family

You

can

use

SPL

to

take

leave

in

blocks

separated

by

periods

of

work

or

take

it

all

in

one

go

You

can

also

choose

to

be

off

work

together

or

to

stagger

the

leave

and

pay

To

get

SPL

and

ShPP

you

and

your

partner

need

to

meet

the

eligibility

criteria

there

’s

different

criteria

for

birth

parents

and

criteria

for

adoptive

parents

or

parents

using

a

surrogate

give

notice

to

your

employers

Eligibility

for

birth

parents

To

be

eligible

for

Shared

Parental

Leave

SPL

and

Statutory

Shared

Parental

Pay

ShPP

both

parents

must

share

responsibility

for

the

child

at

birth

meet

work

and

pay

criteria

these

are

different

depending

on

which

parent

wants

to

use

the

shared

parental

leave

and

pay

You

’re

not

eligible

if

you

started

sharing

responsibility

for

the

child

after

it

was

born

The

eligibility

criteria

are

different

if

you

’re

adoptive

parents

or

parents

using

a

surrogate

You

can

check

if

you

can

get

SPL

and

ShPP

You

’ll

need

to

know

your

child

’s

due

date

or

birth

date

your

and

your

partner

’s

employment

status

and

earnings

if

you

and

your

partner

can

get

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

or

Statutory

Paternity

Pay

If

both

parents

want

to

share

the

SPL

and

ShPP

To

be

eligible

for

SPL

and

ShPP

you

and

your

partner

must

have

been

employed

continuously

by

the

same

employer

for

at

least

weeks

by

the

end

of

the

week

before

the

due

date

stay

with

the

same

employer

until

you

start

your

SPL

To

be

eligible

for

SPL

you

must

be

employees

not

workers

check

your

employment

status

If

either

of

you

is

a

worker

you

might

be

able

to

share

ShPP

but

not

SPL

To

be

eligible

for

ShPP

you

must

each

earn

on

average

at

least

a

week

If

you

usually

earn

an

average

of

or

more

a

week

each

and

you

only

earned

less

in

some

weeks

because

you

were

on

furlough

under

the

Coronavirus

Job

Retention

Scheme

CJRS

you

may

still

be

eligible

If

the

mother

’s

partner

wants

to

take

the

SPL

and

ShPP

For

the

mother

’s

partner

to

take

SPL

and

ShPP

both

the

mother

and

the

mother

’s

partner

must

meet

some

eligibility

requirements

The

mother

must

have

been

working

for

at

least

weeks

out

of

the

weeks

before

the

week

the

baby

’s

due

the

weeks

do

not

need

to

be

in

a

row

have

earned

at

least

in

total

across

any

of

the

weeks

The

mother

’s

partner

must

have

been

employed

continuously

by

the

same

employer

for

at

least

weeks

by

the

end

of

the

week

before

the

due

date

stay

with

the

same

employer

until

they

start

their

SPL

To

be

eligible

for

SPL

the

partner

must

be

an

employee

not

a

worker

check

their

employment

status

If

the

partner

is

a

worker

they

might

be

able

to

get

ShPP

but

not

SPL

To

be

eligible

for

ShPP

the

partner

must

earn

on

average

at

least

a

week

If

either

person

earned

less

than

the

amount

needed

because

they

were

on

furlough

under

the

Coronavirus

Job

Retention

Scheme

they

may

still

be

eligible

If

the

mother

wants

to

take

the

SPL

and

ShPP

For

the

mother

to

take

SPL

and

ShPP

both

the

mother

’s

partner

and

the

mother

must

meet

some

eligibility

criteria

The

mother

’s

partner

must

have

been

working

for

at

least

weeks

out

of

the

weeks

before

the

week

the

baby

’s

due

the

weeks

do

not

need

to

be

in

a

row

have

earned

at

least

in

total

in

of

the

weeks

add

up

the

highest

paying

weeks

they

do

not

need

to

be

in

a

row

The

mother

must

have

been

employed

continuously

by

the

same

employer

for

at

least

weeks

by

the

end

of

the

week

before

the

due

date

stay

with

the

same

employer

until

they

start

their

SPL

To

be

eligible

for

SPL

the

mother

must

be

an

employee

not

a

worker

check

their

employment

status

If

the

mother

is

a

worker

they

might

be

able

to

get

ShPP

but

not

SPL

To

be

eligible

for

ShPP

the

mother

must

earn

on

average

at

least

a

week

If

either

person

earned

less

than

the

amount

needed

because

they

were

on

furlough

under

the

Coronavirus

Job

Retention

Scheme

they

may

still

be

eligible

Eligibility

for

adopters

or

parents

using

a

surrogate

To

be

eligible

for

Shared

Parental

Leave

SPL

and

Statutory

Shared

Parental

Pay

ShPP

both

adoptive

parents

or

both

parents

using

a

surrogate

must

share

responsibility

for

the

child

on

the

child

’s

due

date

or

birth

date

if

you

’re

using

a

surrogate

or

the

date

they

’re

placed

with

you

if

you

’re

adopting

meet

the

work

and

earnings

criteria

these

are

different

depending

on

which

one

of

you

wants

to

use

the

shared

parental

leave

and

pay

The

eligibility

criteria

are

different

if

you

’re

birth

parents

You

can

check

if

you

can

get

SPL

and

ShPP

You

’ll

need

to

know

your

child

’s

due

date

or

birth

date

if

you

’re

using

a

surrogate

or

the

match

date

if

you

’re

adopting

your

and

your

partner

’s

employment

status

and

earnings

if

you

and

your

partner

can

get

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

or

Statutory

Paternity

Pay

If

both

parents

want

to

share

the

SPL

and

ShPP

To

be

eligible

for

SPL

and

ShPP

you

and

your

partner

must

have

been

employed

continuously

by

the

same

employer

for

at

least

weeks

by

the

end

of

the

week

your

child

was

placed

with

your

family

stay

with

the

same

employer

until

you

start

your

SPL

To

be

eligible

for

SPL

you

must

be

employees

not

workers

check

your

employment

status

If

either

of

you

is

a

worker

you

might

be

able

to

share

ShPP

but

not

SPL

To

be

eligible

for

ShPP

you

must

each

earn

on

average

at

least

a

week

If

you

usually

earn

an

average

of

or

more

a

week

each

and

you

only

earned

less

in

some

weeks

because

you

were

on

furlough

under

the

Coronavirus

Job

Retention

Scheme

CJRS

you

may

still

be

eligible

If

only

one

of

the

parents

wants

to

take

the

SPL

and

ShPP

Both

parents

must

meet

some

eligibility

criteria

The

parent

who

wants

to

take

the

leave

and

pay

must

have

been

employed

continuously

by

the

same

employer

for

at

least

weeks

by

the

end

of

the

week

your

child

was

placed

with

your

family

stay

with

the

same

employer

until

they

start

their

SPL

To

be

eligible

for

SPL

they

must

be

an

employee

not

a

worker

check

their

employment

status

If

they

are

a

worker

they

might

be

able

to

get

ShPP

but

not

SPL

To

be

eligible

for

ShPP

they

must

earn

on

average

at

least

each

a

week

The

other

parent

must

have

been

working

for

at

least

weeks

out

of

the

weeks

before

the

week

the

child

was

placed

with

you

the

weeks

do

not

need

to

be

in

a

row

have

earned

at

least

in

total

in

of

the

weeks

add

up

the

highest

paying

weeks

they

do

not

need

to

be

in

a

row

If

either

parent

earned

less

than

the

amount

needed

because

they

were

on

furlough

under

the

Coronavirus

Job

Retention

Scheme

they

may

still

be

eligible

What

you

'll

get

If

you

’re

eligible

and

you

or

your

partner

end

maternity

or

adoption

leave

and

pay

or

Maternity

Allowance

early

then

you

can

take

the

rest

of

the

weeks

of

maternity

or

adoption

leave

as

Shared

Parental

Leave

SPL

take

the

rest

of

the

weeks

of

maternity

or

adoption

pay

or

Maternity

Allowance

as

Statutory

Shared

Parental

Pay

ShPP

You

can

check

when

you

and

your

partner

can

take

your

leave

and

how

much

statutory

pay

you

’ll

get

using

the

Shared

Parental

Leave

and

Pay

planning

tool

How

much

pay

you

’ll

get

ShPP

is

paid

at

the

rate

of

a

week

or

of

your

average

weekly

earnings

whichever

is

lower

This

is

the

same

as

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

SMP

except

that

during

the

first

weeks

SMP

is

paid

at

of

whatever

you

earn

with

no

maximum

When

you

can

start

You

can

only

start

Shared

Parental

Leave

SPL

or

Shared

Parental

Pay

ShPP

once

the

child

has

been

born

or

placed

for

adoption

You

can

check

when

you

and

your

partner

can

start

your

leave

using

the

Shared

Parental

Leave

and

Pay

planning

tool

For

SPL

to

start

The

mother

or

the

person

getting

adoption

leave

must

either

return

to

work

which

ends

any

maternity

or

adoption

leave

give

their

employer

binding

notice

of

the

date

when

they

plan

to

end

their

leave

you

can

not

normally

change

the

date

you

give

in

binding

notice

You

can

start

SPL

while

your

partner

is

still

on

maternity

or

adoption

leave

as

long

as

they

’ve

given

binding

notice

to

end

it

You

can

give

binding

notice

and

say

when

you

plan

to

take

your

SPL

at

the

same

time

A

mother

can

not

return

to

work

before

the

end

of

the

compulsory

weeks

of

maternity

leave

following

the

birth

weeks

if

they

work

in

a

factory

If

you

’re

adopting

the

person

claiming

adoption

pay

must

take

at

least

weeks

of

adoption

leave

If

the

mother

or

adopter

does

not

get

maternity

or

adoption

leave

The

mother

or

adopter

must

end

any

maternity

pay

adoption

pay

or

Maternity

Allowance

so

that

they

or

their

partner

can

get

SPL

For

ShPP

to

start

The

mother

or

the

person

getting

adoption

pay

must

give

their

employer

binding

notice

of

the

date

when

they

plan

to

end

any

maternity

or

adoption

pay

If

they

get

Maternity

Allowance

they

must

give

notice

to

Jobcentre

Plus

instead

They

can

not

restart

maternity

pay

Maternity

Allowance

or

adoption

pay

once

it

’s

ended

You

can

start

ShPP

while

your

partner

is

still

on

maternity

pay

adoption

pay

or

Maternity

Allowance

as

long

as

they

’ve

given

binding

notice

to

end

it

You

can

give

binding

notice

and

say

when

you

plan

to

take

your

ShPP

at

the

same

time

Change

the

decision

to

end

maternity

or

adoption

leave

The

mother

or

adopter

may

be

able

to

change

their

decision

to

end

maternity

or

adoption

leave

early

They

must

let

their

employer

know

They

can

only

change

the

decision

if

both

the

planned

end

date

has

not

passed

they

have

not

already

returned

to

work

One

of

the

following

must

also

apply

you

find

out

during

the

week

notice

period

that

neither

of

you

is

eligible

for

SPL

or

ShPP

the

mother

or

adopter

’s

partner

has

died

the

mother

tells

their

employer

less

than

weeks

after

the

birth

and

they

gave

their

employer

notice

before

the

birth

Booking

blocks

of

leave

You

can

book

up

to

separate

blocks

of

Shared

Parental

Leave

SPL

instead

of

taking

it

all

in

one

go

even

if

you

are

not

sharing

the

leave

with

your

partner

If

your

partner

is

also

eligible

for

SPL

you

can

take

up

to

blocks

of

leave

each

You

can

take

leave

at

different

times

or

both

at

the

same

time

You

must

tell

your

employer

about

your

plans

for

leave

when

you

apply

for

SPL

You

can

change

these

plans

later

but

you

must

give

your

employer

at

least

weeks

notice

before

you

want

to

begin

a

block

of

leave

You

can

check

when

you

and

your

partner

can

take

your

leave

using

the

Shared

Parental

Leave

and

Pay

planning

tool

Splitting

blocks

of

leave

If

your

employer

agrees

you

can

split

blocks

into

shorter

periods

of

at

least

a

week

Shared

Parental

Leave

in

touch

SPLIT

days

You

and

your

partner

can

each

work

up

to

days

while

you

’re

taking

SPL

These

are

called

Shared

Parental

Leave

in

touch

or

SPLIT

days

These

days

are

in

addition

to

the

keeping

in

touch

or

KIT

days

available

to

those

on

maternity

or

adoption

leave

KIT

and

SPLIT

days

are

optional

both

you

and

your

employer

must

agree

to

them

Applying

for

leave

and

pay

To

get

Shared

Parental

Leave

SPL

or

Shared

Parental

Pay

ShPP

you

must

follow

the

rules

for

starting

SPL

and

ShPP

give

your

employer

at

least

weeks

written

notice

of

your

leave

dates

If

the

mother

or

person

taking

adoption

leave

plans

to

take

SPL

or

ShPP

they

must

apply

to

their

employer

If

the

partner

plans

to

take

SPL

or

ShPP

both

the

partner

and

the

mother

or

person

taking

adoption

leave

must

apply

to

their

employers

You

can

use

Shared

Parental

Leave

forms

and

templates

created

by

Acas

to

give

your

employer

notice

that

you

plan

to

take

SPL

and

ShPP

give

your

employer

notice

of

when

the

mother

or

adopter

is

going

to

end

their

maternity

or

adoption

leave

and

when

they

’ll

stop

getting

maternity

or

adoption

pay

book

your

leave

dates

If

your

employer

has

their

own

forms

you

can

use

those

instead

You

can

change

your

mind

later

about

how

much

SPL

or

ShPP

you

plan

to

take

and

when

you

want

to

take

it

You

must

give

notice

of

any

changes

at

least

weeks

before

the

start

of

any

leave

You

might

not

get

SPL

or

ShPP

if

you

do

not

include

all

the

required

information

Giving

more

information

Your

employer

can

ask

you

for

more

information

within

days

of

you

applying

for

SPL

or

ShPP

They

can

ask

for

a

copy

of

the

birth

certificate

a

declaration

of

the

place

and

date

of

birth

if

the

birth

has

not

been

registered

yet

the

name

and

address

of

your

partner

’s

employer

or

a

declaration

that

your

partner

has

no

employer

If

you

’re

adopting

your

employer

can

ask

for

the

name

and

address

of

the

adoption

agency

date

you

were

matched

with

the

child

date

the

child

will

start

to

live

with

you

name

and

address

of

your

partner

’s

employer

or

a

declaration

that

your

partner

has

no

employer

You

must

give

this

information

within

days

of

being

asked

for

it


Overview

You

may

have

to

pay

a

tax

charge

known

as

the

High

Income

Child

Benefit

Charge

if

you

have

an

individual

income

over

and

either

you

or

your

partner

get

Child

Benefit

someone

else

gets

Child

Benefit

for

a

child

living

with

you

and

they

contribute

at

least

an

equal

amount

towards

the

child

’s

upkeep

It

does

not

matter

if

the

child

living

with

you

is

not

your

own

child

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

What

counts

as

income

To

work

out

if

your

income

is

over

the

threshold

you

’ll

need

to

work

out

your

adjusted

net

income

Your

adjusted

net

income

is

your

total

taxable

income

before

any

personal

allowances

and

less

things

like

Gift

Aid

Use

the

Child

Benefit

tax

calculator

to

get

an

estimate

of

your

adjusted

net

income

Who

pays

the

tax

charge

If

your

individual

income

is

over

and

so

is

your

partner

’s

then

whoever

has

the

higher

income

is

responsible

for

paying

the

tax

charge

Partner

means

someone

you

’re

not

permanently

separated

from

who

you

’re

married

to

in

a

civil

partnership

with

or

living

with

as

if

you

were

If

your

income

is

over

the

threshold

You

can

choose

to

either

get

Child

Benefit

payments

and

pay

any

tax

charge

at

the

end

of

each

tax

year

not

get

Child

Benefit

payments

and

not

pay

the

tax

charge

If

you

choose

to

not

get

Child

Benefit

You

can

still

fill

in

the

Child

Benefit

claim

form

You

need

to

state

on

the

form

that

you

do

not

want

to

get

payments

You

need

to

fill

in

the

claim

form

if

you

want

to

get

National

Insurance

credits

which

count

towards

your

State

Pension

ensure

your

child

gets

their

National

Insurance

number

automatically

before

they

’re

otherwise

they

need

to

apply

for

one

themselves

Already

getting

Child

Benefit

You

can

choose

to

either

stop

getting

Child

Benefit

sometimes

known

as

opting

out

carry

on

getting

Child

Benefit

and

pay

any

tax

charge

at

the

end

of

each

tax

year

Pay

the

tax

charge

To

pay

the

tax

charge

you

must

register

for

Self

Assessment

fill

in

a

Self

Assessment

tax

return

each

tax

year

and

pay

what

you

owe

Register

for

Self

Assessment

If

you

do

not

usually

send

a

tax

return

you

need

to

register

by

October

following

the

tax

year

you

need

to

pay

the

tax

charge

You

can

get

a

penalty

if

you

do

not

register

for

Self

Assessment

or

do

not

declare

child

benefit

on

your

Self

Assessment

tax

return

You

’ll

get

a

letter

telling

you

what

to

do

next

after

you

’ve

registered

Register

now

If

you

can

not

get

information

from

your

partner

or

ex

partner

You

can

write

to

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

to

ask

whether

your

partner

or

ex

partner

gets

Child

Benefit

or

has

a

higher

adjusted

net

income

than

you

HMRC

will

reply

yes

or

no

they

will

not

give

you

any

financial

information

You

can

only

ask

for

this

information

if

you

and

your

partner

either

live

together

or

separated

within

the

tax

year

you

want

information

for

Write

to

HMRC

You

need

to

tell

HMRC

the

tax

year

you

’re

asking

about

as

well

as

your

name

address

date

of

birth

and

National

Insurance

number

Unique

Taxpayer

Reference

if

you

have

one

adjusted

net

income

partner

or

ex

partner

’s

name

If

you

can

include

your

partner

or

ex

partner

’s

address

date

of

birth

National

Insurance

number

if

you

know

it

Unique

Taxpayer

Reference

if

they

have

one

Send

your

letter

to

Stop

your

Child

Benefit

To

stop

your

Child

Benefit

you

can

either

fill

in

an

online

form

contact

the

Child

Benefit

Office

by

phone

or

post

You

need

a

Government

Gateway

user

ID

and

password

to

fill

in

the

online

form

If

you

do

not

have

a

user

ID

you

can

create

one

when

you

fill

in

the

form

You

can

not

use

the

online

form

if

you

’re

an

appointee

or

authorised

agent

You

can

not

stop

your

Child

Benefit

if

you

’re

using

it

to

pay

back

an

overpayment

or

to

pay

back

certain

other

benefits

from

another

country

Responsibilities

after

your

Child

Benefit

stops

You

must

pay

any

tax

charge

owed

for

each

tax

year

up

to

the

date

your

Child

Benefit

stops

Use

the

Child

Benefit

tax

calculator

to

get

an

estimate

of

how

much

you

may

owe

each

tax

year

Even

after

your

payments

stop

you

must

report

any

changes

in

your

family

life

that

affect

your

entitlement

to

Child

Benefit

Restart

your

Child

Benefit

You

can

restart

your

Child

Benefit

if

you

’ve

previously

stopped

it

because

of

the

tax

charge

you

still

qualify

for

Child

Benefit

To

restart

your

Child

Benefit

either

fill

in

an

online

form

contact

the

Child

Benefit

Office

You

need

a

Government

Gateway

user

ID

and

password

to

fill

in

the

online

form

If

you

do

not

have

a

user

ID

you

can

create

one

when

you

fill

in

the

form

You

can

not

use

the

online

form

if

you

’re

an

appointee

or

authorised

agent

Payments

usually

start

again

the

Monday

after

your

request

is

received

The

Child

Benefit

Office

will

write

telling

you

how

much

backdated

Child

Benefit

you

’ll

get

if

any

Responsibilities

after

your

Child

Benefit

restarts

You

or

your

partner

will

have

to

pay

any

tax

charge

on

the

benefit

received

from

the

restart

date

if

your

income

is

over

Use

the

Child

Benefit

tax

calculator

to

get

an

estimate

of

your

income

and

tax

deductions

to

see

if

you

may

be

affected

by

the

tax

charge

You

must

report

any

changes

to

your

family

life

that

affect

your

Child

Benefit

If

your

circumstances

change

Your

income

changes

You

will

not

have

to

pay

the

tax

charge

if

your

income

for

the

whole

of

a

tax

year

is

less

than

You

can

choose

to

stop

or

restart

your

Child

Benefit

at

any

time

Use

the

Child

Benefit

tax

calculator

to

get

an

estimate

of

your

income

changes

to

see

if

they

may

affect

the

tax

charge

You

have

a

new

child

Claiming

Child

Benefit

helps

you

qualify

for

National

Insurance

credits

which

protect

your

right

to

the

State

Pension

other

benefits

like

Guardian

’s

Allowance

Child

Benefit

proves

you

or

your

partner

support

another

child

You

may

pay

less

child

maintenance

for

children

not

living

with

you

You

can

make

a

new

claim

or

just

protect

your

entitlement

to

the

above

by

sending

a

Child

Benefit

claim

form

ticking

the

option

to

not

have

the

benefit

paid

A

partner

moves

in

or

out

Your

situation

may

change

if

your

income

is

more

than

and

you

move

in

or

split

up

with

someone

who

’s

getting

Child

Benefit

You

’ll

have

to

pay

the

tax

charge

if

your

income

is

more

than

and

higher

than

your

new

partner

’s

income

Your

partner

pays

it

if

their

income

is

higher

The

tax

charge

applies

from

the

date

you

move

in

together

to

either

the

date

you

permanently

separate

or

the

Child

Benefit

stops

for

example

because

the

child

is

too

old

to

qualify

for

it

Short

periods

apart

do

not

count

as

separation

for

example

a

hospital

stay

or

working

away

from

home


Overview

You

could

get

a

grant

from

your

council

if

you

’re

disabled

and

need

to

make

changes

to

your

home

for

example

to

widen

doors

and

install

ramps

improve

access

to

rooms

and

facilities

eg

stairlifts

or

a

downstairs

bathroom

provide

a

heating

system

suitable

for

your

needs

adapt

heating

or

lighting

controls

to

make

them

easier

to

use

A

Disabled

Facilities

Grant

wo

n’t

affect

any

benefits

you

get

What

you

'll

get

How

much

you

get

depends

on

your

household

income

household

savings

over

Country

Grant

England

Up

to

Wales

Up

to

Northern

Ireland

Up

to

Scotland

Disabled

Facilities

Grants

are

not

available

find

out

about

support

for

equipment

and

adaptations

Depending

on

your

income

you

may

need

to

pay

towards

the

cost

of

the

work

to

the

property

Disabled

children

under

can

get

a

grant

without

their

parents

income

being

taken

into

account

Contact

your

local

council

for

more

information

You

might

not

get

any

grant

if

you

start

work

on

your

property

before

the

council

approves

your

application

How

you

’ll

be

paid

You

’ll

be

paid

either

in

instalments

as

the

work

progresses

in

full

when

the

work

is

finished

The

council

may

pay

the

contractor

directly

or

give

you

a

cheque

to

pass

on

to

them

They

’ll

agree

this

with

you

when

they

approve

your

application

When

you

’ll

be

paid

You

’ll

be

paid

either

when

the

council

is

happy

with

the

finished

work

when

you

give

the

council

the

invoice

demand

or

receipt

for

payment

from

the

contractor

Normally

if

you

or

a

relative

does

the

work

the

council

will

only

accept

invoices

for

materials

or

services

you

’ve

bought

Eligibility

You

or

someone

living

in

your

property

must

be

disabled

Either

you

or

the

person

you

’re

applying

for

must

own

the

property

or

be

a

tenant

intend

to

live

in

the

property

during

the

grant

period

which

is

currently

years

You

can

also

apply

for

a

grant

if

you

’re

a

landlord

and

have

a

disabled

tenant

The

council

needs

to

be

happy

that

the

work

is

necessary

and

appropriate

to

meet

the

disabled

person

’s

needs

reasonable

and

can

be

done

depending

on

the

age

and

condition

of

the

property

You

might

not

get

any

grant

if

you

start

work

on

your

property

before

the

council

approves

your

application

Planning

and

building

regulations

approval

You

need

to

apply

separately

for

any

planning

permission

or

building

regulations

approval

The

council

may

ask

you

to

employ

a

qualified

architect

or

surveyor

to

plan

and

oversee

the

work

If

you

get

a

grant

you

can

use

it

towards

the

cost

of

their

fees

How

to

apply

Apply

through

your

local

council

The

council

may

send

an

occupational

therapist

round

to

see

you

They

’ll

check

your

circumstances

and

see

what

changes

you

need

Appeals

You

can

appeal

to

your

council

if

you

’re

unhappy

with

their

decision

If

you

appeal

and

you

’re

still

not

happy

you

can

complain

to

the

Local

Government

Ombudsman