Eligibility

You

can

only

make

a

claim

for

Working

Tax

Credit

if

you

already

get

Child

Tax

Credit

If

you

can

not

apply

for

Working

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

Hours

you

work

You

must

work

a

certain

number

of

hours

a

week

to

qualify

Circumstance

Hours

a

week

Aged

to

At

least

hours

Aged

or

over

At

least

hours

Disabled

At

least

hours

Single

with

or

more

children

At

least

hours

Couple

with

or

more

children

Usually

at

least

hours

between

you

with

of

you

working

at

least

hours

A

child

is

someone

who

is

under

or

under

if

they

’re

in

approved

education

or

training

Use

the

tax

credits

calculator

to

check

if

you

work

the

right

number

of

hours

You

can

still

apply

for

Working

Tax

Credit

if

you

’re

on

leave

Exceptions

for

couples

with

at

least

one

child

You

can

claim

if

you

work

less

than

hours

a

week

between

you

and

one

of

the

following

applies

you

work

at

least

hours

a

week

and

you

’re

disabled

or

aged

or

above

you

work

at

least

hours

a

week

and

your

partner

is

incapacitated

getting

certain

benefits

because

of

disability

or

ill

health

is

entitled

to

Carer

’s

Allowance

or

is

in

hospital

or

prison

What

counts

as

work

Your

work

can

be

for

someone

else

as

a

worker

or

employee

as

someone

who

’s

self

employed

a

mixture

of

the

two

If

you

’re

self

employed

Some

self

employed

people

are

not

eligible

for

Working

Tax

Credit

To

qualify

your

self

employed

work

must

aim

to

make

a

profit

It

must

also

be

commercial

regular

and

organised

This

means

you

may

not

qualify

if

you

do

not

make

a

profit

or

have

clear

plans

to

make

one

work

regularly

keep

business

records

such

as

receipts

and

invoices

follow

any

regulations

that

apply

to

your

work

for

example

having

the

right

licence

or

insurance

If

the

average

hourly

profit

from

your

self

employed

work

is

less

than

the

National

Minimum

Wage

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

may

ask

you

to

provide

business

records

your

business

plan

find

out

how

to

write

a

business

plan

details

of

the

day

to

day

running

of

your

business

evidence

that

you

’ve

promoted

your

business

such

as

advertisements

or

flyers

Your

pay

The

work

must

last

at

least

weeks

or

you

must

expect

it

to

last

weeks

and

must

be

paid

This

can

include

payment

in

kind

for

example

farm

produce

for

a

farm

labourer

or

where

you

expect

to

be

paid

for

the

work

Exceptions

Paid

work

does

not

include

money

paid

for

a

Rent

a

Room

scheme

less

than

or

for

joint

owners

for

work

done

while

in

prison

as

a

grant

for

training

or

studying

as

a

sports

award

Your

income

There

’s

no

set

limit

for

income

because

it

depends

on

your

circumstances

and

those

of

your

partner

For

example

for

a

couple

without

children

or

for

a

single

person

without

children

but

it

can

be

higher

if

you

have

children

pay

for

approved

childcare

or

one

of

you

is

disabled

What

you

'll

get

You

get

a

basic

amount

and

extra

known

as

elements

on

top

of

this

How

much

you

get

depends

on

things

like

your

circumstances

and

income

The

basic

amount

is

up

to

a

year

Element

Amount

You

’re

a

couple

applying

together

Up

to

a

year

You

’re

a

single

parent

Up

to

a

year

You

work

at

least

hours

a

week

Up

to

a

year

You

have

a

disability

Up

to

a

year

You

have

a

severe

disability

Up

to

a

year

usually

on

top

of

the

disability

payment

You

pay

for

approved

childcare

Up

to

child

or

or

more

children

a

week

Use

the

tax

credits

calculator

to

work

out

how

much

you

could

get

How

you

’re

paid

Money

is

paid

directly

into

your

bank

or

building

society

account

every

week

or

weeks

You

must

choose

one

account

if

you

’re

a

couple

Usually

you

’re

paid

from

the

date

of

your

claim

up

to

the

end

of

the

tax

year

April

If

your

circumstances

change

Your

tax

credits

can

go

up

or

down

if

your

family

or

work

life

change

if

you

start

a

new

job

you

’re

laid

off

work

or

your

partner

dies

You

must

report

these

changes

to

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

How

to

claim

You

can

no

longer

make

a

new

claim

for

Working

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

Working

Tax

Credit

if

you

already

get

Child

Tax

Credit

To

claim

Working

Tax

Credit

update

your

existing

tax

credit

claim

by

reporting

a

change

in

your

circumstances

online

or

by

phone

Leave

and

gaps

in

your

employment

You

can

get

Working

Tax

Credit

for

periods

when

you

do

not

work

For

example

when

you

go

on

maternity

leave

get

sick

pay

are

in

between

jobs

You

’re

entitled

to

the

tax

credits

for

a

certain

period

of

time

providing

you

qualify

If

you

do

not

return

to

work

at

the

end

of

the

period

contact

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

Circumstance

Period

you

get

tax

credits

for

You

lose

or

leave

your

job

For

weeks

You

’re

on

maternity

leave

For

the

first

weeks

of

your

leave

You

’re

on

adoption

leave

For

the

first

weeks

of

your

leave

You

’re

on

paternity

leave

For

the

period

of

your

ordinary

paternity

leave

You

’re

on

additional

paternity

leave

Up

to

the

equivalent

week

of

your

partner

’s

leave

You

’re

off

sick

For

the

first

weeks

You

’re

on

strike

For

the

first

days

You

’re

laid

off

work

For

weeks

after

you

’re

laid

off

or

the

lay

off

becomes

indefinite

You

’re

suspended

from

work

for

example

because

of

a

complaint

Usually

the

period

of

suspension

Qualifying

rules

To

qualify

you

must

have

been

in

paid

work

have

worked

the

right

number

of

hours

before

you

go

on

leave

or

the

gap

happens

have

got

Statutory

Sick

Pay

or

an

equivalent

benefit

if

you

were

on

sick

leave

You

’ll

still

qualify

if

you

were

self

employed

and

you

would

have

been

eligible

for

Statutory

Sick

Pay

or

an

equivalent

benefit

if

you

were

not

self

employed

The

equivalent

benefits

are

National

Insurance

credits

incapacity

for

work

element

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

or

Income

Support

incapacity

for

work

element


Overview

If

you

were

born

on

or

before

October

you

could

get

between

and

to

help

you

pay

your

heating

bills

This

is

known

as

a

Winter

Fuel

Payment

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

You

will

get

your

Winter

Fuel

Payment

automatically

you

do

not

need

to

claim

if

you

’re

eligible

and

either

get

the

State

Pension

get

another

social

security

benefit

not

Housing

Benefit

Council

Tax

Reduction

Child

Benefit

or

Universal

Credit

If

you

do

not

get

either

of

these

or

if

you

live

abroad

you

may

need

to

make

a

claim

If

you

’ve

got

a

Winter

Fuel

Payment

before

you

do

not

need

to

claim

again

unless

you

’ve

deferred

your

State

Pension

or

moved

abroad

The

deadline

for

you

to

make

a

claim

for

winter

to

is

March

When

you

’ll

be

paid

Most

payments

are

made

automatically

in

November

or

December

You

should

get

your

money

by

March

If

you

do

not

get

your

payment

contact

the

Winter

Fuel

Payment

Centre

Any

money

you

get

will

not

affect

your

other

benefits

Winter

Fuel

Payments

are

different

to

Cold

Weather

Payments

Eligibility

You

qualify

for

a

Winter

Fuel

Payment

if

both

the

following

apply

you

were

born

on

or

before

October

you

lived

in

the

UK

for

at

least

one

day

during

the

week

of

to

September

this

is

called

the

qualifying

week

If

you

did

not

live

in

the

UK

during

the

qualifying

week

you

might

still

get

the

payment

if

both

the

following

apply

you

live

in

Switzerland

or

a

European

Economic

Area

EEA

country

you

have

a

genuine

and

sufficient

link

to

the

UK

this

can

include

having

lived

or

worked

in

the

UK

and

having

family

in

the

UK

Read

guidance

to

check

if

you

can

get

benefits

as

a

UK

national

in

an

EU

or

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

You

can

not

get

the

payment

if

you

live

in

Cyprus

France

Gibraltar

Greece

Malta

Portugal

or

Spain

because

the

average

winter

temperature

is

higher

than

the

warmest

region

of

the

UK

You

may

still

be

able

to

get

Cold

Weather

Payment

or

the

Warm

Home

Discount

Scheme

even

if

you

do

not

qualify

for

Winter

Fuel

Payment

When

you

will

not

qualify

You

will

not

qualify

if

you

are

in

hospital

getting

free

treatment

for

more

than

a

year

need

permission

to

enter

the

UK

and

your

granted

leave

states

that

you

can

not

claim

public

funds

were

in

prison

for

the

whole

week

from

to

September

lived

in

a

care

home

for

the

whole

time

from

June

to

September

and

got

Pension

Credit

Income

Support

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

or

income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

How

much

you

'll

get

How

much

you

get

depends

on

your

circumstances

during

the

qualifying

week

The

qualifying

week

for

winter

to

is

to

September

Any

money

you

get

is

tax

free

and

will

not

affect

your

other

benefits

Born

between

September

and

October

Born

on

or

before

September

You

qualify

and

live

alone

or

of

the

people

you

live

with

qualify

You

qualify

and

live

with

someone

under

who

also

qualifies

You

qualify

and

live

with

someone

or

over

who

also

qualifies

You

qualify

live

in

a

care

home

and

do

not

get

certain

benefits

If

you

get

certain

benefits

Your

payment

may

be

different

if

you

or

your

partner

get

one

of

the

following

benefits

Pension

Credit

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

JSA

income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

Income

Support

Born

between

September

and

October

Born

on

or

before

September

You

qualify

get

one

of

the

benefits

and

live

alone

or

of

the

people

you

live

with

qualify

You

qualify

and

live

with

someone

who

also

gets

one

of

the

benefits

only

one

of

you

will

get

the

payment

only

one

of

you

will

get

the

payment

You

qualify

live

in

a

care

home

and

get

one

of

the

benefits

When

you

’ll

get

paid

Most

payments

are

made

automatically

in

November

or

December

You

’ll

get

a

letter

telling

you

how

much

you

will

get

and

an

estimated

payment

date

If

the

money

is

not

paid

into

your

account

by

March

contact

the

Winter

Fuel

Payment

Centre

All

benefits

pensions

and

allowances

are

paid

into

an

account

such

as

a

bank

account

How

to

claim

You

usually

do

not

need

to

claim

Winter

Fuel

Payment

you

’ll

get

it

automatically

if

you

’re

eligible

If

you

have

not

got

a

Winter

Fuel

Payment

before

you

only

need

to

claim

if

any

of

the

following

apply

you

do

not

get

benefits

or

a

State

Pension

you

only

get

Housing

Benefit

Council

Tax

Reduction

Child

Benefit

or

Universal

Credit

you

get

benefits

or

a

State

Pension

but

live

in

Switzerland

or

an

EEA

country

If

you

have

got

a

Winter

Fuel

Payment

before

you

only

need

to

claim

if

since

your

last

payment

you

have

either

deferred

your

State

Pension

moved

to

Switzerland

or

an

EEA

country

Contact

the

Winter

Fuel

Payment

Centre

if

your

circumstances

have

changed

If

you

need

to

claim

You

can

claim

Winter

Fuel

Payment

by

phone

or

by

post

Claim

for

the

first

time

by

phone

Call

the

Winter

Fuel

Payment

Centre

to

claim

by

phone

You

will

need

to

know

your

National

Insurance

number

your

bank

or

building

society

details

your

BIC

and

IBAN

numbers

if

you

live

in

the

EEA

or

Switzerland

the

date

you

were

married

or

entered

into

a

civil

partnership

if

appropriate

Payments

can

not

be

made

into

a

National

Savings

and

Investments

NS&I

account

unless

you

already

get

other

benefits

paid

into

the

account

You

’ll

also

need

to

say

whether

during

the

qualifying

week

of

to

September

you

were

in

hospital

getting

free

in

patient

treatment

in

a

residential

care

home

or

Ilford

Park

Resettlement

Home

in

prison

Claim

for

the

first

time

by

post

The

claim

form

you

need

depends

on

where

you

live

Winter

Fuel

Payment

claim

form

if

you

live

in

the

UK

Winter

Fuel

Payment

claim

form

if

you

live

in

Switzerland

or

an

eligible

EEA

country

Send

your

claim

to

the

following

address

if

you

’re

in

the

UK

Send

your

claim

to

the

following

address

if

you

’re

in

an

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration

Report

a

change

or

cancel

your

payment

Contact

the

Winter

Fuel

Payment

Centre

if

you

’ve

claimed

Winter

Fuel

Payment

before

and

you

need

to

report

a

change

of

circumstances

need

to

change

your

address

or

personal

details

want

to

cancel

future

payments

want

to

return

a

payment

Report

any

change

of

circumstances

as

soon

as

possible

as

these

can

affect

how

much

Winter

Fuel

Payment

you

get

For

example

if

you

stop

getting

a

benefit

move

house

or

go

into

care

If

you

cancel

your

payments

you

can

change

this

at

any

time

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


Benefits

affected

by

the

cap

The

benefit

cap

is

a

limit

on

the

total

amount

of

benefit

you

can

get

It

applies

to

most

people

aged

or

over

who

have

not

reached

State

Pension

age

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

The

benefit

cap

affects

Universal

Credit

Bereavement

Allowance

Child

Benefit

Child

Tax

Credit

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Housing

Benefit

Incapacity

Benefit

Income

Support

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

Maternity

Allowance

Severe

Disablement

Allowance

Widowed

Parent

’s

Allowance

or

Widowed

Mother

’s

Allowance

or

Widow

’s

Pension

if

you

started

getting

it

before

April

You

might

not

be

affected

by

the

benefit

cap

if

you

get

certain

benefits

or

you

’re

over

State

Pension

age

If

you

’re

claiming

Universal

Credit

the

benefit

cap

might

not

start

for

months

depending

on

your

earnings

When

you

're

not

affected

You

’re

not

affected

by

the

cap

if

you

’re

over

State

Pension

age

If

you

’re

part

of

a

couple

and

one

of

you

is

under

State

Pension

age

the

cap

may

apply

You

’re

not

affected

by

the

cap

if

you

or

your

partner

get

Working

Tax

Credit

even

if

the

amount

you

get

is

get

Universal

Credit

because

of

a

disability

or

health

condition

that

stops

you

from

working

this

is

called

limited

capability

for

work

and

work

related

activity

get

Universal

Credit

because

you

care

for

someone

with

a

disability

get

Universal

Credit

and

you

and

your

partner

earn

or

more

a

month

combined

after

tax

and

National

Insurance

contributions

You

’re

also

not

affected

by

the

cap

if

you

your

partner

or

any

children

under

living

with

you

gets

Armed

Forces

Compensation

Scheme

Armed

Forces

Independence

Payment

Attendance

Allowance

Carer

’s

Allowance

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

if

you

get

the

support

component

Guardian

’s

Allowance

Industrial

Injuries

Benefits

and

equivalent

payments

as

part

of

a

War

Disablement

Pension

or

the

Armed

Forces

Compensation

Scheme

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

War

pensions

War

Widow

’s

or

War

Widower

’s

Pension

If

you

are

affected

the

benefit

cap

might

not

start

for

months

depending

on

your

earnings

When

the

benefit

cap

affects

your

Universal

Credit

payments

The

benefit

cap

might

not

affect

your

Universal

Credit

payments

for

up

to

months

This

is

called

the

grace

period

You

’ll

get

the

grace

period

if

all

of

the

following

are

true

you

’re

claiming

Universal

Credit

because

you

stopped

working

or

your

earnings

went

down

you

’re

now

earning

less

than

a

month

in

each

of

the

months

before

your

earnings

went

down

or

you

stopped

working

you

earned

the

same

as

or

more

than

the

earnings

threshold

this

was

up

to

April

and

is

from

April

Your

partner

’s

earnings

will

be

included

when

working

out

how

much

you

earned

even

if

they

’re

not

claiming

benefits

If

you

have

separated

from

your

partner

their

earnings

will

be

included

for

the

time

that

you

lived

with

them

before

you

separated

You

need

to

report

your

last

months

earnings

when

you

apply

for

Universal

Credit

to

get

the

grace

period

You

will

not

be

affected

by

the

benefit

cap

if

you

or

your

partner

get

Universal

Credit

because

you

have

a

disability

or

health

condition

or

because

you

care

for

someone

with

a

disability

or

you

earn

or

more

between

you

How

the

month

grace

period

works

If

you

’re

already

claiming

Universal

Credit

the

grace

period

will

start

on

the

first

day

of

the

assessment

period

in

which

your

earnings

went

below

the

earnings

threshold

The

threshold

was

up

to

April

and

is

from

April

If

you

’re

making

a

new

claim

for

Universal

Credit

the

grace

period

starts

from

either

the

day

after

the

last

day

you

worked

the

payday

when

your

earnings

went

below

the

earnings

threshold

this

was

up

to

April

and

is

from

April

The

month

grace

period

continues

if

you

stop

claiming

Universal

Credit

and

then

start

again

After

the

month

grace

period

ends

the

amount

of

Universal

Credit

you

get

will

usually

go

down

It

might

not

go

down

if

your

circumstances

change

and

you

are

not

affected

by

the

benefit

cap

Help

if

you

're

affected

by

the

benefit

cap

Contact

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

if

you

’re

affected

by

the

benefit

cap

and

you

need

help

If

you

need

help

paying

your

rent

or

a

rent

deposit

contact

your

local

council

as

well

They

can

check

if

you

’re

eligible

for

a

discretionary

housing

payment

which

is

not

affected

by

the

benefit

cap

If

you

get

Universal

Credit

Contact

DWP

either

through

the

journal

in

your

online

account

by

calling

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

If

you

get

any

other

benefits

Benefit

cap

amounts

The

amount

you

get

through

the

benefit

cap

depends

on

whether

you

live

inside

or

outside

Greater

London

you

’re

single

or

in

a

couple

your

children

live

with

you

if

you

’re

single

If

you

’re

in

a

couple

but

you

do

not

live

together

you

’ll

get

the

amounts

for

a

single

person

Use

the

benefit

cap

calculator

to

find

out

how

much

your

benefit

might

be

capped

Outside

Greater

London

The

benefit

cap

outside

Greater

London

is

per

week

a

year

if

you

’re

in

a

couple

per

week

a

year

if

you

’re

a

single

parent

and

your

children

live

with

you

per

week

a

year

if

you

’re

a

single

adult

Inside

Greater

London

The

benefit

cap

inside

Greater

London

is

per

week

a

year

if

you

’re

in

a

couple

per

week

a

year

if

you

’re

a

single

parent

and

your

children

live

with

you

per

week

a

year

if

you

’re

a

single

adult


Overview

Tell

the

office

dealing

with

your

benefit

straight

away

if

you

think

you

’re

being

overpaid

your

circumstances

change

You

may

have

to

pay

back

the

benefit

if

you

’ve

been

overpaid

There

’s

a

different

process

for

tax

credits

overpayment

You

may

be

prosecuted

for

benefit

fraud

or

have

to

pay

a

penalty

if

you

do

not

tell

benefit

providers

about

overpayments

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

If

you

’ve

been

overpaid

Universal

Credit

You

can

report

an

overpayment

by

signing

into

your

Universal

Credit

account

or

calling

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

When

the

benefit

office

will

contact

you

You

’ll

get

a

letter

to

let

you

know

that

you

’ve

been

overpaid

If

you

think

it

’s

a

mistake

you

can

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

within

one

month

of

receiving

the

letter

Housing

Benefit

paid

directly

to

your

landlord

Your

landlord

may

be

asked

to

repay

the

money

if

they

’re

responsible

for

an

overpayment

You

may

have

to

repay

if

it

was

your

fault

When

repayments

have

to

be

made

You

may

have

to

pay

the

money

back

if

you

’ve

been

overpaid

For

example

if

the

information

you

gave

was

wrong

you

did

not

report

a

change

in

your

circumstances

straight

away

you

gave

the

wrong

information

when

you

reported

a

change

of

circumstances

a

mistake

was

made

with

your

payment

Find

out

how

to

make

repayments

There

’s

a

different

system

if

the

person

overpaid

has

died

Repayments

when

someone

has

died

The

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

can

recover

benefit

overpayments

from

a

person

’s

estate

An

overpayment

could

have

happened

because

for

example

the

person

who

died

had

more

savings

than

they

declared

in

their

benefit

claim

had

not

declared

an

income

was

in

hospital

or

a

nursing

home

and

had

not

told

DWP

If

you

’re

dealing

with

the

estate

DWP

will

write

to

you

once

probate

has

been

granted

to

ask

for

the

information

they

need

You

should

not

distribute

the

estate

until

you

know

what

needs

to

be

repaid

If

you

do

you

may

have

to

pay

back

the

money

yourself

What

you

need

to

do

You

’ll

be

asked

to

provide

information

to

help

work

out

if

anything

needs

to

be

repaid

You

may

need

bank

statements

building

society

passbooks

or

other

information

about

the

dead

person

’s

assets

If

you

do

not

provide

the

information

asked

for

the

overpayment

will

be

calculated

based

on

the

probate

figure

before

any

deductions

that

is

the

whole

estate

If

there

has

been

an

overpayment

DWP

will

write

to

you

asking

for

the

money

back

from

the

estate

They

will

tell

you

how

any

overpayment

has

been

worked

out

and

explain

why

it

happened

They

will

also

tell

you

how

to

pay

If

you

need

to

discuss

your

payment

or

setting

up

a

repayment

plan

call

DWP

’s

Debt

Management

Recovery

from

Estates

The

number

is

on

the

letter

You

can

also

write

to

them

If

you

’re

in

England

and

Wales

If

you

’re

in

Scotland

If

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

contact

the

Department

for

Communities

Debt

Management

service

If

you

disagree

with

the

overpayment

decision

If

you

disagree

with

the

overpayment

decision

you

can

ask

for

the

decision

to

be

looked

at

again

this

is

called

a

mandatory

reconsideration

You

can

do

this

if

you

think

DWP

made

an

error

or

missed

important

evidence

disagree

with

the

reasons

for

the

decision

want

to

have

the

decision

looked

at

again

Payments

made

after

death

If

the

overpayment

happened

because

the

payment

arrived

before

DWP

were

told

about

the

death

DWP

Debt

Management

will

contact

the

deceased

’s

next

of

kin

the

bank

the

benefit

was

paid

in

to

whoever

is

handling

the

estate

How

to

make

a

repayment

How

you

pay

back

the

overpayment

depends

on

whether

you

’re

making

repayments

for

the

first

time

or

restarting

them

whether

you

still

receive

benefits

Start

making

repayments

if

you

’re

still

receiving

benefits

If

you

’re

still

receiving

benefits

the

regular

amount

you

get

will

be

reduced

until

you

’ve

paid

back

the

money

Contact

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

Debt

Management

contact

centre

if

you

think

too

much

has

been

taken

for

a

repayment

If

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

contact

the

Department

for

Communities

Debt

Management

service

Start

making

repayments

if

you

no

longer

receive

benefits

If

you

no

longer

receive

benefits

you

need

to

pay

back

the

overpayment

to

DWP

Debt

Management

You

’ll

get

a

letter

telling

you

how

much

you

need

to

repay

If

you

can

not

pay

the

debt

in

full

contact

DWP

Debt

Management

to

arrange

a

payment

plan

If

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

contact

the

Department

for

Communities

Debt

Management

service

Online

banking

Use

DWP

’s

bank

account

details

to

pay

quoting

the

reference

number

shown

on

your

letter

or

your

National

Insurance

number

Account

name

Sort

code

Account

number

DWP

Debt

Management

Overseas

accounts

Use

the

following

details

if

you

’re

paying

from

an

overseas

account

Account

name

IBAN

BIC

DWP

Debt

Management

Direct

Debit

card

cheques

and

cash

Contact

the

DWP

Debt

Management

contact

centre

to

set

up

monthly

repayments

by

Direct

Debit

make

a

payment

using

a

debit

card

request

a

paying

in

slip

for

cheque

or

cash

payments

If

you

do

not

pay

back

the

money

If

you

do

not

pay

back

the

money

or

contact

the

DWP

Debt

Management

contact

centre

they

may

pass

your

case

to

an

independent

debt

collector

You

’ll

get

a

letter

to

tell

you

about

this

If

your

case

is

passed

to

a

debt

collector

the

letter

will

be

from

one

of

the

following

debt

collection

agencies

Advantis

BPO

Collections

CCS

Collect

Moorcroft

Past

Due

Credit

Resolve

Call

Shakespeare

Martineau

You

should

deal

directly

with

the

debt

collector

to

arrange

repayment


Overview

Pension

Credit

gives

you

extra

money

to

help

with

your

living

costs

if

you

’re

over

State

Pension

age

and

on

a

low

income

Pension

Credit

can

also

help

with

housing

costs

such

as

ground

rent

or

service

charges

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

You

might

get

extra

help

if

you

’re

a

carer

severely

disabled

or

responsible

for

a

child

or

young

person

Pension

Credit

is

separate

from

your

State

Pension

You

can

get

Pension

Credit

even

if

you

have

other

income

savings

or

own

your

own

home

This

guide

covers

Pension

Credit

in

England

Scotland

and

Wales

Find

out

about

Pension

Credit

in

Northern

Ireland

Other

help

if

you

get

Pension

Credit

If

you

get

Pension

Credit

you

can

also

get

other

help

such

as

Housing

Benefit

if

you

rent

the

property

you

live

in

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

if

you

own

the

property

you

live

in

Council

Tax

Reduction

a

free

TV

licence

if

you

’re

aged

or

over

help

with

NHS

dental

treatment

glasses

and

transport

costs

for

hospital

appointments

help

with

your

heating

costs

Eligibility

You

must

live

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

and

have

reached

State

Pension

age

to

qualify

for

Pension

Credit

Find

out

about

Pension

Credit

in

Northern

Ireland

If

you

have

a

partner

You

must

include

your

partner

on

your

application

You

’ll

be

eligible

if

either

you

and

your

partner

have

both

reached

State

Pension

age

one

of

you

is

getting

Housing

Benefit

for

people

over

State

Pension

age

A

partner

is

either

your

husband

wife

or

civil

partner

if

you

live

with

them

someone

you

live

with

as

a

couple

without

being

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

Your

income

When

you

apply

for

Pension

Credit

your

income

is

calculated

If

you

have

a

partner

your

income

is

calculated

together

Pension

Credit

tops

up

your

weekly

income

to

if

you

’re

single

your

joint

weekly

income

to

if

you

have

a

partner

If

your

income

is

higher

you

might

still

be

eligible

for

Pension

Credit

if

you

have

a

disability

you

care

for

someone

you

have

savings

or

you

have

housing

costs

What

counts

as

income

Your

income

includes

State

Pension

other

pensions

earnings

from

employment

and

self

employment

most

social

security

benefits

for

example

Carer

’s

Allowance

What

does

not

count

as

income

Not

all

benefits

are

counted

as

income

For

example

the

following

are

not

counted

Attendance

Allowance

Christmas

Bonus

Child

Benefit

Disability

Living

Allowance

Personal

Independence

Payment

social

fund

payments

like

Winter

Fuel

Allowance

Housing

Benefit

Council

Tax

Reduction

If

you

’ve

deferred

your

pension

If

you

’re

entitled

to

a

personal

or

workplace

pension

and

you

have

not

claimed

it

yet

the

amount

you

’d

expect

to

get

still

counts

as

income

If

you

’ve

deferred

your

State

Pension

the

amount

of

State

Pension

you

would

get

is

counted

as

income

You

can

not

build

up

extra

amounts

for

deferring

your

State

Pension

if

you

or

your

partner

are

getting

Pension

Credit

Your

savings

and

investments

If

you

have

or

less

in

savings

and

investments

this

will

not

affect

your

Pension

Credit

If

you

have

more

than

every

over

counts

as

income

a

week

For

example

if

you

have

in

savings

this

counts

as

income

a

week

Contact

the

Pension

Service

helpline

if

your

circumstances

change

What

you

'll

get

Pension

Credit

tops

up

your

weekly

income

to

if

you

’re

single

your

joint

weekly

income

to

if

you

have

a

partner

You

may

get

extra

amounts

if

you

have

other

responsibilities

and

costs

The

top

up

and

extra

amounts

are

known

as

Guarantee

Credit

If

you

have

a

severe

disability

You

could

get

an

extra

a

week

if

you

get

any

of

the

following

Attendance

Allowance

the

middle

or

highest

rate

care

component

of

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

Armed

Forces

Independence

Payment

If

you

care

for

another

adult

You

could

get

an

extra

a

week

if

you

get

Carer

’s

Allowance

you

’ve

claimed

Carer

’s

Allowance

but

are

not

being

paid

because

you

already

get

another

benefit

paying

a

higher

amount

If

you

and

your

partner

have

both

claimed

or

are

getting

Carer

’s

Allowance

you

can

both

get

this

extra

amount

If

you

’re

responsible

for

children

or

young

people

You

could

get

an

extra

a

week

for

each

child

or

young

person

you

’re

responsible

for

This

is

increased

to

a

week

for

the

first

child

if

they

were

born

before

April

The

child

or

young

person

must

normally

live

with

you

and

be

under

the

age

of

If

they

’re

or

over

and

under

they

must

be

in

or

accepted

for

approved

training

such

as

Foundation

Apprenticeships

a

course

of

non

advanced

education

for

example

they

’re

studying

for

GCSEs

or

A

levels

If

they

’re

in

education

it

must

be

for

more

than

hours

a

week

on

average

If

you

get

Tax

Credits

you

can

not

get

this

extra

amount

of

Pension

Credit

for

caring

for

a

child

But

you

might

be

eligible

for

Child

Tax

Credits

If

the

child

or

young

person

is

disabled

If

the

child

or

young

person

is

disabled

you

could

also

get

an

extra

amount

of

either

a

week

if

they

get

DLA

or

PIP

a

week

if

they

’re

blind

or

they

get

the

highest

rate

care

component

of

DLA

or

the

enhanced

daily

living

component

of

PIP

If

you

have

housing

costs

You

could

get

an

extra

amount

to

cover

your

housing

costs

such

as

ground

rent

if

your

property

is

a

leasehold

some

service

charges

charges

for

tents

and

site

rents

The

amount

you

could

get

depends

on

your

housing

costs

If

you

get

Pension

Credit

you

could

also

be

eligible

for

Council

Tax

Reduction

Housing

Benefit

if

you

rent

the

property

you

live

in

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

if

you

own

the

property

you

live

in

If

you

have

savings

or

a

second

pension

You

could

get

the

Savings

Credit

part

of

Pension

Credit

if

both

of

the

following

apply

you

reached

State

Pension

age

before

April

you

saved

some

money

for

retirement

for

example

a

personal

or

workplace

pension

You

’ll

get

up

to

Savings

Credit

a

week

if

you

’re

single

If

you

have

a

partner

you

’ll

get

up

to

a

week

You

might

still

get

some

Savings

Credit

even

if

you

do

not

get

the

Guarantee

Credit

part

of

Pension

Credit

Other

help

if

you

get

Pension

Credit

If

you

get

Pension

Credit

you

’ll

automatically

get

cold

weather

payments

You

’ll

also

be

eligible

to

get

help

with

NHS

costs

such

as

prescriptions

dental

treatment

glasses

and

transport

costs

for

hospital

appointments

apply

for

a

free

TV

licence

if

you

’re

aged

or

over

Find

out

how

much

you

could

get

Use

the

Pension

Credit

calculator

to

work

out

how

much

you

might

get

Contact

the

Pension

Service

helpline

if

you

’re

not

sure

whether

you

’re

eligible

for

extra

amounts

How

you

’re

paid

All

benefits

pensions

and

allowances

are

paid

into

an

account

for

example

a

bank

account

How

to

claim

You

can

start

your

application

up

to

months

before

you

reach

State

Pension

age

You

can

apply

any

time

after

you

reach

State

Pension

age

but

your

application

can

only

be

backdated

by

months

This

means

you

can

get

up

to

months

of

Pension

Credit

in

your

first

payment

if

you

were

eligible

during

that

time

Information

you

’ll

need

You

’ll

need

the

following

information

about

you

and

your

partner

if

you

have

one

National

Insurance

number

information

about

any

income

savings

and

investments

you

have

information

about

your

income

savings

and

investments

on

the

date

you

want

to

backdate

your

application

to

usually

months

ago

or

the

date

you

reached

State

Pension

age

You

’ll

also

need

your

bank

account

details

if

you

’re

applying

by

phone

or

by

post

Apply

online

You

can

use

the

online

service

if

you

have

already

claimed

your

State

Pension

there

are

no

children

or

young

people

included

in

your

application

Apply

now

Apply

by

phone

A

friend

or

family

member

can

call

for

you

if

you

can

not

use

the

phone

Apply

by

post

To

apply

by

post

print

out

and

fill

in

the

Pension

Credit

claim

form

or

call

the

claim

line

to

request

a

form

Send

the

claim

form

to

the

Pension

Service

or

ask

someone

to

do

it

for

you

Contact

a

voluntary

organisation

like

Citizens

Advice

or

Age

UK

if

you

need

help

with

the

form

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

Pension

Credit

application

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration

Report

a

change

of

circumstances

You

need

to

report

changes

to

you

and

your

partner

’s

personal

and

financial

circumstances

Your

claim

might

be

stopped

or

reduced

if

you

do

not

report

a

change

straight

away

Some

changes

will

increase

the

amount

of

Pension

Credit

you

could

get

Changes

to

your

personal

circumstances

A

change

of

personal

circumstances

can

include

moving

to

a

new

address

starting

or

stopping

living

with

a

partner

the

death

of

a

partner

who

is

named

on

your

claim

starting

or

stopping

work

going

into

hospital

or

a

care

home

people

moving

in

or

out

of

your

house

changing

your

name

switching

your

bank

account

changes

to

your

Post

Office

card

account

leaving

England

Scotland

and

Wales

for

any

period

for

example

going

on

holiday

you

start

or

stop

looking

after

a

child

or

young

person

under

the

age

of

changes

to

your

immigration

status

if

you

’re

not

a

British

citizen

Changes

to

your

financial

circumstances

You

also

need

to

report

if

your

income

or

expenses

change

This

can

include

changes

to

housing

costs

for

example

ground

rent

or

service

charges

benefits

that

anyone

living

in

your

home

gets

including

getting

a

new

benefit

or

a

benefit

being

stopped

occupational

or

personal

pensions

including

if

you

start

to

get

a

new

pension

or

take

a

lump

sum

out

of

your

pension

pot

other

income

for

example

foreign

pensions

or

Working

Tax

Credits

savings

investments

or

property

Call

the

Pension

Credit

helpline

if

you

’re

not

sure

if

you

need

to

report

a

change

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

a

change

You

can

also

report

by

post

The

address

is

on

the

letters

you

get

about

your

Pension

Credit

Living

with

a

partner

under

State

Pension

age

You

will

stop

getting

Pension

Credit

if

you

start

living

with

a

partner

who

is

under

State

Pension

age

You

can

start

getting

it

again

when

your

partner

reaches

State

Pension

age

If

you

were

living

with

a

partner

under

State

Pension

age

before

May

and

getting

Pension

Credit

you

’ll

keep

getting

it

unless

you

stop

being

eligible

If

this

happens

you

usually

wo

n’t

be

able

to

get

Pension

Credit

again

until

you

and

your

partner

are

both

eligible

If

you

can

not

get

Pension

Credit

you

might

be

entitled

to

Universal

Credit

instead

but

you

and

your

partner

can

not

get

both

at

the

same

time

If

one

of

you

starts

getting

Universal

Credit

you

’ll

stop

being

eligible

for

Pension

Credit

If

you

have

an

Assessed

Income

Period

AIP

An

AIP

is

a

period

of

time

when

you

do

not

have

to

report

changes

to

your

pensions

savings

or

investments

If

you

have

an

AIP

you

must

still

report

all

other

changes

to

your

personal

circumstances

Your

Pension

Credit

award

letter

will

tell

you

if

you

have

an

AIP

You

may

have

one

if

you

’re

aged

or

over

and

you

started

getting

Pension

Credit

before

April

Your

AIP

will

end

if

your

household

circumstances

change

for

example

if

you

move

into

a

care

home

or

if

you

become

a

member

of

a

couple

You

’ll

get

a

letter

saying

your

AIP

has

ended

From

then

on

you

must

report

all

changes

to

your

circumstances

including

changes

to

your

pensions

savings

or

investments

Call

the

Pension

Service

helpline

if

you

’re

not

sure

if

you

need

to

report

a

change

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


How

they

work

A

Budgeting

Loan

can

help

pay

for

furniture

or

household

items

for

example

washing

machines

or

other

white

goods

clothes

or

footwear

rent

in

advance

costs

linked

to

moving

house

maintenance

improvements

or

security

for

your

home

travelling

costs

within

the

UK

costs

linked

to

getting

a

new

job

maternity

costs

funeral

costs

repaying

hire

purchase

loans

repaying

loans

taken

for

the

above

items

Crisis

Loans

are

not

available

any

more

You

may

be

eligible

for

a

Budgeting

Loan

if

you

’ve

been

on

certain

benefits

for

months

You

only

have

to

pay

back

the

amount

you

borrow

and

repayments

are

taken

automatically

from

your

benefits

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

Check

if

you

're

eligible

To

get

a

Budgeting

Loan

you

must

have

been

getting

one

or

more

of

these

benefits

for

the

past

months

Income

Support

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Pension

Credit

If

you

moved

from

Universal

Credit

to

Pension

Credit

any

time

spent

claiming

Universal

Credit

will

count

towards

the

months

You

can

not

get

a

Budgeting

Loan

if

you

are

currently

claiming

Universal

Credit

apply

for

a

Budgeting

Advance

instead

you

’re

involved

in

industrial

action

for

example

a

strike

walkout

or

lockout

you

owe

more

than

in

total

for

Crisis

Loans

and

Budgeting

Loans

If

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

go

to

Budgeting

Loans

in

Northern

Ireland

What

you

could

get

The

lowest

amount

you

can

borrow

is

You

could

get

up

to

if

you

’re

single

if

you

have

a

partner

if

you

or

your

partner

claim

Child

Benefit

How

much

you

could

get

depends

on

whether

you

can

pay

the

loan

back

have

savings

of

more

than

if

you

or

your

partner

are

or

over

are

paying

back

an

existing

Budgeting

Loan

or

Crisis

Loan

Paying

back

the

loan

A

Budgeting

Loan

is

interest

free

so

you

only

pay

back

what

you

borrow

The

repayments

will

be

taken

automatically

from

your

benefits

The

amount

you

repay

is

based

on

your

income

including

any

benefits

you

receive

and

what

you

can

afford

After

you

apply

for

a

Budgeting

Loan

you

’ll

get

an

email

text

or

letter

telling

you

if

you

’ve

been

offered

a

loan

This

explains

how

much

your

weekly

repayments

will

be

if

you

accept

the

loan

You

normally

have

to

repay

the

loan

within

years

weeks

If

you

stop

getting

benefits

you

’ll

need

to

arrange

another

way

to

repay

Apply

Check

you

’re

eligible

before

you

apply

If

you

get

Universal

Credit

you

can

not

get

a

Budgeting

Loan

You

’ll

need

to

apply

for

a

Budgeting

Advance

instead

You

can

apply

online

or

using

the

paper

form

It

’s

quicker

to

apply

online

Apply

online

When

you

apply

online

you

can

choose

to

get

a

decision

on

your

loan

by

either

email

text

message

letter

It

’s

quicker

to

get

the

decision

by

email

or

text

message

and

accept

it

online

There

’s

a

different

way

to

apply

for

a

Budgeting

Loan

in

Northern

Ireland

Apply

online

Apply

using

the

paper

form

You

will

need

to

fill

in

form

You

can

download

and

print

the

form

phone

the

Social

Fund

Enquiry

Line

and

ask

for

a

form

to

be

posted

to

you

allow

days

for

the

form

to

arrive

Return

your

completed

form

by

post

After

you

apply

After

you

apply

you

will

be

given

a

decision

on

your

application

You

need

to

accept

the

decision

before

you

get

your

money

If

you

apply

online

You

’ll

find

out

if

you

’ve

been

offered

a

loan

within

days

if

you

get

the

decision

by

text

or

email

days

if

you

get

the

decision

by

letter

If

you

apply

by

post

You

’ll

get

a

letter

telling

you

if

you

’ve

been

offered

a

loan

within

days

Accepting

the

loan

How

you

accept

the

loan

depends

on

how

you

applied

Accept

online

You

can

accept

the

loan

offer

online

by

following

the

instructions

in

the

text

or

email

Accept

by

post

You

can

accept

by

signing

page

of

the

acceptance

letter

and

returning

it

in

the

pre

paid

envelope

provided

Make

sure

the

reply

slip

is

folded

so

that

the

return

address

is

fully

visible

in

the

envelope

window

Return

it

to

the

address

on

the

letter

Do

not

send

it

to

your

local

Jobcentre

Plus

office

as

this

may

delay

getting

your

loan

Getting

your

money

You

’ll

get

your

money

within

days

of

accepting

the

loan

offer

online

days

of

your

loan

offer

acceptance

being

received

by

post

The

money

will

be

paid

into

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

You

’ll

get

a

text

message

confirming

this

has

been

done

Questions

about

your

application

Call

the

Social

Fund

Enquiry

Line

if

you

have

a

question

about

the

progress

of

your

application

You

should

wait

days

before

phoning

if

you

applied

online

days

before

phoning

if

you

applied

by

post

Your

application

may

not

have

been

processed

before

then

Other

help

you

can

get

You

may

be

able

to

get

other

kinds

of

support

including

help

from

your

local

council

and

Jobcentre

Plus

the

Discretionary

Assistance

Fund

in

Wales

a

Crisis

Grant

or

Community

Care

Grant

in

Scotland

Discretionary

Support

or

a

Short

term

Benefit

Advance

in

Northern

Ireland


Overview

Maternity

Allowance

is

usually

paid

to

you

if

you

do

not

qualify

for

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

The

amount

you

can

get

depends

on

your

eligibility

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

You

can

claim

Maternity

Allowance

as

soon

as

you

’ve

been

pregnant

for

weeks

Payments

can

start

weeks

before

your

baby

is

due

Any

money

you

get

can

affect

your

other

benefits

What

you

'll

get

The

amount

you

can

get

depends

on

your

eligibility

You

could

get

either

a

week

or

of

your

average

weekly

earnings

whichever

is

less

for

weeks

a

week

for

weeks

a

week

for

weeks

Maternity

Allowance

is

paid

every

or

weeks

You

can

claim

Maternity

Allowance

once

you

’ve

been

pregnant

for

weeks

Payments

can

start

weeks

before

your

baby

is

due

Use

the

maternity

entitlement

calculator

to

work

out

how

much

you

could

get

How

you

’re

paid

All

benefits

pensions

and

allowances

are

usually

paid

straight

into

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

Impact

on

other

benefits

Maternity

Allowance

will

not

affect

your

tax

credits

but

it

will

affect

how

much

you

get

for

Council

Tax

Reduction

Housing

Benefit

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

Income

Support

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

JSA

this

will

stop

if

you

get

Maternity

Allowance

bereavement

benefits

Carer

’s

Allowance

Universal

Credit

The

benefit

cap

The

benefit

cap

limits

the

total

amount

of

benefit

you

can

get

It

applies

to

most

people

aged

or

over

who

have

not

reached

State

Pension

age

Some

individual

benefits

are

not

affected

but

it

may

affect

the

total

amount

of

benefit

you

get

Eligibility

You

can

use

the

maternity

entitlement

calculator

to

check

your

eligibility

Maternity

Allowance

for

weeks

You

might

get

Maternity

Allowance

for

weeks

if

one

of

the

following

applies

you

’re

employed

but

can

not

get

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

you

’re

self

employed

you

’ve

recently

stopped

working

In

the

weeks

before

your

baby

’s

due

you

must

also

have

been

employed

or

self

employed

for

at

least

weeks

earning

or

classed

as

earning

a

week

or

more

in

at

least

weeks

the

weeks

do

not

have

to

be

together

You

may

still

qualify

if

you

’ve

recently

stopped

working

It

does

not

matter

if

you

had

different

jobs

or

periods

of

unemployment

If

you

usually

earn

or

more

a

week

and

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

must

give

details

in

your

claim

form

If

you

’re

self

employed

To

get

the

full

amount

of

Maternity

Allowance

you

must

have

paid

Class

National

Insurance

for

at

least

of

the

weeks

before

your

baby

’s

due

The

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

will

check

if

you

’ve

paid

enough

when

you

make

your

claim

They

’ll

write

to

you

if

you

have

not

If

you

have

not

paid

enough

Class

National

Insurance

to

get

the

full

rate

a

week

you

’ll

get

a

week

for

weeks

You

still

need

to

meet

all

the

other

eligibility

criteria

to

get

this

amount

You

may

be

able

to

get

the

full

rate

by

making

early

National

Insurance

payments

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

will

send

you

a

letter

to

tell

you

how

You

’ll

need

to

pay

using

the

reference

number

in

the

letter

to

get

the

full

rate

even

if

you

’ve

recently

made

a

payment

through

Self

Assessment

Maternity

Allowance

for

weeks

You

might

get

Maternity

Allowance

for

weeks

if

for

at

least

weeks

in

the

weeks

before

your

baby

is

due

you

’re

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

you

’re

not

employed

or

self

employed

you

take

part

in

the

business

of

your

self

employed

spouse

or

civil

partner

the

work

you

do

is

for

the

business

and

unpaid

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

is

registered

as

self

employed

with

HMRC

and

should

pay

Class

National

Insurance

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

is

working

as

self

employed

person

you

’re

not

eligible

for

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

or

the

higher

amount

of

Maternity

Allowance

for

the

same

pregnancy

If

you

lose

the

baby

You

may

still

qualify

if

the

baby

is

either

stillborn

from

the

start

of

the

week

of

pregnancy

born

alive

at

any

point

during

the

pregnancy

Change

of

circumstances

Report

any

changes

to

your

circumstances

to

your

local

Jobcentre

Plus

as

they

can

affect

how

much

you

get

For

example

if

you

go

back

to

work

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

How

to

claim

You

’ll

need

a

Maternity

Allowance

claim

form

You

can

either

print

it

and

fill

it

in

fill

it

in

online

and

print

it

order

a

form

if

you

can

not

print

it

The

form

has

notes

to

help

you

fill

it

in

Send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

If

you

’ve

arranged

to

pay

your

Self

Assessment

tax

and

National

Insurance

bill

in

instalments

because

of

coronavirus

your

application

might

be

rejected

Contact

HMRC

before

applying

for

Maternity

Allowance

Alternative

formats

Call

Jobcentre

Plus

to

ask

for

alternative

formats

such

as

braille

large

print

or

audio

CD

What

to

send

with

your

claim

form

You

can

claim

Maternity

Allowance

once

you

’ve

been

pregnant

for

weeks

Payments

can

start

weeks

before

your

baby

is

due

You

need

to

provide

proof

of

your

income

such

as

original

payslips

or

a

Certificate

of

Small

Earnings

Exemption

if

applicable

for

the

to

tax

year

proof

of

the

baby

’s

due

date

such

as

a

letter

from

the

doctor

or

midwife

or

your

certificate

your

form

only

if

you

were

refused

Statutory

Maternity

Pay

by

your

employer

If

your

proof

of

income

includes

times

you

were

paid

but

not

working

on

furlough

under

the

Coronavirus

Job

Retention

Scheme

mention

this

in

the

additional

information

section

of

your

form

Include

the

dates

that

you

were

on

the

scheme

and

how

much

as

a

percentage

of

your

normal

pay

you

were

actually

paid

You

may

need

to

give

more

information

about

your

partner

’s

self

employed

business

and

what

you

do

if

you

’re

applying

for

Maternity

Allowance

for

weeks

When

you

’ll

hear

about

your

claim

You

should

get

a

decision

on

your

claim

within

working

days

If

you

’re

eligible

a

form

will

be

sent

to

you

confirming

your

entitlement

and

asking

you

to

confirm

your

last

day

of

employment

before

leave

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration


Overview

When

you

take

time

off

to

adopt

a

child

or

have

a

child

through

a

surrogacy

arrangement

you

might

be

eligible

for

Statutory

Adoption

Leave

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

There

are

rules

on

when

and

how

to

claim

your

paid

leave

and

if

you

want

to

change

your

dates

You

may

also

be

eligible

to

take

Shared

Parental

Leave

and

Pay

Your

employment

rights

when

on

leave

Your

employment

rights

are

protected

while

on

Statutory

Adoption

Leave

This

includes

your

right

to

pay

rises

build

up

accrue

holiday

return

to

work

Leave

Statutory

Adoption

Leave

is

weeks

It

’s

made

up

of

weeks

of

Ordinary

Adoption

Leave

weeks

of

Additional

Adoption

Leave

Only

person

in

a

couple

can

take

adoption

leave

The

other

partner

could

get

paternity

leave

instead

If

you

get

adoption

leave

you

can

also

get

paid

time

off

work

to

attend

adoption

appointments

after

you

’ve

been

matched

with

a

child

Use

the

planner

to

work

out

the

dates

for

your

adoption

leave

Start

date

Adoption

leave

can

start

up

to

days

before

the

date

the

child

starts

living

with

you

UK

adoptions

when

the

child

arrives

in

the

UK

or

within

days

of

this

date

overseas

adoptions

the

day

the

child

’s

born

or

the

day

after

if

you

’ve

used

a

surrogate

to

have

a

child

Change

your

dates

You

must

tell

your

employer

within

days

if

the

date

of

placement

or

UK

arrival

date

for

overseas

adoptions

changes

You

must

give

your

employer

at

least

weeks

notice

if

you

want

to

change

your

return

to

work

date

Pay

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

is

paid

for

up

to

weeks

The

weekly

amount

is

of

your

average

weekly

earnings

for

the

first

weeks

or

of

your

average

weekly

earnings

whichever

is

lower

for

the

next

weeks

It

’s

paid

in

the

same

way

as

your

wages

for

example

monthly

or

weekly

Tax

and

National

Insurance

will

be

deducted

Extra

pay

You

may

get

more

pay

if

your

employer

has

a

company

adoption

pay

scheme

Your

employer

can

not

offer

you

less

than

the

statutory

amount

Start

date

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

starts

when

you

take

your

adoption

leave

Problems

and

disputes

If

you

disagree

with

the

amount

of

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

you

get

or

your

employer

can

not

pay

it

for

example

because

they

’re

insolvent

contact

the

Statutory

Payment

Disputes

Team

Eligibility

There

are

different

eligibility

rules

for

leave

and

pay

Adoption

leave

To

get

Statutory

Adoption

Leave

you

must

be

an

employee

give

the

correct

notice

give

proof

of

the

adoption

or

surrogacy

if

your

employer

asks

you

for

it

Leave

if

you

’re

adopting

a

child

from

overseas

You

must

also

sign

form

if

you

’re

adopting

from

overseas

with

a

partner

This

confirms

you

’re

not

taking

paternity

leave

or

pay

Adoption

pay

To

get

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

you

must

have

been

continuously

employed

by

your

employer

for

at

least

weeks

by

the

week

you

were

matched

with

a

child

earn

on

average

at

least

a

week

before

tax

give

the

correct

notice

give

proof

of

the

adoption

or

surrogacy

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

Pay

if

you

’re

adopting

a

child

from

overseas

The

requirements

are

the

same

if

you

’re

adopting

from

overseas

except

you

must

have

been

continuously

employed

by

your

employer

for

at

least

weeks

when

you

start

getting

adoption

pay

You

must

also

sign

form

if

you

’re

adopting

from

overseas

with

a

partner

This

confirms

you

’re

not

taking

paternity

leave

or

pay

Pay

if

you

’re

in

a

surrogacy

arrangement

The

requirements

are

the

same

if

you

’re

in

a

surrogacy

arrangement

except

you

must

have

been

continuously

employed

by

your

employer

for

at

least

weeks

by

the

week

before

the

baby

’s

due

You

must

also

intend

to

apply

for

a

parental

order

expect

the

order

to

be

granted

for

example

because

you

do

not

have

any

convictions

involving

children

and

the

birth

mother

or

father

agree

to

the

arrangement

If

you

’re

genetically

related

to

the

child

the

egg

or

sperm

donor

you

can

choose

to

get

paternity

leave

and

pay

instead

You

can

not

get

both

You

’re

fostering

for

adoption

If

you

’re

eligible

for

adoption

pay

and

leave

you

’ll

receive

them

from

when

the

child

comes

to

live

with

you

Exceptions

You

do

not

qualify

for

Statutory

Adoption

Leave

or

Pay

if

you

arrange

a

private

adoption

become

a

special

guardian

or

kinship

carer

adopt

a

stepchild

adopt

a

family

member

If

you

’re

not

eligible

Your

employer

must

give

you

form

explaining

why

you

can

not

get

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

You

may

get

support

from

your

local

council

instead

if

you

’re

adopting

a

child

How

to

claim

The

rules

are

slightly

different

if

you

’re

adopting

from

overseas

or

you

’re

having

a

child

through

a

surrogacy

arrangement

Statutory

Adoption

Leave

Within

days

of

being

matched

with

a

child

you

must

tell

your

employer

how

much

leave

you

want

your

leave

start

date

the

date

of

placement

the

date

the

child

is

placed

with

you

Your

employer

can

ask

for

this

in

writing

and

for

proof

of

the

adoption

Your

employer

must

confirm

your

leave

start

and

end

dates

within

days

Use

the

planner

to

work

out

when

you

must

claim

your

adoption

leave

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

Tell

your

employer

you

want

to

stop

work

to

adopt

a

child

and

when

you

want

your

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

to

start

You

must

give

them

at

least

days

notice

They

can

ask

for

this

in

writing

and

for

proof

of

the

adoption

Your

employer

must

confirm

within

days

how

much

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

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

of

adoption

You

must

give

your

employer

proof

of

adoption

to

qualify

for

Statutory

Adoption

Pay

Proof

is

not

needed

for

Statutory

Adoption

Leave

unless

they

request

it

The

proof

must

show

your

name

and

address

and

that

of

the

agency

the

match

date

for

example

the

matching

certificate

the

date

of

placement

for

example

a

letter

from

the

agency

the

relevant

UK

authority

’s

official

notification

confirming

you

’re

allowed

to

adopt

overseas

adoptions

only

the

date

the

child

arrived

in

the

UK

for

example

a

plane

ticket

overseas

adoptions

only

Overseas

adoptions

Tell

your

employer

the

date

of

your

official

notification

and

when

you

expect

the

child

to

arrive

in

the

UK

You

must

usually

do

this

within

days

of

getting

the

notification

You

can

only

take

longer

if

you

’ve

worked

for

your

employer

for

less

than

weeks

Tell

them

within

days

of

the

Sunday

in

your

week

You

must

also

tell

them

the

actual

date

the

child

arrives

in

the

UK

within

days

of

this

date

how

much

leave

you

want

and

your

start

date

giving

your

employer

days

notice

Surrogacy

arrangements

If

you

use

a

surrogate

to

have

a

baby

tell

your

employer

the

due

date

and

when

you

want

to

start

your

leave

at

least

weeks

before

the

expected

week

of

birth

They

may

ask

for

this

in

writing

Your

employer

may

also

ask

for

a

written

statement

statutory

declaration

to

confirm

you

’ve

applied

or

will

apply

for

a

parental

order

in

the

months

after

the

child

’s

birth

You

must

sign

this

in

the

presence

of

a

legal

professional


Overview

Child

maintenance

is

an

arrangement

between

you

and

the

other

parent

of

your

child

It

covers

how

your

child

’s

living

costs

will

be

paid

for

when

one

of

the

parents

no

longer

lives

with

them

It

’s

made

when

you

’ve

separated

from

the

other

parent

or

if

you

’ve

never

been

in

a

relationship

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

Both

parents

are

responsible

for

the

costs

of

raising

their

children

even

if

they

do

not

see

them

Making

agreements

about

access

to

your

children

happens

separately

Child

maintenance

can

be

either

a

private

arrangement

between

you

and

the

other

parent

made

through

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

a

government

scheme

You

need

to

have

child

maintenance

arrangements

for

children

under

or

under

if

they

’re

in

approved

education

or

training

If

you

make

a

private

arrangement

you

can

continue

paying

after

then

If

you

’re

experiencing

domestic

abuse

or

controlling

behaviour

Domestic

abuse

includes

controlling

behaviour

For

example

emotionally

controlling

or

manipulative

behaviour

controlling

your

finances

controlling

the

way

you

look

after

your

children

You

can

use

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

to

arrange

child

maintenance

if

you

do

not

want

to

contact

the

other

parent

yourself

They

will

contact

the

other

parent

for

you

and

you

will

not

need

to

pay

the

application

fee

if

you

’re

experiencing

domestic

abuse

How

it

affects

benefits

Child

maintenance

payments

will

not

affect

any

benefits

that

you

and

your

children

get

You

will

not

have

to

pay

tax

on

them

Your

Council

Tax

Reduction

could

be

affected

Contact

your

local

council

to

find

out

if

this

applies

to

you

Making

an

arrangement

for

the

first

time

Talk

to

the

other

parent

about

making

your

own

arrangements

If

you

can

not

agree

or

you

feel

at

risk

talking

to

the

other

parent

contact

Child

Maintenance

Options

for

help

and

support

If

you

decide

to

use

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

they

’ll

give

you

a

reference

number

and

explain

how

to

apply

Arrange

child

maintenance

yourself

You

can

make

arrangements

for

your

children

if

both

parents

agree

This

might

cover

their

living

costs

and

care

This

is

a

private

arrangement

where

you

and

the

other

parent

organise

everything

yourselves

No

one

else

has

to

be

involved

It

’s

flexible

and

can

be

changed

if

your

circumstances

change

For

example

you

could

both

agree

that

one

parent

does

school

or

nursery

pick

ups

looks

after

the

children

in

the

holidays

pays

a

proportion

of

their

income

to

the

parent

with

day

to

day

care

pays

for

things

like

housing

school

uniform

trips

or

after

school

clubs

pays

a

regular

set

amount

directly

to

the

parent

with

care

Working

out

payments

If

you

agree

to

make

regular

payments

you

can

use

the

child

maintenance

calculator

to

help

you

decide

how

much

payments

should

be

Get

help

to

make

an

arrangement

You

can

search

for

a

local

mediator

to

help

you

reach

agreement

about

an

arrangement

You

can

read

guidance

on

working

out

the

cost

of

raising

your

children

having

a

conversation

about

child

maintenance

recording

your

agreement

You

can

contact

Child

Maintenance

Options

for

support

There

are

different

contact

details

if

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

If

your

private

arrangement

stops

working

You

can

search

for

a

local

mediator

to

help

you

work

out

child

maintenance

arrangements

If

you

later

decide

to

switch

to

using

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

you

may

have

to

pay

an

application

fee

You

will

not

need

to

pay

the

fee

if

you

’ve

experienced

domestic

abuse

you

’re

under

years

old

or

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

Using

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

The

Child

Maintenance

Service

is

for

parents

who

have

not

been

able

to

make

a

private

arrangement

about

how

their

child

’s

living

costs

will

be

paid

The

payments

are

a

fixed

amount

on

a

schedule

Once

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

calculates

the

maintenance

amount

payments

are

usually

managed

between

parents

The

payments

are

fixed

amounts

paid

on

a

schedule

If

you

use

the

service

to

collect

and

transfer

payments

you

’ll

pay

a

fee

each

time

you

make

or

receive

a

payment

The

Child

Maintenance

Service

can

work

out

child

maintenance

payment

amounts

you

can

do

this

yourself

with

the

calculator

arrange

for

the

other

parent

to

pay

child

maintenance

and

take

action

if

payments

are

not

made

help

find

the

other

parent

they

’ll

need

information

from

you

and

will

not

be

able

to

set

up

a

case

if

they

can

not

be

found

sort

out

disagreements

about

parentage

look

at

the

payments

if

changes

in

parents

circumstances

are

reported

You

can

switch

to

arranging

child

maintenance

yourself

later

on

If

you

’ve

experienced

domestic

abuse

or

controlling

behaviour

from

your

child

’s

other

parent

If

you

’re

worried

about

your

child

’s

other

parent

contacting

you

tell

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

You

do

not

need

to

be

in

contact

with

the

other

parent

Tell

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

if

it

’s

not

safe

for

the

other

parent

to

know

your

location

or

personal

information

for

example

if

you

’ve

changed

your

name

Getting

payments

without

sharing

your

location

There

are

ways

to

get

payments

from

your

child

’s

other

parent

without

sharing

your

location

You

can

ask

your

bank

to

set

up

a

non

geographical

bank

account

if

you

do

not

want

the

other

parent

to

know

your

address

Ask

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

to

give

you

a

letter

to

explain

why

you

need

it

You

can

also

set

up

a

pre

payment

card

which

is

not

connected

to

a

bank

account

The

paying

parent

can

set

up

a

standing

order

to

your

pre

payment

card

Eligibility

Your

child

needs

to

be

under

or

under

if

they

stay

in

approved

education

or

training

You

need

to

live

in

the

UK

as

your

main

home

and

have

the

right

to

live

here

You

can

apply

if

you

’re

either

parent

you

do

not

need

to

live

with

the

child

a

grandparent

or

other

guardian

of

the

child

a

child

over

living

in

Scotland

If

you

’re

in

prison

or

a

full

time

student

with

no

income

you

do

not

have

to

pay

child

maintenance

there

’s

no

need

to

apply

You

can

not

use

this

service

if

you

have

an

existing

consent

order

approved

by

a

court

that

is

either

less

than

a

year

old

or

made

before

March

If

one

of

the

parents

lives

outside

the

UK

You

can

not

apply

if

the

child

and

the

parent

with

main

day

to

day

care

live

outside

the

UK

The

service

can

only

help

if

the

paying

parent

works

outside

the

UK

for

a

British

organisation

Fees

The

application

fee

is

You

will

not

have

to

pay

this

if

you

have

experienced

domestic

abuse

are

under

years

old

live

in

Northern

Ireland

How

to

apply

Contact

Child

Maintenance

Options

before

you

apply

They

’ll

discuss

your

maintenance

arrangements

with

you

give

you

a

reference

number

and

explain

how

to

apply

There

are

different

contact

details

if

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

What

you

’ll

need

to

provide

You

’ll

need

to

give

information

about

you

and

your

family

for

example

details

about

the

child

you

’re

applying

for

including

the

full

names

of

their

parents

your

National

Insurance

number

your

bank

account

details

tell

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

if

it

’s

not

safe

to

tell

the

other

parent

your

name

if

you

’ve

changed

it

or

location

How

your

information

is

used

Your

information

is

used

to

set

up

and

manage

child

maintenance

payments

and

sometimes

to

try

to

find

the

paying

parent

The

Child

Maintenance

Service

will

share

your

name

and

your

child

’s

name

with

the

other

parent

They

will

not

share

your

address

They

may

share

your

contact

details

with

other

government

organisations

debt

collection

agencies

or

the

courts

They

will

not

share

details

of

your

case

If

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

can

not

get

the

information

from

either

parent

they

might

ask

others

for

example

the

paying

parent

’s

employer

government

organisations

like

Jobcentre

Plus

prison

services

or

local

councils

the

paying

parent

’s

bank

or

building

society


Overview

You

may

be

eligible

for

help

with

your

childcare

costs

if

you

are

a

full

time

higher

education

student

have

children

under

or

under

if

they

have

special

educational

needs

The

grant

does

not

have

to

be

paid

back

is

paid

on

top

of

your

other

student

finance

You

must

be

eligible

for

student

finance

to

apply

for

a

Childcare

Grant

What

you

'll

get

The

amount

you

’ll

get

depends

on

your

household

income

the

number

of

children

who

are

dependent

on

you

to

academic

year

You

can

get

of

your

childcare

costs

or

a

fixed

maximum

amount

whichever

is

less

The

maximum

you

can

get

is

up

to

a

week

for

child

up

to

a

week

for

or

more

children

You

have

to

pay

for

any

remaining

costs

to

academic

year

You

can

get

of

your

childcare

costs

or

a

fixed

maximum

amount

whichever

is

less

The

maximum

you

can

get

is

up

to

a

week

for

child

up

to

a

week

for

or

more

children

You

have

to

pay

for

any

remaining

costs

How

you

’re

paid

Your

grant

will

be

paid

into

a

Childcare

Grant

Payment

Service

CCGPS

account

You

’ll

get

an

email

telling

you

how

to

set

one

up

Your

childcare

provider

will

send

requests

for

payment

to

the

CCGPS

which

you

can

approve

through

your

account

Your

provider

will

be

paid

directly

from

the

money

in

your

account

Any

money

that

’s

left

over

at

the

end

of

the

academic

year

will

be

returned

to

Student

Finance

England

Income

related

unemployment

and

housing

benefits

are

not

affected

by

a

Childcare

Grant

Eligibility

To

qualify

for

a

Childcare

Grant

all

the

following

must

apply

you

’re

a

full

time

student

your

child

must

be

under

or

under

if

they

have

special

educational

needs

you

get

undergraduate

student

finance

based

on

your

household

income

or

are

eligible

to

you

’re

not

getting

a

Postgraduate

Loan

you

’re

a

permanent

resident

in

England

the

children

in

your

grant

application

are

financially

dependent

on

you

your

childcare

provider

is

on

the

Ofsted

Early

Years

Register

or

General

Childcare

Register

check

with

your

provider

if

your

child

is

cared

for

at

home

the

carer

can

not

be

a

relative

and

must

be

registered

with

an

appropriate

body

check

with

Student

Finance

England

neither

you

or

your

partner

are

claiming

Tax

Free

Childcare

the

childcare

element

of

working

Tax

Credit

or

Universal

Credit

neither

you

or

your

partner

receive

help

with

childcare

costs

from

the

National

Health

Service

NHS

Childcare

Grant

is

n’t

the

same

as

or

hours

free

childcare

You

ca

n’t

use

it

to

pay

for

those

hours

How

to

apply

To

apply

for

a

Childcare

Grant

follow

these

steps

Apply

online

as

part

of

your

main

student

finance

application

Send

in

evidence

You

’ll

be

told

what

evidence

you

need

to

provide

when

you

apply

You

’ll

be

sent

a

letter

telling

you

how

much

Childcare

Grant

you

’ll

get

Create

an

online

account

with

the

Childcare

Grant

Payment

Service

CCGPS

You

’ll

get

an

email

telling

you

how

to

set

one

up

Your

grant

will

be

paid

into

this

account

Use

the

paper

form

instead

if

you

have

already

applied

for

student

finance

but

did

n’t

apply

for

a

childcare

grant

at

the

same

time

want

to

apply

for

another

child

You

can

download

the

form

from

the

student

finance

form

finder

Use

your

online

account

to

send

the

form

to

Student

Finance

England

or

send

it

by

post


Overview

You

may

be

eligible

for

help

with

your

learning

costs

if

you

’re

a

full

time

student

with

children

This

is

called

Parents

Learning

Allowance

How

much

you

get

depends

on

your

household

income

The

allowance

does

not

have

to

be

paid

back

is

paid

on

top

of

your

other

student

finance

will

not

affect

your

benefits

or

tax

credit

What

you

'll

get

Depending

on

your

household

income

in

the

to

academic

year

you

could

get

between

and

a

year

It

’s

usually

paid

in

instalments

direct

to

your

bank

account

one

at

the

start

of

each

term

Parents

Learning

Allowance

is

paid

on

top

of

your

other

student

finance

and

does

not

have

to

be

paid

back

to

academic

year

Full

time

students

could

get

up

to

a

year

Eligibility

If

you

’re

a

student

from

England

with

dependent

children

you

may

qualify

if

you

’re

taking

a

full

time

undergraduate

course

an

Initial

Teacher

Training

ITT

course

You

do

not

need

to

be

paying

for

childcare

to

qualify

How

to

apply

You

can

apply

for

the

Parents

Learning

Allowance

when

you

apply

for

student

finance

After

you

apply

After

you

apply

you

’ll

get

a

letter

telling

you

how

much

you

can

get


Overview

You

might

get

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

IIDB

if

you

became

ill

or

are

disabled

because

of

an

accident

or

disease

either

at

work

on

an

approved

employment

training

scheme

or

course

The

amount

you

may

get

depends

on

your

individual

circumstances

Your

carer

could

get

Carer

’s

Allowance

if

you

have

substantial

caring

needs

What

you

'll

get

The

level

of

your

disability

will

affect

the

amount

of

benefit

you

may

get

This

will

be

assessed

by

a

medical

advisor

on

a

scale

of

to

Normally

you

must

be

assessed

as

disabled

or

more

to

get

the

benefit

All

amounts

are

a

guide

only

Assessed

level

of

disablement

Weekly

amount

Eligibility

Accidents

You

may

be

able

to

claim

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

IIDB

if

you

were

employed

when

the

accident

or

event

happened

you

were

on

an

approved

employment

training

scheme

or

course

when

the

accident

or

event

happened

the

work

accident

or

event

that

caused

your

illness

or

disability

happened

in

England

Scotland

or

Wales

There

are

some

exceptions

you

can

ask

your

regional

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

Centre

about

Diseases

You

can

claim

IIDB

if

you

were

employed

in

a

job

or

were

on

an

approved

employment

training

scheme

or

course

that

caused

your

disease

The

scheme

covers

more

than

diseases

including

asthma

chronic

bronchitis

or

emphysema

also

known

as

chronic

obstructive

pulmonary

disease

COPD

deafness

pneumoconiosis

including

silicosis

and

asbestosis

osteoarthritis

of

the

knee

in

coal

miners

prescribed

disease

previously

known

as

vibration

white

finger

Dupuytren

’s

contracture

The

scheme

also

covers

asbestos

related

diseases

including

pneumoconiosis

asbestosis

diffuse

mesothelioma

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

with

asbestosis

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

without

asbestosis

but

where

there

has

been

extensive

occupational

exposure

to

asbestos

in

specified

occupations

unilateral

or

bilateral

diffuse

pleural

thickening

You

can

get

a

full

list

of

illnesses

from

your

regional

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

centre

You

can

not

claim

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

if

you

were

self

employed

How

to

claim

You

’ll

need

to

fill

in

and

post

a

claim

form

The

form

comes

with

notes

that

help

you

fill

it

in

tell

you

where

to

send

it

Download

and

print

a

claim

form

To

claim

for

accidents

caused

by

work

use

form

diseases

caused

by

work

use

form

Request

a

claim

form

by

phone

You

can

also

ask

Barnsley

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

IIDB

Centre

to

send

you

a

claim

form

Alternative

formats

Call

to

ask

for

alternative

formats

such

as

braille

large

print

or

audio

CD

After

you

send

your

form

Your

claim

will

be

assessed

using

the

information

provided

in

your

claim

form

or

at

a

face

to

face

medical

assessment

The

Centre

for

Health

and

Disability

Assessments

CHDA

will

contact

you

if

you

need

a

face

to

face

medical

assessment

They

’ll

send

you

information

about

what

to

expect

at

the

appointment

Read

the

guidance

on

how

to

attend

your

face

to

face

assessment

safely

because

of

coronavirus

You

will

not

need

to

attend

a

face

to

face

assessment

if

you

’re

terminally

ill

or

you

have

any

of

the

following

diseases

diffuse

mesothelioma

angiosarcoma

of

the

liver

due

to

exposure

to

vinyl

chloride

monomer

primary

carcinoma

of

the

bronchus

or

lung

through

exposure

to

arsenic

primary

carcinoma

of

the

bronchus

or

lung

through

exposure

to

Nickel

Nickel

compounds

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

where

there

is

accompanying

evidence

of

asbestosis

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

through

exposure

to

asbestos

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

linked

to

tin

and

other

specified

chemicals

or

work

with

coke

ovens

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

where

there

is

accompanying

silicosis

The

assessment

of

your

claim

may

be

delayed

because

of

coronavirus

When

your

claim

is

considered

your

IIDB

payments

will

be

backdated

to

the

date

DWP

received

your

claim

form

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration

If

your

IIDB

payments

are

reviewed

If

your

IIDB

payments

were

due

to

be

reviewed

they

will

automatically

be

extended

for

months

because

of

coronavirus

You

will

not

have

to

pay

back

any

IIDB

you

get

DWP

will

write

to

you

to

tell

you

that

your

payments

are

being

extended

If

you

were

given

a

final

award

and

your

payments

are

for

a

limited

time

they

will

not

be

extended

If

the

condition

for

which

you

’re

getting

IIDB

has

changed

you

should

report

the

change

to

DWP

Illnesses

that

may

still

be

reviewed

Your

payments

may

still

be

reviewed

if

you

are

terminally

ill

or

you

have

any

of

the

following

diffuse

mesothelioma

angiosarcoma

of

the

liver

due

to

exposure

to

vinyl

chloride

monomer

primary

carcinoma

of

the

bronchus

or

lung

through

exposure

to

arsenic

primary

carcinoma

of

the

bronchus

or

lung

through

exposure

to

Nickel

Nickel

compounds

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

where

there

is

accompanying

evidence

of

asbestosis

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

through

exposure

to

asbestos

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

linked

to

tin

and

other

specified

chemicals

or

work

with

coke

ovens

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

where

there

is

accompanying

silicosis

DWP

will

write

to

you

to

tell

you

if

your

payments

will

be

reviewed

Report

a

change

in

circumstances

You

or

the

person

who

claims

on

your

behalf

must

tell

the

office

that

deals

with

your

payments

about

any

changes

to

your

circumstances

or

personal

details

Let

them

know

straight

away

if

the

condition

for

which

you

’re

getting

benefit

improves

or

gets

worse

you

change

your

name

or

gender

you

get

married

or

form

a

civil

partnership

you

change

your

address

you

leave

the

country

you

go

into

prison

your

immigration

status

changes

if

you

’re

not

a

British

citizen

You

must

also

report

these

if

you

receive

Unemployability

Supplement

which

topped

up

Industrial

Disablement

Supplement

until

There

will

be

a

delay

in

assessing

your

change

of

circumstances

because

of

coronavirus

Any

changes

to

your

payments

will

be

backdated

to

when

you

reported

the

change

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

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

Centres

Barrow

IIDB

Centre

Barnsley

IIDB

Centre

Bradford

IIDB

Centre

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

Further

information

Other

benefits

you

may

be

able

to

get

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

CAA

You

can

claim

CAA

for

accidents

where

your

disability

is

assessed

at

and

you

need

daily

care

and

attention

The

CAA

rate

you

’re

paid

is

based

on

an

assessment

of

your

needs

Exceptionally

Severe

Disablement

Allowance

You

can

claim

paid

in

addition

to

the

CAA

rates

if

you

’re

assessed

at

one

of

the

top

rates

of

CAA

and

need

permanent

constant

care

and

attention

Reduced

Earnings

Allowance

REA

You

may

get

REA

if

you

can

not

do

your

usual

job

or

other

work

with

similar

pay

because

of

an

accident

or

disease

caused

by

work

you

have

a

disability

or

injury

which

began

before

October

Pneumoconiosis

Etc

Workers

Compensation

Act

Jobcentre

Plus

may

pay

you

a

lump

sum

if

you

have

one

of

the

following

diseases

pneumoconiosis

byssinosis

diffuse

mesothelioma

bilateral

diffuse

pleural

thickening

primary

carcinoma

of

the

lung

when

accompanied

by

asbestosis

or

bilateral

diffuse

pleural

thickening

To

get

a

payment

you

must

meet

all

the

following

conditions

your

dust

related

disease

must

have

been

caused

by

your

employment

you

’re

getting

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

for

one

of

the

listed

diseases

you

must

claim

within

months

of

the

decision

awarding

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

you

can

not

or

have

not

taken

civil

action

because

your

former

employer

has

stopped

trading

you

have

not

brought

a

court

action

or

received

compensation

from

an

employer

in

respect

of

the

disease

You

may

be

able

to

make

a

claim

if

you

’re

the

dependant

of

someone

who

suffered

from

a

dust

related

disease

but

who

has

died

A

dependant

claim

must

be

made

within

months

of

the

death

of

the

sufferer

Diffuse

mesothelioma

payment

You

may

still

be

able

to

get

a

payment

for

an

asbestos

related

illness

if

you

are

not

eligible

for

compensation

under

the

Pneumoconiosis

etc

Workers

Compensation

Act

You

can

claim

for

the

scheme

if

you

came

into

contact

with

asbestos

while

you

were

self

employed

through

a

family

member

for

example

by

washing

their

clothes

There

’s

a

different

payment

scheme

if

you

were

diagnosed

with

diffuse

mesothelioma

on

or

after

July

You

can

apply

for

this

even

if

you

’ve

claimed

compensation

under

the

Pneumoconiosis

etc

Workers

Compensation

Act

Effects

on

other

benefits

You

can

still

get

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

IIDB

if

you

’re

claiming

contribution

based

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Incapacity

Benefit

contribution

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

State

Pension

IIDB

will

affect

the

following

benefits

if

you

or

your

partner

are

claiming

them

Income

Support

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Pension

Credit

Housing

Benefit

Working

Tax

Credit

Universal

Credit

It

may

also

affect

Council

Tax

Reduction

contact

your

local

council

for

more

information

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

Centres

Barrow

IIDB

Centre

Barnsley

IIDB

Centre

Bradford

IIDB

Centre


Overview

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

is

an

extra

amount

of

tax

free

allowance

It

means

you

can

earn

more

before

you

start

paying

Income

Tax

What

you

'll

get

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

is

added

to

your

yearly

Personal

Allowance

the

amount

of

money

you

can

earn

before

you

start

paying

Income

Tax

Tax

year

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

to

to

If

you

and

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

are

both

eligible

you

’ll

each

get

an

allowance

You

can

transfer

your

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

to

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

if

you

do

not

pay

tax

or

earn

enough

to

use

all

of

your

allowance

Previous

tax

years

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

publishes

tables

with

tax

rates

that

include

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

for

current

and

past

tax

years

Eligibility

England

and

Wales

You

can

claim

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

if

both

of

the

following

apply

you

’re

registered

with

your

local

council

as

blind

or

severely

sight

impaired

you

have

a

certificate

that

says

you

’re

blind

or

severely

sight

impaired

or

a

similar

document

from

your

doctor

Scotland

and

Northern

Ireland

You

can

claim

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

if

both

of

the

following

apply

you

can

not

do

work

for

which

eyesight

is

essential

you

have

a

certificate

that

says

you

’re

blind

or

severely

sight

impaired

or

a

similar

document

from

your

doctor

How

to

claim

Contact

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

to

claim

Transfer

your

allowance

You

can

transfer

your

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

to

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

if

you

do

not

pay

tax

or

can

not

use

all

of

it

You

can

do

this

if

you

’re

married

or

in

a

civil

partnership

if

you

’re

living

with

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

whether

or

not

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

is

blind

You

can

still

transfer

your

allowance

if

you

’re

unable

to

live

with

your

spouse

or

civil

partner

because

of

illness

or

old

age

for

example

where

your

spouse

or

partner

is

in

residential

care

working

away

from

home

an

armed

forces

posting

being

in

prison

training

or

education

How

to

transfer

your

allowance

To

transfer

your

allowance

to

a

spouse

or

civil

partner

use

form

or

call

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

You

’ll

also

get

the

option

to

transfer

any

Married

Couple

’s

Allowance

If

you

’re

making

a

claim

to

get

tax

back

on

savings

and

investment

interest

using

form

you

can

also

ask

for

a

copy

of

form

by

ticking

the

appropriate

box

Get

the

form

in

another

format

Contact

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

if

you

need

the

form

in

a

different

format

for

example

Braille


Overview

You

could

get

Carer

’s

Credit

if

you

’re

caring

for

someone

for

at

least

hours

a

week

Carer

’s

Credit

is

a

National

Insurance

credit

that

helps

with

gaps

in

your

National

Insurance

record

Your

State

Pension

is

based

on

your

National

Insurance

record

Your

income

savings

or

investments

will

not

affect

eligibility

for

Carer

’s

Credit

What

you

'll

get

If

you

’re

eligible

for

Carer

’s

Credit

you

can

get

credits

to

help

fill

gaps

in

your

National

Insurance

record

This

means

you

can

take

on

caring

responsibilities

without

affecting

your

ability

to

qualify

for

the

State

Pension

Eligibility

To

get

Carer

’s

Credit

you

must

be

aged

or

over

under

State

Pension

age

looking

after

one

or

more

people

for

at

least

hours

a

week

The

person

you

’re

looking

after

must

get

one

of

the

following

Disability

Living

Allowance

care

component

at

the

middle

or

highest

rate

Attendance

Allowance

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

Personal

Independence

Payment

daily

living

component

at

the

standard

or

enhanced

rate

Armed

Forces

Independence

Payment

If

the

person

you

’re

caring

for

does

not

get

one

of

these

benefits

you

may

still

be

able

to

get

Carer

’s

Credit

When

you

apply

fill

in

the

Care

Certificate

part

of

the

application

form

and

get

a

health

or

social

care

professional

to

sign

it

Carers

who

do

not

qualify

for

Carer

’s

Allowance

may

qualify

for

Carer

’s

Credit

Breaks

in

caring

and

eligibility

You

can

still

get

Carer

’s

Credit

even

if

you

have

breaks

from

caring

up

to

weeks

in

a

row

For

example

you

’ll

still

get

Carer

’s

Credit

for

weeks

if

you

take

a

short

holiday

someone

you

look

after

goes

into

hospital

you

go

into

hospital

Keep

the

Carer

’s

Allowance

Unit

updated

if

you

have

a

break

in

caring

of

more

than

weeks

in

a

row

How

to

claim

Before

you

start

You

do

not

need

to

apply

for

Carer

’s

Credit

if

you

get

Carer

’s

Allowance

you

’ll

automatically

get

credits

get

Child

Benefit

for

a

child

under

the

age

of

you

’ll

automatically

get

credits

are

a

foster

carer

you

can

apply

for

National

Insurance

credits

instead

Apply

using

a

form

Download

the

Carer

’s

Credit

claim

form

The

form

includes

a

Care

Certificate

ask

a

health

or

social

care

professional

to

sign

it

for

you

You

can

also

get

the

form

by

calling

the

Carer

’s

Allowance

Unit

Alternative

formats

Call

the

Carer

’s

Allowance

Unit

to

ask

for

alternative

formats

such

as

braille

large

print

or

audio

CD

Where

to

send

your

form

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration


Overview

You

could

get

off

your

electricity

bill

for

winter

to

under

the

Warm

Home

Discount

Scheme

The

scheme

opens

on

October

The

money

is

not

paid

to

you

it

’s

a

one

off

discount

on

your

electricity

bill

between

October

and

March

You

may

be

able

to

get

the

discount

on

your

gas

bill

instead

if

your

supplier

provides

you

with

both

gas

and

electricity

Contact

your

supplier

to

find

out

The

discount

will

not

affect

your

Cold

Weather

Payment

or

Winter

Fuel

Payment

Eligibility

There

are

ways

to

qualify

for

the

Warm

Home

Discount

Scheme

you

get

the

Guarantee

Credit

element

of

Pension

Credit

known

as

the

core

group

you

’re

on

a

low

income

and

meet

your

energy

supplier

’s

criteria

for

the

scheme

known

as

the

broader

group

How

you

apply

for

the

Warm

Home

Discount

Scheme

depends

on

how

you

qualify

for

the

discount

Pre

pay

or

pay

as

you

go

meters

You

can

still

qualify

for

the

discount

if

you

use

a

pre

pay

or

pay

as

you

go

electricity

meter

Your

electricity

supplier

can

tell

you

how

you

’ll

get

the

discount

if

you

’re

eligible

for

example

a

voucher

you

can

use

to

top

up

your

meter

Park

mobile

homes

You

apply

a

different

way

if

you

live

in

a

park

home

Park

home

applications

for

winter

to

will

open

in

autumn

Fill

in

the

Park

Homes

Warm

Home

Discount

contact

form

to

be

told

when

the

scheme

reopens

Contact

Charis

Grants

for

more

information

about

the

scheme

If

you

get

the

Guarantee

Credit

element

of

Pension

Credit

You

qualify

for

the

discount

if

on

July

all

of

the

following

apply

your

energy

supplier

is

part

of

the

scheme

your

name

or

your

partner

’s

is

on

the

bill

you

or

your

partner

are

getting

the

Guarantee

Credit

element

of

Pension

Credit

even

if

you

get

Savings

Credit

as

well

This

is

known

as

being

in

the

core

group

How

to

apply

You

’ll

receive

a

letter

between

October

and

December

telling

you

how

to

get

the

discount

if

you

qualify

Your

letter

will

say

if

you

need

to

call

a

helpline

by

February

to

confirm

your

details

Your

electricity

supplier

will

apply

the

discount

to

your

bill

by

March

If

you

do

not

get

a

letter

Contact

the

Warm

Home

Discount

helpline

if

you

do

not

get

the

letter

by

December

and

you

think

you

’re

eligible

for

the

core

group

Do

not

contact

the

Warm

Home

Discount

helpline

if

you

’re

not

eligible

for

the

core

group

Check

if

you

’re

eligible

to

apply

another

way

If

you

’re

on

a

low

income

You

may

be

able

to

apply

directly

to

your

electricity

supplier

for

help

if

you

do

not

get

the

Guarantee

Credit

element

of

Pension

Credit

but

your

energy

supplier

is

part

of

the

scheme

you

’re

on

a

low

income

you

get

certain

means

tested

benefits

This

is

known

as

being

in

the

broader

group

To

get

the

discount

you

’ll

need

to

stay

with

your

supplier

until

it

’s

paid

How

to

apply

Your

electricity

supplier

decides

who

can

get

the

discount

The

number

of

discounts

suppliers

can

give

is

limited

Check

with

your

supplier

as

early

as

possible

to

see

if

you

’re

eligible

and

how

to

apply

Check

with

them

even

if

you

were

eligible

for

a

discount

last

year

Your

electricity

supplier

will

apply

the

discount

to

your

bill

by

March

Energy

suppliers

The

following

suppliers

were

part

of

the

scheme

in

winter

to

Affect

Energy

see

Octopus

Energy

Atlantic

see

SSE

Avro

Energy

Boost

Bristol

Energy

only

if

you

’re

eligible

for

the

core

group

British

Gas

British

Gas

Evolve

formerly

British

Gas

X

Bulb

Energy

Co

op

Energy

see

Octopus

Energy

E

Gas

and

Electricity

E.ON

Ecotricity

only

if

you

’re

eligible

for

the

core

group

EDF

Energy

Green

Energy

UK

GEUK

only

if

you

’re

eligible

for

the

core

group

Green

Network

Energy

Green

Star

Energy

see

Shell

Energy

iSupply

Energy

see

EDF

Energy

London

Power

see

Octopus

Energy

Lumo

see

OVO

M&S

Energy

see

Octopus

Energy

npower

nPower

Select

see

E.ON

Next

Octopus

Energy

OVO

Powershop

Pure

Planet

Qwest

Energy

see

Octopus

Energy

Roar

Power

see

Octopus

Energy

Sainsbury

’s

Energy

Scottish

Hydro

see

SSE

ScottishPower

Shell

Energy

So

Energy

Southern

Electric

see

SSE

Spark

SSE

Swalec

see

SSE

Symbio

Energy

Tonik

Energy

see

ScottishPower

Utilita

Utility

Point

only

if

you

’re

eligible

for

the

core

group

Utility

Warehouse