Overview

The

Child

Maintenance

Service

is

for

parents

who

have

not

been

able

to

make

a

private

arrangement

for

paying

their

child

’s

living

costs

Once

you

’ve

set

up

a

Child

Maintenance

Service

case

you

can

manage

your

case

online

need

to

report

any

changes

to

your

circumstances

for

example

changes

to

your

employment

benefits

or

the

people

who

live

with

you

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

Making

and

getting

payments

Child

maintenance

can

be

paid

between

parents

directly

from

the

paying

parent

’s

earnings

arranged

with

their

employer

by

Direct

Debit

by

reducing

the

paying

parent

’s

benefits

Payments

are

paid

into

the

receiving

parent

’s

bank

account

The

receiving

parent

has

main

day

to

day

care

of

the

child

The

paying

parent

does

not

have

main

day

to

day

care

Contact

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

if

you

’re

having

problems

paying

You

can

adjust

your

payment

plan

if

you

’re

self

isolating

because

of

coronavirus

If

you

’re

experiencing

domestic

abuse

or

controlling

behaviour

Tell

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

They

can

arrange

payments

with

your

child

’s

other

parent

for

you

If

you

’ve

changed

your

name

you

can

arrange

child

maintenance

without

the

other

parent

knowing

your

new

name

If

you

do

not

want

the

other

parent

to

know

where

you

live

ask

your

bank

to

set

up

an

account

with

a

non

geographic

sort

code

The

Child

Maintenance

Service

can

give

you

a

letter

for

your

bank

explaining

why

you

need

to

set

up

this

type

of

account

Making

payments

yourself

Once

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

has

worked

out

an

amount

you

can

make

the

payments

yourself

This

is

called

Direct

Pay

The

easiest

way

to

pay

is

by

standing

order

payments

go

direct

from

the

paying

parent

’s

bank

building

society

or

Post

Office

account

into

the

receiving

parent

’s

account

The

Child

Maintenance

Service

can

still

enforce

missed

payments

Keep

a

record

of

payments

in

case

there

are

any

problems

in

the

future

Either

parent

can

choose

Direct

Pay

without

needing

the

other

’s

consent

unless

there

’s

evidence

that

the

paying

parent

is

unlikely

to

pay

Arranging

payments

for

you

If

you

’re

using

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

to

collect

and

pass

on

payments

they

’ll

arrange

this

based

on

when

the

paying

parent

is

paid

their

wages

pension

or

benefits

This

is

called

Collect

and

Pay

You

must

tell

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

about

any

Direct

Pay

transactions

you

make

or

receive

while

you

’re

signed

up

to

the

Collect

and

Pay

service

Collection

fees

You

have

to

pay

a

fee

each

time

you

make

or

receive

a

regular

child

maintenance

payment

The

fee

is

which

is

added

to

the

payment

for

paying

parents

which

is

taken

off

the

payment

for

receiving

parents

You

can

not

avoid

collection

fees

by

making

payments

in

advance

You

will

not

have

to

pay

any

fees

if

you

choose

a

private

arrangement

collection

fees

if

you

use

Direct

Pay

When

you

’ll

pay

or

receive

the

money

If

you

’re

the

paying

parent

you

’ll

be

sent

a

letter

explaining

how

much

you

need

to

pay

and

when

This

is

called

a

payment

plan

If

you

’re

the

receiving

parent

you

’ll

be

sent

a

letter

telling

you

what

payments

will

be

made

and

when

This

is

called

an

expected

payment

plan

The

first

payment

is

usually

made

within

weeks

of

making

payment

arrangements

If

a

parent

does

not

pay

The

Child

Maintenance

Service

will

take

action

if

child

maintenance

is

not

paid

Enforcement

charges

Action

taken

by

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

Charge

Liability

order

Lump

sum

deduction

order

Regular

deduction

order

Deduction

from

earnings

request

or

order

What

action

is

taken

The

Child

Maintenance

Service

will

take

action

immediately

if

the

paying

parent

pays

through

them

If

the

paying

parent

used

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

to

calculate

child

maintenance

but

pays

directly

the

receiving

parent

needs

to

ask

the

service

to

take

action

Disagreements

about

parentage

When

someone

denies

they

’re

the

parent

of

a

child

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

will

ask

them

for

evidence

proving

they

’re

not

the

parent

tell

the

other

parent

what

’s

happened

and

ask

for

evidence

to

prove

parentage

If

there

’s

no

evidence

to

prove

they

’re

not

the

parent

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

can

ask

both

parents

to

take

a

DNA

test

ask

the

courts

to

make

a

decision

Assumed

parentage

The

Child

Maintenance

Service

can

assume

parentage

if

the

person

named

as

the

parent

was

married

to

the

child

’s

mother

at

any

time

between

the

conception

and

birth

of

the

child

unless

the

child

was

adopted

is

named

on

the

child

’s

birth

certificate

unless

the

child

was

adopted

has

taken

a

DNA

test

that

shows

they

’re

the

parent

has

legally

adopted

the

child

is

named

in

a

court

order

as

the

parent

when

the

child

was

born

to

a

surrogate

mother

If

parentage

is

assumed

they

’ll

work

out

a

child

maintenance

amount

The

person

named

as

the

parent

has

to

pay

this

until

they

can

prove

that

they

’re

not

the

parent

Paying

child

maintenance

during

a

disagreement

When

a

child

maintenance

amount

has

already

been

worked

out

the

person

named

as

the

parent

has

to

pay

until

they

can

provide

evidence

they

’re

not

the

parent

When

the

amount

has

not

been

worked

out

the

service

managing

the

case

will

not

work

it

out

or

ask

for

payment

until

the

disagreement

has

been

sorted

out

If

the

person

is

found

to

be

the

parent

the

amount

of

child

maintenance

they

have

to

pay

will

be

back

dated

Named

person

proves

they

’re

not

the

parent

When

this

happens

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

may

refund

any

payments

made

after

the

date

they

first

denied

they

were

the

parent

or

offset

the

amount

against

maintenance

for

another

child

refund

the

cost

of

any

DNA

tests

arranged

through

the

service

They

may

also

ask

the

other

parent

to

pay

back

any

child

maintenance

Refunds

depend

on

the

circumstances

of

each

case

Changes

you

need

to

report

There

are

some

changes

you

must

tell

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

about

by

law

You

should

report

the

change

as

soon

as

it

happens

You

can

report

changes

to

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

online

or

by

phone

Either

parent

Tell

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

if

a

parent

or

a

child

has

died

one

of

the

parents

is

adopting

a

child

you

want

to

close

your

case

you

want

to

change

from

using

a

payment

collection

service

to

a

Direct

Pay

service

or

the

other

way

around

there

’s

a

change

to

the

number

of

nights

a

child

regularly

stays

overnight

with

the

paying

parent

Paying

parent

Tell

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

if

you

start

or

stop

working

for

an

employer

start

or

stop

being

self

employed

have

lost

your

job

or

you

’re

temporarily

receiving

Statutory

Sick

Pay

want

to

restart

your

payments

have

received

notification

of

a

court

or

tribunal

date

have

received

notification

of

a

deduction

order

from

a

bank

move

house

give

your

new

address

within

days

of

moving

change

your

phone

number

including

mobile

number

have

an

income

change

of

or

more

Your

payments

may

be

reduced

for

a

period

You

’ll

get

a

payment

schedule

with

the

new

amount

If

you

pay

child

maintenance

through

deductions

in

your

earnings

and

you

leave

your

job

you

must

tell

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

the

date

you

left

your

last

job

the

name

and

address

of

your

new

employer

if

any

how

much

you

expect

to

earn

your

new

payroll

number

if

any

You

should

also

report

details

about

children

who

you

or

your

partner

have

registered

for

Child

Benefit

for

example

any

changes

to

the

number

of

children

living

with

you

if

any

child

living

with

you

reaches

the

age

of

Receiving

parent

Tell

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

if

there

’s

a

change

to

the

number

of

children

living

with

you

that

you

get

child

maintenance

for

there

’s

a

change

to

the

number

of

children

that

you

or

your

partner

have

registered

for

Child

Benefit

a

child

you

get

child

maintenance

for

leaves

full

time

education

up

to

and

including

A

Level

or

reaches

the

age

of

you

or

any

of

the

children

you

get

child

maintenance

for

no

longer

live

in

the

UK

you

find

out

that

the

paying

parent

is

coming

off

benefits

you

’re

moving

house

or

know

that

the

other

parent

is

your

phone

number

including

mobile

number

changes

the

paying

parent

’s

income

has

changed

by

or

more

When

you

report

a

change

You

might

need

to

provide

employers

details

or

payslips

benefits

information

a

tax

return

or

an

explanation

of

what

you

think

you

’ll

earn

if

you

’re

self

employed

If

you

do

not

give

the

right

information

You

could

be

taken

to

court

and

fined

up

to

if

you

do

not

give

the

information

you

are

asked

for

give

information

that

you

know

is

false

This

applies

to

any

person

or

organisation

who

by

law

must

give

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

information

for

example

employers

accountants

either

parent

When

changes

could

affect

your

payments

Changes

to

your

circumstances

may

mean

a

change

to

the

amount

of

child

maintenance

you

pay

or

receive

You

can

find

out

how

child

maintenance

is

worked

out

Complaints

and

appeals

Contact

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

if

you

’re

unhappy

with

the

service

you

’ve

received

If

you

’re

not

satisfied

with

how

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

deals

with

your

complaint

ask

for

it

to

go

to

a

senior

manager

and

be

looked

at

by

the

DWP

Complaints

team

Independent

Case

Examiner

You

can

ask

the

Independent

Case

Examiner

ICE

to

look

into

your

complaint

if

you

’ve

already

been

through

the

full

complaints

process

You

must

not

contact

the

Independent

Case

Examiner

until

you

’ve

received

a

final

response

from

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

saying

you

can

do

so

If

you

’re

unhappy

with

the

response

from

the

Independent

Case

Examiner

you

can

ask

your

MP

to

get

the

Parliamentary

and

Health

Service

Ombudsman

to

look

into

it

If

your

complaint

is

valid

The

Child

Maintenance

Service

will

apologise

and

explain

what

went

wrong

make

any

changes

needed

to

put

it

right

If

you

’ve

been

treated

particularly

badly

you

may

get

a

consolatory

payment

However

you

do

not

have

a

legal

right

to

this

Appeals

You

can

appeal

a

child

maintenance

decision

about

payment

amounts

Before

you

can

appeal

you

must

contact

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

to

ask

for

the

decision

to

be

looked

at

again

This

is

called

mandatory

reconsideration

You

’ll

need

to

say

why

you

disagree

with

the

decision

If

you

’re

unhappy

with

the

outcome

of

the

mandatory

reconsideration

you

can

appeal

to

the

Social

Security

and

Child

Support

Tribunal

The

tribunal

is

impartial

and

independent

of

government

Appeal

to

the

Social

Security

and

Child

Support

Tribunal

Appeal

to

the

tribunal

within

one

month

of

getting

the

mandatory

reconsideration

decision

If

you

submit

your

appeal

after

a

month

you

’ll

have

to

explain

why

you

did

not

do

it

earlier

Download

and

fill

in

form

and

send

it

to

the

address

on

the

form

You

’ll

need

to

choose

whether

you

want

to

go

to

the

tribunal

hearing

to

explain

your

case

If

you

do

not

attend

your

appeal

will

be

decided

on

your

appeal

form

and

any

supporting

evidence

After

you

submit

your

appeal

you

can

provide

evidence

Your

appeal

and

the

evidence

will

be

discussed

at

a

hearing

by

a

judge

and

one

or

two

experts

The

judge

will

then

make

a

decision

It

usually

takes

around

months

for

your

appeal

to

be

heard

by

the

tribunal

Contact

Report

changes

online

Report

changes

to

your

circumstances

through

your

online

account

Call

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

British

Sign

Language

BSL

video

relay

service

Watch

a

video

to

check

you

can

use

the

service

Go

to

the

video

relay

service

Monday

to

Friday

to

There

’s

a

different

phone

number

if

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

Contact

the

Child

Maintenance

Service

by

post

You

can

also

write

to

the

Child

Maintenance

Service


Overview

The

Christmas

Bonus

is

a

one

off

tax

free

payment

made

before

Christmas

paid

to

people

who

get

certain

benefits

in

the

qualifying

week

This

is

normally

the

first

full

week

of

December

You

do

not

need

to

claim

you

should

get

paid

automatically

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

What

you

'll

get

The

Christmas

Bonus

is

a

one

off

payment

of

It

will

not

affect

any

other

benefits

you

get

How

you

’re

paid

All

benefits

pensions

and

allowances

are

normally

paid

into

an

account

such

as

your

bank

account

It

may

show

up

as

DWP

XB

on

your

bank

statement

Eligibility

To

get

a

Christmas

Bonus

you

must

be

present

or

ordinarily

resident

in

the

UK

Channel

Islands

Isle

of

Man

or

Gibraltar

during

the

qualifying

week

If

you

live

in

or

are

moving

to

a

European

Economic

Area

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

find

out

about

benefits

for

UK

nationals

in

the

EU

EEA

and

Switzerland

You

must

also

get

at

least

one

of

the

following

benefits

in

the

qualifying

week

this

is

normally

the

first

full

week

of

December

Armed

Forces

Independence

Payment

Attendance

Allowance

Carer

’s

Allowance

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

paid

under

Industrial

Injuries

or

War

Pensions

schemes

Contribution

based

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

once

the

main

phase

of

the

benefit

is

entered

after

the

first

weeks

of

claim

Disability

Living

Allowance

Incapacity

Benefit

at

the

long

term

rate

Industrial

Death

Benefit

for

widows

or

widowers

Mobility

Supplement

Pension

Credit

the

guarantee

element

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

State

Pension

including

Graduated

Retirement

Benefit

Severe

Disablement

Allowance

transitionally

protected

Unemployability

Supplement

or

Allowance

paid

under

Industrial

Injuries

or

War

Pensions

schemes

War

Disablement

Pension

at

State

Pension

age

War

Widow

’s

Pension

Widowed

Mother

’s

Allowance

Widowed

Parent

’s

Allowance

Widow

’s

Pension

If

you

have

not

claimed

your

State

Pension

and

are

not

entitled

to

one

of

the

other

qualifying

benefits

you

will

not

get

a

Christmas

Bonus

How

to

claim

You

do

not

need

to

claim

the

Christmas

Bonus

you

should

get

it

automatically

If

you

think

you

should

get

it

but

have

not

contact

the

Jobcentre

Plus

office

that

deals

with

your

payments

or

the

Pension

Service

Further

information

If

you

’re

part

of

a

married

couple

in

a

civil

partnership

or

living

together

as

if

you

are

and

you

both

get

one

of

the

qualifying

benefits

you

’ll

each

get

a

Christmas

Bonus

payment

If

your

partner

or

civil

partner

does

not

get

one

of

the

qualifying

benefits

they

may

still

get

the

Christmas

Bonus

if

both

the

following

apply

you

’re

both

over

State

Pension

age

by

the

end

of

the

qualifying

week

your

partner

or

civil

partner

was

also

present

or

ordinarily

resident

in

the

UK

Channel

Islands

Isle

of

Man

Gibraltar

European

Economic

Area

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

during

the

qualifying

week

and

either

you

’re

entitled

to

an

increase

of

a

qualifying

benefit

for

your

partner

or

civil

partner

the

only

qualifying

benefit

you

’re

getting

is

Pension

Credit


Eligibility

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

about

benefits

tax

credits

or

child

maintenance

you

can

ask

for

the

decision

to

be

looked

at

again

this

is

called

mandatory

reconsideration

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

You

can

do

this

if

any

of

the

following

apply

you

think

the

office

dealing

with

your

claim

has

made

an

error

or

missed

important

evidence

you

disagree

with

the

reasons

for

the

decision

you

want

to

have

the

decision

looked

at

again

Some

decisions

can

not

be

reconsidered

Others

can

go

straight

to

an

appeal

Your

original

decision

letter

will

say

if

this

applies

to

you

You

need

to

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

within

one

month

of

the

date

of

the

decision

Benefits

this

applies

to

You

can

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

for

benefits

including

Attendance

Allowance

Bereavement

Allowance

Carer

’s

Allowance

Carer

’s

Credit

child

maintenance

sometimes

known

as

child

support

Compensation

Recovery

Scheme

including

NHS

recovery

claims

Diffuse

Mesotheliomia

Payment

Scheme

Disability

Living

Allowance

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

Funeral

Expenses

Payment

Income

Support

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

JSA

Maternity

Allowance

Pension

Credit

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

Universal

Credit

including

advance

payments

Winter

Fuel

Payment

There

’s

a

different

process

for

Child

Benefit

Tax

Free

Childcare

and

hours

free

childcare

Guardian

’s

Allowance

tax

credits

Housing

Benefit

and

Vaccine

Damage

Payment

How

to

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

Contact

the

benefits

office

that

gave

you

the

decision

You

can

contact

them

by

phone

by

letter

by

filling

in

and

returning

a

form

The

contact

details

are

on

your

decision

letter

You

need

to

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

within

one

month

of

the

date

on

your

decision

letter

If

you

’re

writing

the

letter

or

form

must

arrive

by

then

If

you

do

not

have

your

decision

letter

contact

the

office

where

you

applied

for

the

benefit

There

’s

a

different

process

for

Child

Benefit

Tax

Free

Childcare

and

hours

free

childcare

Guardian

’s

Allowance

tax

credits

Housing

Benefit

and

Vaccine

Damage

Payment

If

you

get

Universal

Credit

If

you

get

Universal

Credit

you

can

use

your

journal

to

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

If

you

’re

unable

to

use

your

journal

you

can

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

in

any

of

the

following

ways

writing

to

the

address

on

your

decision

letter

filling

in

and

returning

a

form

calling

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

Before

you

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

If

you

’re

not

sure

whether

to

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

or

what

evidence

to

give

call

the

benefits

office

dealing

with

your

claim

They

’ll

be

able

to

explain

the

reason

for

your

benefit

decision

and

answer

any

questions

You

can

still

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

after

you

’ve

spoken

to

your

benefits

office

If

you

want

an

explanation

in

writing

You

can

ask

for

a

written

explanation

from

the

benefits

office

dealing

with

your

claim

known

as

a

written

statement

of

reasons

You

do

not

need

to

do

this

for

Personal

Independence

Payment

your

decision

letter

will

include

a

written

statement

You

can

still

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

but

must

do

this

within

days

of

the

date

on

your

written

statement

of

reasons

Applying

after

one

month

You

can

ask

for

mandatory

reconsideration

after

this

but

it

must

be

for

a

good

reason

for

example

if

you

’ve

been

in

hospital

or

had

a

bereavement

You

must

explain

why

your

request

is

late

Call

the

phone

number

on

your

decision

letter

first

What

you

need

to

provide

You

need

to

give

the

date

of

the

original

benefit

decision

your

name

and

address

your

date

of

birth

your

National

Insurance

number

Explain

what

part

of

the

decision

is

wrong

and

why

If

you

want

to

send

evidence

This

needs

to

shows

why

the

decision

was

wrong

It

could

for

example

be

new

medical

evidence

reports

or

care

plans

from

specialists

therapists

or

nurses

bank

statements

or

payslips

Only

include

evidence

you

have

not

already

sent

Write

your

full

name

date

of

birth

and

National

Insurance

number

at

the

top

of

each

bit

of

evidence

and

send

it

to

the

benefit

office

where

you

applied

for

your

benefit

You

can

not

claim

back

the

cost

of

any

evidence

you

pay

for

It

will

not

help

your

claim

to

include

general

information

about

your

condition

for

example

factsheets

medical

certificates

or

sick

notes

appointment

cards

or

letters

about

medical

appointments

unless

you

could

not

claim

your

benefit

because

you

were

at

the

appointment

letters

about

tests

that

you

’re

due

to

have

If

you

’re

not

sure

what

evidence

to

send

read

the

guidance

for

the

request

form

You

can

also

call

the

number

on

your

decision

letter

What

happens

next

The

benefits

office

that

gave

you

the

original

benefit

decision

will

reconsider

it

you

’ll

get

a

mandatory

reconsideration

notice

telling

you

whether

they

’ve

changed

the

decision

It

’ll

explain

the

reasons

for

that

decision

and

the

evidence

it

was

based

on

Your

benefit

may

increase

decrease

stop

or

stay

the

same

following

mandatory

reconsideration

If

you

disagree

with

the

outcome

You

can

appeal

to

the

Social

Security

and

Child

Support

Tribunal

if

you

think

the

decision

in

the

mandatory

reconsideration

notice

is

wrong

The

tribunal

is

independent

of

government

A

judge

will

listen

to

both

sides

of

the

argument

before

making

a

decision

You

usually

need

to

do

this

within

one

month

of

the

date

of

your

mandatory

reconsideration

notice

You

can

not

appeal

to

the

Social

Security

and

Child

Support

Tribunal

until

you

get

your

mandatory

reconsideration

notice


Overview

You

might

be

overpaid

tax

credits

if

there

’s

a

change

in

your

circumstances

even

if

you

report

the

change

on

time

you

or

the

Tax

Credit

Office

make

a

mistake

you

do

not

renew

your

tax

credits

on

time

The

Tax

Credit

Office

will

write

to

tell

you

what

you

owe

and

how

to

repay

the

money

If

you

think

they

made

a

mistake

call

the

helpline

If

you

still

get

tax

credits

or

are

now

getting

Universal

Credit

the

money

you

owe

will

usually

be

taken

from

your

future

payments

If

you

no

longer

get

tax

credits

and

you

do

not

get

Universal

Credit

you

’ll

have

to

pay

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

directly

The

money

may

be

recovered

from

you

in

another

way

if

you

do

not

repay

HMRC

in

time

How

to

repay

your

tax

credits

The

Tax

Credit

Office

will

write

to

tell

you

what

you

owe

and

how

to

repay

How

you

repay

depends

on

whether

you

still

get

tax

credits

Universal

Credit

or

neither

Call

the

helpline

if

you

think

the

Tax

Credit

Office

made

a

mistake

already

have

a

repayment

plan

but

you

get

another

letter

you

may

need

to

set

up

a

new

plan

If

you

still

get

tax

credits

HMRC

will

automatically

reduce

your

future

tax

credit

payments

until

you

’ve

paid

back

the

money

you

owe

The

amount

they

’ll

reduce

your

tax

credit

payments

by

usually

depends

on

how

much

you

currently

get

and

your

household

income

Household

income

Reduction

or

less

and

you

get

maximum

tax

credits

or

less

and

you

get

less

than

the

maximum

tax

credits

More

than

If

you

only

get

the

family

element

of

Child

Tax

Credit

your

payments

will

be

reduced

by

whatever

your

income

is

If

you

’ve

moved

to

Universal

Credit

Your

future

payments

will

be

reduced

until

you

’ve

paid

back

the

money

you

owe

If

you

do

not

get

tax

credits

or

Universal

Credit

HMRC

will

send

you

a

notice

to

pay

which

you

should

pay

within

days

It

’s

your

responsibility

to

make

sure

payments

reach

HMRC

on

time

Check

your

bank

’s

transaction

limits

and

processing

times

If

you

do

not

pay

in

time

the

money

you

owe

will

be

recovered

from

you

in

another

way

Call

the

helpline

if

you

want

to

make

extra

payments

to

clear

the

debt

more

quickly

There

are

several

ways

to

repay

Direct

Debit

You

can

call

the

helpline

to

set

up

a

Direct

Debit

You

’ll

need

your

tax

credit

reference

number

you

’ll

find

it

on

your

notice

to

pay

It

takes

up

to

working

days

to

set

up

Payments

appear

on

your

statements

as

HMRC

NDDS

Online

and

telephone

banking

Faster

Payments

Pay

to

HMRC

’s

account

and

use

your

tax

credit

reference

number

found

on

your

notice

to

pay

as

the

payment

reference

Sort

code

Account

number

Account

name

HMRC

Cumbernauld

Payments

made

by

Faster

Payments

will

usually

reach

HMRC

on

the

same

or

next

day

including

weekends

and

bank

holidays

If

you

’re

paying

from

an

overseas

account

you

can

pay

HMRC

in

sterling

or

another

currency

Account

number

IBAN

Bank

identifier

code

BIC

Account

name

HMRC

Cumbernauld

HMRC

’s

bank

address

is

At

your

bank

or

building

society

Pay

at

your

branch

by

cash

or

cheque

Make

your

cheque

payable

to

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

only

Write

your

tax

credit

reference

number

on

the

back

of

the

cheque

You

’ll

find

this

on

your

notice

to

pay

HMRC

will

accept

your

payment

on

the

date

you

make

it

and

not

the

date

it

reaches

HMRC

’s

account

By

cheque

through

the

post

You

can

send

a

cheque

by

post

to

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

Allow

working

days

for

your

payment

to

reach

HMRC

You

do

not

need

to

include

a

street

name

city

name

or

PO

box

with

this

address

Make

your

cheque

payable

to

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

only

Write

your

tax

credit

reference

number

on

the

back

of

the

cheque

You

’ll

find

this

on

your

notice

to

pay

Do

not

fold

your

cheque

Your

payment

may

be

delayed

if

you

do

not

fill

in

your

cheque

properly

Include

a

note

with

your

name

address

and

phone

number

your

tax

credit

reference

number

how

much

you

’re

paying

the

period

you

’re

paying

for

You

can

ask

for

a

receipt

if

you

want

one

If

you

can

not

afford

your

repayments

You

can

ask

to

repay

what

you

owe

over

a

longer

period

of

time

if

you

’re

having

financial

difficulty

This

will

mean

you

pay

less

each

week

or

month

You

may

be

asked

about

any

savings

and

income

you

have

including

benefits

and

pensions

your

living

expenses

including

rent

mortgage

or

childcare

payments

and

household

costs

any

other

repayments

you

have

to

make

including

loans

credit

cards

and

utility

bill

repayments

How

you

ask

for

your

repayments

to

be

reconsidered

depends

on

whether

you

still

get

tax

credits

Universal

Credit

or

neither

HMRC

is

offering

further

help

and

support

during

the

crisis

If

you

are

in

temporary

financial

difficulty

and

you

are

unable

to

pay

or

to

keep

up

repayment

of

your

existing

debts

you

should

contact

HMRC

so

we

can

work

with

you

to

ensure

your

arrangement

remains

affordable

until

you

return

to

a

more

stable

footing

If

you

need

it

hardship

arrangements

can

offer

flexibility

if

you

have

previous

overpayments

being

recovered

from

your

tax

credits

award

If

you

still

get

tax

credits

If

HMRC

has

reduced

your

tax

credits

to

pay

back

an

overpayment

you

can

ask

them

to

reconsider

online

you

need

your

Government

Gateway

user

ID

and

password

if

you

do

not

have

one

you

can

create

one

when

you

use

this

service

by

phone

If

HMRC

give

you

more

time

to

pay

back

what

you

owe

this

will

mean

they

take

less

money

from

your

tax

credits

each

week

or

month

You

will

usually

receive

a

decision

within

working

days

If

you

are

still

having

financial

difficulty

at

the

end

of

the

financial

year

April

you

will

need

to

ask

HMRC

to

reconsider

your

payments

again

If

you

have

moved

to

Universal

Credit

Contact

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

Debt

Management

centre

if

you

can

not

afford

your

repayments

If

you

do

not

get

tax

credits

or

Universal

Credit

Call

the

tax

credits

payments

helpline

to

ask

HMRC

to

reconsider

If

you

’ve

received

a

letter

this

means

your

debt

has

passed

to

DWP

Call

the

DWP

Debt

Management

contact

centre

to

discuss

your

options

Call

DfC

Debt

Management

if

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

If

you

get

Universal

Credit

After

you

start

getting

Universal

Credit

you

’ll

get

a

letter

from

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

telling

you

how

much

you

owe

The

letter

is

called

a

UC

The

letter

may

come

a

few

months

after

you

’ve

moved

to

Universal

Credit

If

you

are

already

paying

a

notice

to

pay

keep

making

payments

until

you

get

the

letter

After

you

get

the

letter

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

will

reduce

your

Universal

Credit

payments

until

you

pay

back

the

money

you

owe

You

do

not

have

to

do

anything

to

set

this

up

If

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

this

will

be

handled

by

the

Department

for

Communities

If

you

are

repaying

tax

credits

overpayments

from

different

years

you

may

get

more

than

one

letter

you

must

repay

each

of

these

debts

If

you

can

not

afford

your

repayments

Contact

DWP

Debt

Management

if

you

can

not

afford

your

repayments

If

you

have

an

existing

payment

plan

If

you

have

a

repayment

plan

for

your

tax

credits

debt

also

known

as

a

Time

to

Pay

arrangement

it

will

end

after

you

get

the

letter

from

HMRC

This

applies

whether

the

plan

is

with

HMRC

or

an

independent

debt

collector

You

must

cancel

any

standing

orders

you

’ve

set

up

to

repay

the

debt

HMRC

will

cancel

any

Direct

Debits

If

you

claimed

tax

credits

as

a

couple

The

debt

will

be

split

in

half

between

you

Each

of

you

will

receive

a

letter

with

details

of

your

half

of

the

debt

You

must

each

pay

your

half

Contact

HMRC

if

you

think

your

share

is

wrong

If

you

do

not

get

Universal

Credit

any

more

If

you

get

the

letter

from

HMRC

after

you

’ve

stopped

receiving

Universal

Credit

you

must

repay

DWP

directly

If

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

you

must

repay

the

Department

for

Communities

If

you

do

not

repay

HMRC

If

you

get

a

notice

to

pay

you

must

repay

HM

Revenue

and

Customs

HMRC

within

days

If

you

asked

for

more

time

to

pay

you

should

repay

within

the

agreed

time

HMRC

will

take

enforcement

action

if

you

do

not

pay

all

the

money

you

owe

in

the

agreed

time

For

example

they

might

ask

a

debt

collection

agency

to

collect

any

remaining

money

Your

debt

may

be

passed

to

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

if

HMRC

can

not

get

the

money

you

owe

You

’ll

get

a

letter

called

a

non

UC

when

this

happens

Your

debt

will

be

passed

to

the

Department

for

Communities

DfC

if

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

You

do

not

need

to

do

anything

DWP

or

DfC

will

arrange

the

most

suitable

method

of

recovery

with

you

This

might

be

by

reducing

your

other

benefits

agreeing

a

repayment

plan

with

you

asking

your

employer

to

take

money

from

your

earnings

Direct

Earnings

Attachment

asking

a

debt

collection

agency

to

collect

the

money

If

you

start

getting

Universal

Credit

If

you

start

getting

Universal

Credit

before

all

your

debt

has

been

recovered

DWP

will

usually

start

to

take

repayments

from

your

Universal

Credit

to

collect

the

remaining

money


Overview

Get

support

from

Jobcentre

Plus

to

help

you

prepare

for

find

and

stay

in

work

including

training

guidance

and

work

placement

programmes

work

experience

volunteering

and

job

trialling

schemes

help

with

starting

your

own

business

help

combining

work

with

looking

after

children

or

caring

responsibilities

extra

help

for

specific

problems

You

may

also

be

able

to

keep

getting

some

benefits

once

you

start

working

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

Support

for

disabled

people

Speak

to

your

local

Jobcentre

Plus

if

you

’re

disabled

or

have

a

long

term

health

condition

They

can

help

you

find

a

job

or

gain

new

skills

and

tell

you

about

specific

programmes

to

help

you

back

into

work

You

might

be

able

to

get

an

Access

to

Work

grant

to

pay

for

special

equipment

adaptations

or

support

worker

services

to

help

you

do

things

like

answer

the

phone

or

go

to

meetings

help

getting

to

and

from

work

mental

health

support

communication

support

at

a

job

interview

for

example

a

British

Sign

Language

interpreter

or

a

lipspeaker

Job

search

programmes

Your

Jobcentre

Plus

work

coach

can

give

you

more

information

about

programmes

that

can

help

you

prepare

for

find

and

stay

in

work

If

you

live

in

Scotland

you

can

also

get

help

from

Fair

Start

Scotland

Work

Programme

The

Work

Programme

stopped

taking

new

participants

on

April

If

you

’re

already

taking

part

you

can

continue

to

do

so

for

up

to

years

from

the

date

you

joined

You

’ll

have

to

attend

an

assessment

interview

with

Jobcentre

Plus

if

you

’ve

been

on

the

Work

Programme

for

years

The

interview

will

help

you

plan

prepare

and

find

work

Help

for

specific

types

of

work

Sector

based

work

academies

offer

training

and

work

experience

for

up

to

weeks

in

a

particular

industry

or

area

of

work

Most

academies

also

offer

a

guaranteed

interview

for

a

job

or

an

apprenticeship

They

’re

available

to

you

if

you

’re

claiming

any

of

the

following

because

you

’re

unemployed

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

if

you

’re

in

the

Work

Related

Activity

Group

Universal

Credit

Work

clubs

Anyone

who

’s

unemployed

can

join

a

Work

Club

They

’re

run

by

local

organisations

like

employers

and

community

groups

and

give

you

the

chance

to

share

knowledge

experience

and

job

hunting

tips

Work

experience

and

volunteering

Contact

Jobcentre

Plus

to

find

out

about

opportunities

that

can

improve

your

chances

of

finding

work

including

work

experience

volunteering

and

work

trials

You

might

be

able

to

get

help

with

costs

like

childcare

and

travel

Work

experience

If

you

’re

getting

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

JSA

or

Universal

Credit

you

can

get

work

experience

through

Jobcentre

Plus

Work

experience

can

last

between

and

weeks

and

you

’ll

normally

be

expected

to

work

between

and

hours

a

week

You

’ll

carry

on

getting

your

JSA

or

Universal

Credit

payment

as

long

as

you

continue

to

look

for

work

You

may

also

be

able

to

get

help

from

Jobcentre

Plus

for

costs

related

to

work

experience

for

example

for

travel

or

childcare

Work

Together

volunteering

If

you

’re

unemployed

and

looking

for

work

you

can

volunteer

with

a

local

organisation

through

the

Work

Together

programme

Your

Jobcentre

Plus

work

coach

will

help

you

to

find

a

volunteering

opportunity

Work

trials

A

work

trial

gives

you

the

chance

to

try

out

a

job

and

keep

getting

benefits

It

can

last

up

to

working

days

and

you

might

get

offered

a

job

at

the

end

Work

trials

are

voluntary

and

your

benefits

will

not

be

affected

if

you

finish

early

or

turn

down

a

job

you

’re

offered

Your

Jobcentre

Plus

can

arrange

a

work

trial

for

you

or

you

can

ask

them

about

how

to

do

this

yourself

Employment

on

Trial

Employment

on

Trial

allows

you

to

leave

a

job

and

start

claiming

JSA

again

without

this

affecting

your

benefit

unless

you

’re

sacked

or

leave

because

of

misconduct

You

must

have

worked

more

than

hours

a

week

for

between

and

weeks

before

leaving

the

job

Starting

or

running

your

own

business

You

may

be

able

to

get

New

Enterprise

Allowance

to

help

you

start

your

own

business

develop

your

business

if

you

’re

already

self

employed

Starting

your

own

business

You

could

get

mentoring

and

an

allowance

to

help

you

start

your

own

business

through

New

Enterprise

Allowance

You

may

be

eligible

if

you

’re

over

and

either

you

or

your

partner

get

Universal

Credit

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

or

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

you

get

Income

Support

and

you

’re

a

lone

parent

sick

or

disabled

What

you

’ll

get

You

’ll

get

a

mentor

who

’ll

give

you

advice

and

support

to

help

you

set

up

your

business

and

start

to

trade

Once

you

’ve

made

a

business

plan

that

your

mentor

has

approved

you

may

get

a

weekly

allowance

worth

up

to

over

weeks

can

apply

for

a

loan

to

help

with

start

up

costs

How

to

get

New

Enterprise

Allowance

Talk

to

your

Jobcentre

Plus

work

coach

They

’ll

check

your

business

idea

and

help

you

if

you

’re

eligible

Developing

your

business

If

you

’re

self

employed

and

getting

Universal

Credit

you

may

be

able

to

get

a

mentor

who

’ll

give

you

advice

and

support

to

help

you

develop

your

business

apply

for

a

start

up

loan

if

your

business

is

less

than

years

old

To

find

out

if

you

’re

eligible

for

New

Enterprise

Allowance

contact

your

work

coach

by

signing

in

to

your

Universal

Credit

account

If

you

’re

disabled

or

you

have

a

health

condition

You

may

be

able

to

get

extra

support

through

an

Access

to

Work

grant

Help

for

parents

and

carers

Your

Jobcentre

Plus

work

coach

can

tell

you

about

support

you

can

get

to

help

you

combine

work

with

looking

after

children

or

caring

responsibilities

Help

for

parents

Parents

can

get

help

with

childcare

costs

when

moving

from

benefits

to

work

Help

for

carers

Work

Preparation

Support

for

Carers

provides

help

and

support

for

you

to

make

a

successful

move

into

work

including

access

to

training

and

advice

on

job

hunting

and

applications

You

might

be

able

to

get

help

with

the

cost

of

replacement

care

while

you

take

part

in

training

or

attend

interviews

Help

with

drug

and

alcohol

problems

You

may

be

able

to

get

extra

support

if

you

have

drug

or

alcohol

problems

that

are

stopping

you

working

Your

Jobcentre

Plus

work

coach

can

tell

you

about

the

help

available

from

specialist

drugs

or

alcohol

treatment

professionals

in

your

area

and

refer

you

to

their

services

if

you

want

This

help

is

available

to

anyone

getting

benefits

Support

when

you

start

working

Going

back

to

work

does

not

mean

giving

up

all

your

benefits

Some

benefits

may

carry

on

and

others

may

be

available

once

you

’re

working

Contact

Jobcentre

Plus

if

you

’ve

found

a

job

and

you

or

your

partner

have

been

getting

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Income

Support

Universal

Credit

Your

Jobcentre

Plus

work

coach

will

help

you

to

manage

your

move

into

work

and

sort

out

changes

to

your

other

benefits

including

tax

credits

What

you

can

get

will

depend

on

how

long

you

were

claiming

these

benefits

without

a

break

You

do

not

have

to

fill

in

any

forms

but

make

sure

you

have

details

of

your

income

savings

and

any

rent

payments

to

hand

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

see

how

starting

a

job

or

increasing

your

working

hours

affects

your

benefits

Help

with

housing

Depending

on

how

long

you

have

been

claiming

benefits

you

may

be

able

to

get

Mortgage

Interest

Run

On

Extended

Payment

of

Housing

Benefit

These

payments

provide

help

for

up

to

weeks

when

you

start

a

new

job

and

begin

earning

a

wage

You

may

also

be

able

to

get

extended

reductions

on

your

Council

Tax

If

you

’re

disabled

or

you

have

a

health

condition

You

may

be

able

to

get

extra

support

through

an

Access

to

Work

grant


Overview

You

can

apply

for

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

if

you

have

a

disability

or

health

condition

that

affects

how

much

you

can

work

You

may

also

be

able

to

get

ESA

if

you

were

unable

to

work

while

self

isolating

or

shielding

because

of

coronavirus

ESA

gives

you

money

to

help

with

living

costs

if

you

’re

unable

to

work

support

to

get

back

into

work

if

you

’re

able

to

You

can

apply

if

you

’re

employed

self

employed

or

unemployed

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

Eligibility

You

can

apply

for

new

style

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

if

you

’re

under

State

Pension

age

and

you

have

a

disability

or

health

condition

that

affects

how

much

you

can

work

You

also

need

to

have

both

worked

as

an

employee

or

have

been

self

employed

paid

enough

National

Insurance

contributions

usually

in

the

last

to

years

National

Insurance

credits

also

count

Check

your

National

Insurance

record

for

gaps

You

could

get

Universal

Credit

at

the

same

time

or

instead

of

new

style

ESA

Universal

Credit

can

help

with

for

example

your

housing

and

childcare

costs

You

can

not

get

new

style

ESA

if

you

claim

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

claim

Statutory

Sick

Pay

If

your

Statutory

Sick

Pay

SSP

is

due

to

end

You

can

apply

for

new

style

ESA

up

to

months

before

your

SSP

ends

You

’ll

start

getting

new

style

ESA

as

soon

as

your

SSP

ends

If

you

’re

working

You

can

apply

whether

you

’re

in

or

out

of

work

There

are

conditions

to

working

while

claiming

ESA

If

you

’ve

been

affected

by

coronavirus

You

can

apply

for

new

style

ESA

if

you

’re

unable

to

claim

Statutory

Sick

Pay

and

one

of

the

following

applies

you

or

your

child

might

have

or

you

’re

recovering

from

it

you

or

your

child

are

self

isolating

because

you

came

into

contact

with

someone

who

might

have

you

’ve

been

advised

by

your

doctor

or

healthcare

professional

to

self

isolate

before

going

into

hospital

for

surgery

you

were

advised

to

shield

because

you

’re

clinically

extremely

vulnerable

to

Shielding

in

England

Scotland

and

Wales

has

stopped

You

can

still

apply

for

ESA

if

you

were

shielding

in

England

or

shielding

in

Wales

before

April

or

if

you

were

shielding

in

Scotland

before

April

If

you

’re

claiming

ESA

because

of

you

’ll

need

to

give

evidence

to

support

your

claim

Proof

if

you

’re

self

isolating

because

of

If

you

or

your

child

are

self

isolating

and

you

can

not

work

because

of

you

can

get

an

isolation

note

online

from

NHS

if

you

’ve

been

off

work

for

or

more

days

You

do

not

have

to

go

to

your

doctor

or

a

hospital

If

you

’ve

been

notified

by

the

NHS

or

public

health

authorities

that

you

’ve

come

into

contact

with

someone

with

your

notification

is

proof

If

you

’ve

been

advised

by

your

doctor

or

healthcare

professional

to

self

isolate

before

going

into

hospital

for

surgery

your

letter

confirming

the

date

of

your

procedure

is

proof

Proof

if

you

were

advised

to

shield

because

of

Your

doctor

or

health

authority

should

have

sent

you

a

letter

advising

you

or

your

child

to

shield

because

you

’re

clinically

extremely

vulnerable

to

The

letter

will

have

included

the

period

to

shield

for

It

is

proof

of

your

eligibility

for

ESA

for

days

away

from

work

in

that

period

You

may

have

more

than

one

letter

covering

more

than

one

shielding

period

Contact

your

doctor

if

you

do

not

have

a

letter

but

think

you

should

have

one

What

you

'll

get

How

much

you

get

will

depend

on

what

stage

your

application

is

at

as

well

as

things

like

your

age

and

whether

you

’re

able

to

get

back

into

work

If

you

get

new

style

ESA

you

’ll

earn

Class

National

Insurance

credits

which

can

help

towards

your

State

Pension

and

some

benefits

in

the

future

What

might

affect

how

much

you

get

paid

You

can

not

make

a

new

claim

for

income

related

ESA

You

’ll

continue

to

get

payments

while

you

’re

eligible

until

your

claim

ends

Neither

your

or

your

partner

’s

savings

or

income

will

affect

how

much

new

style

ESA

you

’re

paid

But

a

private

pension

worth

more

than

per

week

may

affect

how

much

you

can

get

If

you

get

income

related

ESA

your

household

income

and

savings

worth

or

more

may

affect

how

much

you

can

get

While

your

claim

is

being

assessed

You

’ll

normally

get

the

assessment

rate

for

weeks

while

your

claim

is

being

assessed

This

will

be

up

to

a

week

if

you

’re

aged

under

up

to

a

week

if

you

’re

aged

or

over

If

it

takes

longer

than

weeks

to

assess

your

claim

you

’ll

continue

getting

the

assessment

rate

until

you

get

a

decision

or

until

your

ESA

is

due

to

end

Your

ESA

will

be

backdated

if

you

’re

owed

any

money

after

weeks

After

you

’re

assessed

You

’ll

be

placed

into

one

of

groups

if

you

’re

entitled

to

ESA

If

you

’re

able

to

get

back

into

work

in

the

future

you

’ll

be

put

into

the

work

related

activity

group

Otherwise

you

’ll

be

put

into

the

support

group

You

’ll

get

up

to

a

week

if

you

’re

in

the

work

related

activity

group

up

to

a

week

if

you

’re

in

the

support

group

If

you

’re

in

the

support

group

If

you

’re

in

the

support

group

and

on

income

related

ESA

you

’re

also

entitled

to

the

enhanced

disability

premium

You

may

also

qualify

for

the

severe

disability

premium

Find

out

how

to

apply

for

a

disability

premium

How

you

’re

paid

You

’ll

get

paid

ESA

every

weeks

All

benefits

are

paid

into

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

Other

benefits

you

can

claim

Universal

Credit

can

help

with

for

example

your

housing

and

childcare

costs

You

could

get

Universal

Credit

at

the

same

time

or

instead

of

new

style

ESA

Use

a

benefits

calculator

to

find

out

what

other

benefits

you

could

get

for

example

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

if

you

have

a

long

term

health

condition

or

disability

The

benefit

cap

may

affect

the

total

amount

of

benefit

you

can

get

The

cap

will

not

affect

you

if

you

’re

in

the

support

group

If

you

’re

moving

to

Universal

Credit

from

income

related

ESA

If

your

income

related

ESA

claim

is

ending

because

you

’re

making

a

new

claim

for

Universal

Credit

you

’ll

automatically

continue

to

get

the

amount

of

ESA

you

currently

receive

as

long

as

you

’re

still

eligible

You

’ll

normally

get

this

for

weeks

starting

from

the

date

of

your

new

claim

The

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

will

write

to

you

telling

you

how

this

works

You

do

not

need

to

pay

this

money

back

and

it

will

not

affect

the

amount

of

Universal

Credit

you

get

Budgeting

Loan

You

can

apply

for

a

Budgeting

Loan

if

you

’ve

been

on

income

related

ESA

for

at

least

months

Advice

on

money

and

debt

You

can

get

help

and

advice

from

your

Jobcentre

Plus

work

coach

or

Citizens

Advice

Money

Advice

Service

National

Debtline

Shelter

Working

while

you

claim

You

can

usually

work

while

you

are

claiming

ESA

if

both

of

the

following

apply

you

work

less

than

hours

a

week

you

do

not

earn

more

than

a

week

Tell

Jobcentre

Plus

about

your

work

when

you

make

a

claim

Send

this

form

to

Jobcentre

Plus

if

you

’re

already

claiming

ESA

and

you

want

to

start

work

When

you

can

work

hours

or

more

a

week

You

can

work

more

than

hours

a

week

if

the

work

is

either

voluntary

or

supported

permitted

work

Supported

permitted

work

The

work

must

be

either

supervised

by

someone

from

a

local

council

or

voluntary

organisation

who

arranges

work

for

disabled

people

part

of

a

treatment

programme

under

medical

supervision

You

can

still

earn

no

more

than

a

week

How

to

claim

You

could

get

Universal

Credit

at

the

same

time

or

instead

of

new

style

ESA

Check

if

you

’re

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

There

’s

a

different

way

to

apply

in

Northern

Ireland

What

you

need

to

apply

You

’ll

need

your

National

Insurance

number

your

bank

or

building

society

account

number

and

sort

code

you

can

use

a

friend

or

family

member

’s

account

if

you

do

not

have

one

your

doctor

’s

name

address

and

telephone

number

details

of

your

income

if

you

’re

working

the

date

your

Statutory

Sick

Pay

SSP

ends

if

you

’re

claiming

it

You

can

not

get

new

style

ESA

if

you

’re

getting

Statutory

Sick

Pay

SSP

from

an

employer

You

can

apply

for

new

style

ESA

up

to

months

before

your

SSP

ends

If

you

’re

applying

because

of

you

’ll

also

need

an

isolation

note

if

you

’re

unable

to

work

because

of

your

notification

from

the

NHS

or

public

health

authorities

if

you

’ve

been

told

to

self

isolate

because

you

’ve

come

into

contact

with

someone

with

a

letter

confirming

the

date

of

your

procedure

if

you

’ve

been

advised

to

self

isolate

before

going

into

hospital

for

surgery

a

letter

from

your

doctor

or

a

health

authority

advising

you

or

your

child

to

shield

take

extra

precautions

to

reduce

contact

with

others

because

you

’re

at

very

high

risk

of

severe

illness

from

Shielding

in

England

Scotland

and

Wales

has

stopped

You

can

still

apply

for

ESA

if

you

were

shielding

in

England

or

shielding

in

Wales

before

April

or

if

you

were

shielding

in

Scotland

before

April

Once

you

’ve

applied

you

’ll

be

contacted

by

phone

and

told

when

to

give

the

evidence

and

where

to

send

it

Apply

now

When

you

can

apply

by

phone

Call

the

Universal

Credit

helpline

if

you

can

not

make

an

application

online

you

’re

an

appointee

for

someone

After

you

apply

The

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

will

contact

you

within

working

days

of

applying

If

you

’re

eligible

DWP

will

contact

you

within

working

days

to

schedule

an

appointment

that

you

must

attend

It

will

normally

be

over

the

phone

with

a

work

coach

from

your

local

Jobcentre

Plus

office

Your

work

coach

will

explain

what

you

need

to

do

to

get

new

style

ESA

They

will

create

an

agreement

with

you

called

a

Claimant

Commitment

You

must

agree

to

your

Claimant

Commitment

before

you

can

get

new

style

ESA

At

the

appointment

you

’ll

be

asked

to

explain

how

your

illness

or

disability

affects

your

ability

to

work

provide

medical

evidence

agree

to

tell

your

local

Jobcentre

Plus

if

your

circumstances

change

If

you

’re

not

eligible

DWP

will

send

you

a

letter

within

working

days

of

applying

to

explain

why

you

’re

not

eligible

for

ESA

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration

Reapplying

for

ESA

You

can

not

make

a

new

claim

for

income

related

ESA

You

’ll

continue

to

get

payments

while

you

’re

eligible

until

your

claim

ends

You

may

be

able

to

reapply

after

your

new

style

ESA

ends

You

may

qualify

again

depending

on

what

National

Insurance

contributions

you

paid

in

the

last

full

tax

years

before

the

tax

year

you

’re

claiming

in

whether

you

’re

placed

in

the

support

group

because

you

developed

a

new

condition

or

your

health

deteriorated

Your

ESA

claim

After

you

’ve

made

your

claim

you

’ll

be

told

if

you

need

to

have

a

Work

Capability

Assessment

and

what

group

you

’ll

be

put

in

Work

Capability

Assessment

A

Work

Capability

Assessment

is

used

to

find

out

if

your

illness

or

disability

affects

how

much

you

can

work

You

might

not

need

one

for

example

if

you

’re

in

hospital

or

you

have

a

terminal

illness

If

you

need

a

Work

Capability

Assessment

you

’ll

get

a

letter

telling

you

to

fill

in

the

Capability

for

work

questionnaire

and

send

it

to

the

Health

Assessment

Advisory

Service

The

address

is

on

the

form

The

questionnaire

is

different

in

Northern

Ireland

You

’ll

be

told

what

happens

next

for

example

if

you

need

an

appointment

to

understand

your

health

condition

better

If

you

’re

claiming

both

Universal

Credit

and

new

style

ESA

you

’ll

only

have

one

Work

Capability

Assessment

You

can

ask

for

your

assessment

to

be

recorded

If

you

would

like

this

tell

the

Health

Assessment

Advisory

Service

using

the

contact

details

in

your

appointment

invite

letter

How

the

assessment

happens

Assessments

can

be

in

person

by

video

call

or

on

the

phone

You

’ll

be

told

how

your

assessment

will

take

place

If

you

’re

asked

to

attend

in

person

you

’ll

be

told

how

to

do

this

safely

because

of

coronavirus

You

can

bring

one

adult

from

your

household

with

you

If

your

assessment

is

by

phone

or

video

call

you

can

have

someone

else

with

you

for

example

a

friend

or

support

worker

You

can

ask

the

assessor

to

call

them

if

they

’re

not

with

you

when

the

assessment

starts

You

’ll

stay

on

the

assessment

rate

until

a

decision

can

be

made

on

your

Work

Capability

Assessment

After

your

claim

is

assessed

If

you

’re

entitled

to

ESA

you

’ll

be

placed

in

one

of

groups

a

work

related

activity

group

you

can

not

work

now

but

can

prepare

to

work

in

the

future

for

example

by

writing

a

CV

a

support

group

you

can

not

work

now

and

you

’re

not

expected

to

prepare

for

work

in

the

future

If

you

’re

in

the

work

related

activity

group

You

must

attend

regular

interviews

with

a

work

coach

They

can

help

you

improve

your

skills

or

write

a

CV

to

help

you

get

back

into

work

If

you

’re

in

the

support

group

You

’re

usually

in

this

group

if

your

illness

or

disability

severely

limits

what

you

can

do

You

do

not

have

to

go

to

interviews

You

can

tell

your

work

coach

if

you

’d

like

to

take

part

in

work

related

activities

How

long

you

’ll

get

ESA

for

You

can

not

make

a

new

claim

for

income

related

ESA

You

’ll

continue

to

get

payments

while

you

’re

eligible

until

your

claim

ends

New

style

and

contribution

based

ESA

last

for

days

if

you

’re

in

the

work

related

activity

group

There

’s

no

time

limit

if

you

’re

in

the

support

group

or

if

you

’re

getting

income

related

ESA

To

keep

getting

ESA

you

must

report

any

change

in

your

circumstances

You

may

also

need

to

send

fit

notes

regularly

If

you

get

a

sanction

Your

ESA

can

be

reduced

if

you

do

not

attend

interviews

or

do

work

related

activity

as

agreed

with

your

work

coach

in

your

Claimant

Commitment

This

reduction

can

continue

for

up

to

weeks

after

you

restart

work

related

activities

You

’ll

get

a

letter

to

say

you

may

be

sanctioned

Tell

your

work

coach

if

you

have

a

good

reason

for

not

doing

what

was

agreed

in

your

Claimant

Commitment

You

’ll

get

another

letter

if

the

decision

is

made

to

give

you

a

sanction

Your

benefit

will

only

be

affected

once

a

decision

has

been

made

You

should

contact

your

local

council

immediately

if

you

claim

Housing

Benefit

or

Council

Tax

Reduction

They

’ll

tell

you

what

to

do

to

continue

getting

support

If

you

get

a

sanction

you

can

ask

for

the

decision

to

be

looked

at

again

ask

for

a

hardship

payment

You

will

not

get

a

sanction

if

you

’re

in

the

support

group

Hardship

payments

If

you

get

income

related

ESA

you

may

be

able

to

get

a

hardship

payment

if

your

benefit

has

been

reduced

because

of

a

sanction

or

a

penalty

due

to

suspected

benefit

fraud

A

hardship

payment

is

a

reduced

amount

of

your

ESA

You

do

not

have

to

pay

it

back

You

can

get

a

hardship

payment

if

you

can

not

pay

for

rent

heating

food

or

other

basic

needs

for

you

or

your

family

You

must

be

or

over

Speak

to

your

Jobcentre

Plus

adviser

or

work

coach

to

find

out

how

to

claim

a

hardship

payment

Report

a

change

of

circumstances

You

need

to

report

changes

to

your

circumstances

so

you

keep

getting

the

right

amount

of

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

Your

claim

might

be

stopped

or

reduced

if

you

do

not

report

a

change

straight

away

A

change

of

circumstance

can

include

starting

or

stopping

work

education

training

or

an

apprenticeship

moving

house

changing

your

name

people

moving

into

or

out

of

the

place

you

live

for

example

your

partner

or

a

child

changes

to

the

benefits

you

or

anyone

else

in

your

house

gets

changes

to

your

pension

savings

investments

or

property

changes

to

other

money

you

get

for

example

student

loans

or

grants

sick

pay

or

money

you

get

from

a

charity

changing

your

doctor

any

changes

to

your

medical

condition

or

disability

going

into

hospital

or

a

care

home

or

sheltered

accommodation

going

abroad

for

any

length

of

time

changes

to

your

immigration

status

if

you

’re

not

a

British

citizen

Call

Jobcentre

Plus

if

you

’re

not

sure

whether

you

need

to

report

a

change

You

may

be

prosecuted

or

have

to

pay

a

penalty

if

you

give

wrong

or

incomplete

information

If

you

’ve

been

paid

too

much

If

you

give

wrong

or

incomplete

information

or

do

not

report

a

change

straight

away

you

might

be

paid

too

much

If

you

are

you

might

have

to

pay

some

of

the

money

back

How

to

report

You

can

report

a

change

of

circumstances

by

calling

Jobcentre

Plus

writing

to

the

Jobcentre

Plus

office

that

pays

your

ESA

the

address

is

on

the

letters

you

get

about

your

ESA

If

you

get

Universal

Credit

at

the

same

time

as

new

style

ESA

you

must

also

report

the

changes

of

circumstances

in

your

Universal

Credit

account

British

Sign

Language

BSL

video

relay

service

Watch

a

video

to

check

you

can

use

the

service

Go

to

the

video

relay

service

Monday

to

Friday

am

to

pm

If

you

’re

in

Northern

Ireland

contact

the

ESA

Centre


Overview

You

could

get

a

one

off

payment

of

to

help

towards

the

costs

of

having

a

child

This

is

known

as

a

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

If

you

live

in

Scotland

you

can

not

get

a

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

You

can

apply

for

a

Pregnancy

and

Baby

Payment

instead

You

usually

qualify

for

the

grant

if

both

of

the

following

apply

you

’re

expecting

your

first

child

or

you

’re

expecting

a

multiple

birth

such

as

twins

and

have

children

already

you

or

your

partner

already

get

certain

benefits

You

must

claim

the

grant

within

weeks

of

the

baby

’s

due

date

or

within

months

after

the

baby

’s

birth

You

do

not

have

to

pay

the

grant

back

and

it

will

not

affect

your

other

benefits

or

tax

credits

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

What

you

'll

get

A

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

is

and

you

do

not

have

to

pay

it

back

You

may

not

get

a

grant

if

you

already

have

children

If

you

already

have

children

under

You

can

only

get

a

grant

if

at

least

one

of

the

following

applies

you

’re

expecting

a

multiple

birth

such

as

twins

the

child

you

’re

caring

for

is

someone

else

’s

you

’ve

been

granted

refugee

status

or

humanitarian

protection

and

you

have

a

child

or

children

from

before

you

arrived

in

the

UK

Children

under

Grant

if

you

have

twins

Grant

if

you

have

triplets

You

have

or

more

and

of

them

are

from

multiple

births

You

’ve

already

had

twins

You

’ve

already

had

triplets

How

you

’re

paid

All

benefits

pensions

and

allowances

are

paid

into

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

Eligibility

Usually

to

qualify

for

a

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

there

must

be

no

other

children

in

your

family

You

or

your

partner

must

also

get

one

of

these

benefits

Income

Support

income

based

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

income

related

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

Pension

Credit

Child

Tax

Credit

Working

Tax

Credit

that

includes

a

disability

or

severe

disability

element

Universal

Credit

You

may

also

qualify

if

you

’re

getting

a

Support

for

Mortgage

Interest

loan

If

you

live

in

Scotland

you

can

not

get

a

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

You

can

apply

for

a

Pregnancy

and

Baby

Payment

instead

If

you

already

have

children

under

You

may

still

be

able

to

get

a

grant

if

any

of

the

following

apply

you

’re

expecting

a

multiple

birth

such

as

twins

the

child

you

’re

caring

for

is

someone

else

’s

but

not

your

partner

’s

and

the

child

was

over

months

old

when

the

arrangement

started

you

’ve

been

granted

refugee

status

or

humanitarian

protection

and

you

have

a

child

or

children

from

before

you

arrived

in

the

UK

You

must

claim

by

the

deadline

If

you

’re

not

giving

birth

You

may

also

be

able

to

get

a

grant

if

you

’re

adopting

or

becoming

a

surrogate

parent

The

baby

must

be

less

than

year

old

on

the

date

you

claim

You

must

be

receiving

one

of

the

benefits

above

and

one

of

the

following

must

also

apply

you

’ve

become

responsible

for

the

baby

and

you

’re

not

the

mother

the

baby

has

been

placed

with

you

for

adoption

you

’ve

got

permission

to

adopt

a

baby

from

abroad

you

’ve

got

a

parental

order

for

a

surrogate

birth

you

’ve

been

appointed

as

guardian

you

’ve

an

adoption

or

a

residence

order

How

to

claim

You

can

claim

from

weeks

before

the

week

your

baby

is

due

The

latest

you

can

claim

is

months

after

your

baby

is

born

If

you

’re

becoming

responsible

for

a

child

you

must

claim

within

months

of

this

happening

Claim

by

post

Print

out

and

fill

in

the

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

claim

form

Get

a

health

professional

such

as

a

doctor

or

midwife

to

fill

in

the

statement

on

page

of

the

form

You

can

send

your

form

without

this

statement

if

necessary

to

meet

the

deadline

If

you

do

this

you

’ll

be

contacted

about

arranging

the

statement

at

a

later

date

Post

the

form

to

Freepost

DWP

SSMG

you

do

not

need

a

postcode

or

a

stamp

There

’s

a

different

form

and

postal

address

if

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

You

’ll

get

a

letter

telling

you

if

your

claim

was

successful

If

you

get

Universal

Credit

you

will

not

get

a

decision

on

your

claim

until

after

your

next

payment

Get

help

with

your

claim

Call

the

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

helpline

You

can

also

contact

Jobcentre

Plus

Alternative

formats

Call

the

Sure

Start

Maternity

Grant

helpline

to

ask

for

alternative

formats

such

as

braille

large

print

or

audio

CD

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration


Overview

Eligible

employees

can

take

unpaid

parental

leave

to

look

after

their

child

’s

welfare

for

example

to

spend

more

time

with

their

children

look

at

new

schools

settle

children

into

new

childcare

arrangements

spend

more

time

with

family

such

as

visiting

grandparents

Their

employment

rights

like

the

right

to

pay

holidays

and

returning

to

a

job

are

protected

during

parental

leave

Entitlement

Parental

leave

is

unpaid

You

’re

entitled

to

weeks

leave

for

each

child

and

adopted

child

up

to

their

birthday

The

limit

on

how

much

parental

leave

each

parent

can

take

in

a

year

is

weeks

for

each

child

unless

the

employer

agrees

otherwise

You

must

take

parental

leave

as

whole

weeks

eg

week

or

weeks

rather

than

individual

days

unless

your

employer

agrees

otherwise

or

if

your

child

is

disabled

You

do

n’t

have

to

take

all

the

leave

at

once

A

week

equals

the

length

of

time

an

employee

normally

works

over

days

Carrying

leave

over

from

a

previous

job

Parental

leave

applies

to

each

child

not

to

an

individual

’s

job

Eligibility

Employees

qualify

if

all

of

these

apply

they

’ve

been

in

the

company

for

more

than

a

year

they

’re

named

on

the

child

’s

birth

or

adoption

certificate

or

they

have

or

expect

to

have

parental

responsibility

they

’re

not

self

employed

or

a

worker

eg

an

agency

worker

or

contractor

they

’re

not

a

foster

parent

unless

they

’ve

secured

parental

responsibility

through

the

courts

the

child

is

under

Employers

can

ask

for

proof

like

a

birth

certificate

as

long

as

it

’s

reasonable

to

do

so

eg

they

ca

n’t

ask

for

proof

each

time

an

employee

requests

leave

Employers

can

extend

parental

leave

to

those

groups

who

are

n’t

eligible

Employees

can

check

this

in

their

staff

handbook

Notice

period

Employees

must

give

days

notice

before

their

intended

start

date

If

they

or

their

partner

are

having

a

baby

or

adopting

it

’s

days

before

the

week

the

baby

or

child

is

expected

Employees

must

confirm

the

start

and

end

dates

in

their

notice

Unless

an

employer

requests

it

this

does

n’t

have

to

be

in

writing

Delaying

leave

Leave

ca

n’t

be

postponed

delayed

if

the

employer

does

n’t

have

a

significant

reason

eg

it

would

cause

serious

disruption

to

the

business

it

’s

being

taken

by

the

father

or

partner

immediately

after

the

birth

or

adoption

of

a

child

it

means

an

employee

would

no

longer

qualify

for

parental

leave

eg

postponing

it

until

after

the

child

’s

birthday

If

it

’s

postponed

the

employer

must

write

explaining

why

within

days

of

the

original

request

suggest

a

new

start

date

this

must

be

within

months

of

the

requested

start

date

ca

n’t

change

the

amount

of

leave

being

requested


Overview

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

for

children

may

help

with

the

extra

costs

of

looking

after

a

child

who

is

under

has

difficulties

walking

or

needs

much

more

looking

after

than

a

child

of

the

same

age

who

does

not

have

a

disability

They

will

need

to

meet

all

the

eligibility

requirements

The

DLA

rate

is

between

and

a

week

and

depends

on

the

level

of

help

the

child

needs

DLA

rates

for

children

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

for

children

is

a

tax

free

benefit

made

up

of

components

parts

The

child

might

qualify

for

one

or

both

components

Care

component

Care

component

Weekly

rate

Lowest

Middle

Highest

Mobility

component

Mobility

component

Weekly

rate

Lower

Higher

How

DLA

for

children

is

paid

DLA

is

usually

paid

every

weeks

on

a

Tuesday

If

your

payment

date

is

on

a

bank

holiday

you

will

usually

be

paid

before

the

bank

holiday

After

that

you

’ll

continue

to

get

paid

as

normal

All

benefits

pensions

and

allowances

are

paid

into

your

bank

building

society

or

credit

union

account

Extra

help

You

might

qualify

for

Carer

’s

Allowance

if

you

spend

at

least

hours

a

week

caring

for

a

child

who

gets

the

middle

or

highest

care

rate

of

DLA

Eligibility

Usually

to

qualify

for

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

for

children

the

child

must

be

under

anyone

over

must

apply

for

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

need

extra

looking

after

or

have

walking

difﬁculties

be

in

Great

Britain

a

European

Economic

Area

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

when

you

claim

there

are

some

exceptions

such

as

family

members

of

the

Armed

Forces

have

lived

in

Great

Britain

for

at

least

of

the

last

months

if

over

years

old

be

habitually

resident

in

the

UK

Ireland

Isle

of

Man

or

the

Channel

Islands

not

be

subject

to

immigration

control

The

process

is

different

in

Northern

Ireland

There

are

some

exceptions

to

these

conditions

if

the

child

is

living

in

or

coming

from

an

EEA

country

or

Switzerland

You

can

claim

DLA

for

children

if

you

’re

in

or

out

of

work

Children

under

A

child

under

months

must

have

lived

in

Great

Britain

for

at

least

weeks

A

child

aged

between

months

and

years

must

have

lived

in

Great

Britain

for

at

least

of

the

last

weeks

The

rules

on

residence

do

not

normally

apply

if

a

child

is

terminally

ill

The

child

’s

disability

or

health

condition

The

child

’s

disability

or

health

condition

must

mean

at

least

one

of

the

following

apply

they

need

much

more

looking

after

than

a

child

of

the

same

age

who

does

not

have

a

disability

they

have

difficulty

getting

about

They

must

have

had

these

difficulties

for

at

least

months

and

expect

them

to

last

for

at

least

months

If

they

’re

terminally

ill

that

is

not

expected

to

live

more

than

months

they

do

not

need

to

have

had

these

difficulties

for

months

Care

component

The

rate

the

child

gets

depends

on

the

level

of

looking

after

they

need

for

example

lowest

rate

help

for

some

of

the

day

middle

rate

frequent

help

or

constant

supervision

during

the

day

supervision

at

night

or

someone

to

help

while

they

’re

on

dialysis

highest

rate

help

or

supervision

throughout

both

day

and

night

or

they

’re

terminally

ill

Mobility

component

The

rate

the

child

gets

depends

on

the

level

of

help

they

need

getting

about

for

example

lowest

rate

they

can

walk

but

need

help

and

or

supervision

when

outdoors

highest

rate

they

can

not

walk

can

only

walk

a

short

distance

without

severe

discomfort

could

become

very

ill

if

they

try

to

walk

or

they

’re

blind

or

severely

sight

impaired

There

are

also

age

limits

to

receiving

the

mobility

component

lowest

rate

the

child

must

be

years

or

over

highest

rate

the

child

must

be

years

or

over

If

your

child

is

under

these

ages

and

you

claim

DLA

for

them

you

should

be

sent

a

claim

pack

months

before

they

turn

and

months

before

they

turn

You

can

then

apply

for

the

mobility

component

if

you

think

they

’re

eligible

for

it

If

you

have

not

received

any

claim

packs

and

you

think

your

child

may

be

entitled

to

the

mobility

component

contact

the

Disability

Service

Centre

Change

of

circumstances

Contact

the

Disability

Service

Centre

as

soon

as

the

child

’s

circumstances

change

This

can

affect

how

much

they

get

for

example

if

their

disability

gets

worse

or

they

go

abroad

for

medical

treatment

Their

DLA

will

not

usually

be

affected

if

they

go

into

a

local

authority

care

home

for

less

than

days

into

a

hospital

abroad

for

less

than

weeks

abroad

for

less

than

weeks

to

get

medical

treatment

for

a

condition

which

began

before

they

left

How

to

claim

To

claim

DLA

for

a

child

you

need

to

be

their

parent

or

look

after

them

as

if

you

’re

their

parent

This

includes

step

parents

guardians

grandparents

foster

parents

or

older

brothers

or

sisters

To

apply

you

can

either

print

off

and

fill

in

the

DLA

claim

form

phone

the

Disability

Living

Allowance

helpline

and

ask

for

a

printed

form

The

process

is

different

in

Northern

Ireland

Alternative

formats

Call

the

Disability

Living

Allowance

helpline

to

ask

for

alternative

formats

such

as

braille

large

print

or

audio

CD

When

you

’ll

be

paid

DLA

can

be

paid

from

the

start

of

your

claim

It

can

not

be

backdated

Your

claim

will

start

on

the

date

the

form

is

received

or

the

date

you

call

the

enquiry

line

if

you

return

the

claim

pack

within

weeks

You

’ll

usually

get

a

decision

letter

about

weeks

working

days

after

your

form

is

received

The

letter

will

tell

you

when

you

’ll

get

your

first

payment

If

the

child

is

terminally

ill

There

are

special

rules

if

the

child

is

not

expected

to

live

more

than

months

so

they

can

get

DLA

more

quickly

Phone

the

Disability

Living

Allowance

helpline

to

start

your

claim

Ask

a

doctor

or

other

healthcare

professional

for

form

They

’ll

either

fill

it

in

and

give

the

form

to

you

or

send

it

directly

to

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

DWP

If

you

disagree

with

a

decision

You

can

challenge

a

decision

about

your

claim

This

is

called

asking

for

mandatory

reconsideration

When

your

child

turns

Your

child

will

need

to

apply

for

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

when

they

turn

When

they

apply

for

PIP

Your

child

will

get

a

letter

inviting

them

to

apply

for

PIP

The

letter

will

be

sent

shortly

after

their

birthday

when

they

leave

hospital

if

they

were

in

hospital

on

their

birthday

about

weeks

before

their

DLA

award

ends

if

they

were

awarded

DLA

under

the

rules

for

people

who

are

terminally

ill

Your

child

’s

DLA

payments

will

stop

unless

they

apply

for

PIP

by

the

date

given

in

the

letter

If

they

apply

by

the

date

given

in

the

letter

they

’ll

continue

to

receive

DLA

until

their

claim

is

assessed


Overview

The

Care

to

Learn

scheme

can

help

with

childcare

costs

while

you

study

You

must

be

aged

under

at

the

start

of

your

course

The

scheme

is

available

for

publicly

funded

courses

in

England

This

includes

courses

in

schools

sixth

forms

in

schools

sixth

form

colleges

What

you

'll

get

You

can

get

up

to

per

child

per

week

if

you

live

outside

London

per

child

per

week

if

you

live

in

London

What

it

covers

Care

to

Learn

can

help

with

the

cost

of

your

childcare

including

deposit

and

registration

fees

a

childcare

taster

session

for

up

to

days

keeping

your

childcare

place

over

the

summer

holidays

taking

your

child

to

their

childcare

provider

Payments

Childcare

payments

go

directly

to

your

childcare

provider

Before

they

can

be

paid

your

childcare

provider

needs

to

confirm

your

child

’s

attendance

your

school

or

college

needs

to

confirm

that

you

’re

attending

your

course

Travel

payments

go

direct

to

your

school

or

college

they

’ll

either

pay

you

or

arrange

travel

for

you

When

payments

stop

Payments

end

when

you

stop

attending

your

course

you

reach

the

end

of

your

course

your

child

stops

attending

childcare

Eligibility

You

can

get

Care

to

Learn

if

all

of

the

following

apply

to

you

you

’re

a

parent

under

at

the

start

of

your

course

you

’re

the

main

carer

for

your

child

you

live

in

England

you

’re

either

a

British

citizen

or

have

a

legal

right

to

live

and

study

in

England

your

course

qualifies

your

childcare

provider

qualifies

If

you

’re

an

EU

citizen

and

you

were

living

in

the

UK

by

December

you

can

apply

to

the

EU

Settlement

Scheme

to

continue

living

here

after

June

If

you

want

to

move

to

the

UK

from

January

you

may

need

to

apply

for

a

visa

Your

course

Care

to

Learn

is

only

available

for

publicly

funded

courses

in

England

This

includes

courses

that

take

place

in

schools

sixth

forms

in

schools

sixth

form

colleges

other

colleges

and

learning

providers

including

Foundation

Learning

your

community

at

Children

’s

Centres

Your

learning

provider

can

tell

you

if

your

course

is

eligible

Your

childcare

provider

To

qualify

your

childcare

provider

must

be

registered

with

Ofsted

They

can

be

a

childminder

preschool

playgroup

day

nursery

out

of

school

club

Who

can

not

get

Care

to

Learn

You

’re

not

eligible

if

you

’re

an

apprentice

who

gets

a

salary

you

’re

doing

a

higher

education

course

at

university

Apply

for

Care

to

Learn

You

must

choose

your

learning

provider

and

childcare

provider

before

you

apply

You

need

to

make

a

new

application

for

each

year

you

study

Your

childcare

provider

is

paid

from

the

beginning

of

your

course

if

you

apply

either

before

your

course

starts

within

days

of

starting

your

course

If

you

apply

after

that

your

childcare

provider

will

only

be

paid

from

the

beginning

of

the

week

that

your

application

was

received

Apply

online

for

Care

to

Learn

After

you

've

applied

You

must

give

your

learning

provider

either

a

copy

of

the

child

’s

birth

certificate

a

letter

confirming

receipt

of

Child

Benefit

for

that

child

If

you

qualify

You

’ll

get

a

letter

and

a

payment

plan

telling

you

what

financial

help

you

can

get

Your

childcare

provider

will

only

be

paid

after

you

’ve

provided

this

Your

childcare

provider

will

also

get

the

payment

plan

to

let

them

know

when

they

’ll

be

paid

If

you

’re

eligible

for

travel

costs

your

learning

provider

will

be

told

about

payments

for

this

If

your

circumstances

change

You

must

report

changes

to

your

personal

details

childcare

provider

hours

of

childcare

travel

costs

learning

provider

You

can

do

this

by

updating

your

online

application

Benefits

Claiming

Care

to

Learn

will

not

affect

your

family

’s

benefits

or

allowances


Overview

There

is

a

wide

range

of

disability

related

financial

support

including

benefits

tax

credits

payments

grants

and

concessions

Some

benefits

you

might

get

are

Universal

Credit

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

or

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

Attendance

Allowance

new

style

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

Depending

on

your

circumstances

you

might

also

be

able

to

get

Industrial

Injuries

Benefit

if

you

’re

disabled

as

a

result

of

work

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

if

you

need

daily

care

and

attention

because

of

a

disability

This

guide

is

also

available

in

Welsh

Cymraeg

Vehicles

and

transport

If

you

’re

disabled

you

can

apply

for

the

following

exemption

from

paying

vehicle

tax

parking

benefits

Blue

Badge

disabled

persons

bus

pass

or

railcard

help

to

buy

or

lease

a

car

from

The

Motability

Scheme

Home

and

housing

If

you

’ve

been

assessed

by

your

local

council

as

needing

care

and

support

services

you

can

get

Direct

payments

allowing

you

to

buy

in

and

arrange

help

yourself

instead

of

getting

it

directly

from

social

services

Disabled

Facilities

Grants

which

is

money

towards

the

costs

of

home

adaptations

to

enable

you

to

continue

living

there

If

you

’re

on

a

low

income

You

may

be

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

and

could

get

help

with

housing

costs

If

not

check

if

you

’re

eligible

for

Housing

Benefit

and

Council

Tax

Reduction

from

your

local

council

Help

if

you

’re

employed

You

may

be

able

to

top

up

a

low

salary

by

claiming

Universal

Credit

You

also

might

be

able

to

get

an

Access

to

Work

grant

to

pay

for

special

equipment

adaptations

or

support

worker

services

to

help

you

do

things

like

answer

the

phone

or

go

to

meetings

help

getting

to

and

from

work

mental

health

support

communication

support

at

a

job

interview

for

example

a

British

Sign

Language

interpreter

or

a

lipspeaker

VAT

relief

on

certain

goods

and

services

You

do

not

have

to

pay

VAT

on

certain

goods

and

services

if

they

’re

just

for

your

own

use

and

you

’re

disabled

or

have

a

long

term

illness

Armed

forces

compensation

You

may

be

able

to

get

compensation

if

you

’ve

been

injured

or

disabled

while

serving

in

the

armed

forces

Disability

and

sickness

benefits

Disability

Living

Allowance

for

children

Disability

Living

Allowance

for

children

DLA

is

a

tax

free

benefit

for

children

under

to

help

with

the

extra

costs

caused

by

long

term

ill

health

or

a

disability

Disability

Living

Allowance

for

adults

Personal

Independence

Payment

is

gradually

replacing

DLA

for

adults

with

long

term

ill

health

or

a

disability

If

you

’ve

reached

State

Pension

age

you

can

apply

for

Attendance

Allowance

instead

Personal

Independence

Payment

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

is

a

tax

free

benefit

for

people

aged

or

over

who

have

not

reached

State

Pension

age

It

can

help

with

the

extra

costs

caused

by

long

term

ill

health

or

a

disability

Attendance

Allowance

Attendance

Allowance

is

a

tax

free

benefit

for

people

who

are

State

Pension

age

or

over

have

a

disability

and

need

someone

to

help

look

after

them

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

You

may

be

able

to

get

new

style

Employment

and

Support

Allowance

ESA

if

you

can

not

work

because

of

illness

or

disability

Carers

Carer

’s

Allowance

is

extra

money

to

help

you

look

after

someone

with

substantial

caring

needs

You

could

also

get

Carer

’s

Credit

so

there

will

not

be

any

gaps

in

your

National

Insurance

record

if

you

have

to

take

on

caring

responsibilities

Vehicles

and

transport

You

’ll

need

to

meet

the

legal

obligations

for

drivers

before

you

can

drive

Blue

Badge

parking

scheme

The

Blue

Badge

scheme

provides

a

range

of

parking

benefits

for

disabled

people

with

severe

walking

difficulties

who

travel

either

as

drivers

or

as

passengers

Vehicle

tax

exemption

Eligibility

You

can

apply

for

exemption

from

paying

vehicle

tax

if

you

get

the

higher

rate

mobility

component

of

Disability

Living

Allowance

DLA

enhanced

rate

mobility

component

of

Personal

Independence

Payment

PIP

War

Pensioners

Mobility

Supplement

Armed

Forces

Independence

Payment

The

vehicle

must

be

registered

in

the

disabled

person

’s

name

or

their

nominated

driver

’s

name

It

must

only

be

used

for

the

disabled

person

’s

personal

needs

It

can

not

be

used

by

the

nominated

driver

for

their

own

personal

use

You

can

only

have

one

vehicle

tax

exemption

at

any

one

time

How

to

claim

You

claim

the

exemption

when

you

apply

for

vehicle

tax

If

you

’re

claiming

for

a

vehicle

for

the

first

time

you

have

to

claim

at

a

Post

Office

You

must

do

this

every

time

you

change

your

vehicle

Vehicle

tax

reduction

Eligibility

You

can

get

a

reduction

in

vehicle

tax

if

you

get

the

PIP

standard

rate

mobility

component

The

vehicle

should

be

registered

in

the

disabled

person

’s

name

or

their

nominated

driver

’s

name

You

can

not

get

a

reduction

for

getting

the

DLA

lower

rate

mobility

component

How

to

claim

You

must

include

the

following

with

your

application

a

letter

or

statement

from

the

Department

for

Work

and

Pensions

that

shows

your

PIP

rate

and

the

dates

you

’re

getting

it

the

vehicle

log

book

a

form

an

original

MOT

or

GVT

certificate

if

your

vehicle

needs

one

a

cheque

or

payable

order

made

out

to

DVLA

Swansea

for

of

the

full

rate

of

car

tax

for

the

vehicle

an

insurance

certificate

or

cover

note

if

you

live

in

Northern

Ireland

Do

not

send

your

PIP

assessment

or

any

other

medical

information

with

your

application

If

you

’ve

just

bought

the

vehicle

and

it

’s

not

registered

in

your

name

yet

you

’ll

need

to

complete

a

form

and

include

the

green

new

keeper

slip

from

the

log

book

with

your

application

Send

the

documents

to

If

the

vehicle

is

not

registered

to

you

or

the

nominated

driver

When

you

make

your

application

you

will

need

to

include

a

signed

letter

from

the

vehicle

’s

registered

keeper

This

needs

to

say

how

they

know

you

how

the

vehicle

will

be

used

for

example

picking

up

your

prescription

or

shopping

The

Motability

Scheme

The

Motability

Scheme

can

help

you

with

leasing

a

car

powered

wheelchair

or

scooter

You

’ll

need

to

be

getting

one

of

the

following

the

higher

rate

of

the

mobility

component

of

DLA

War

Pensioners

Mobility

Supplement

Armed

Forces

Independence

Payment

the

enhanced

rate

of

the

mobility

component

of

PIP

VAT

relief

for

vehicles

You

may

not

have

to

pay

VAT

on

having

a

vehicle

adapted

to

suit

your

condition

or

on

the

lease

of

a

Motability

vehicle

this

is

known

as

VAT

relief

Community

and

public

transport

Your

local

council

may

operate

dial

a

ride

or

taxi

schemes

for

example

using

vouchers

or

tokens

You

may

also

be

eligible

for

a

bus

pass

a

Disabled

Persons

Railcard

or

both

Home

and

housing

Direct

Payments

arranging

your

own

care

and

services

If

you

’ve

been

assessed

by

your

local

council

as

needing

care

and

support

services

you

may

want

to

choose

Direct

Payments

They

allow

you

to

buy

in

and

arrange

help

yourself

instead

of

receiving

it

directly

from

your

local

council

Disabled

Facilities

Grants

Disabled

Facilities

Grants

are

local

council

grants

It

helps

towards

the

cost

of

essential

adaptations

to

your

home

to

enable

you

to

continue

to

live

there

Council

Tax

Disabled

Band

Reduction

Scheme

You

may

be

entitled

to

a

reduction

in

your

Council

Tax

bill

if

your

home

has

certain

features

that

are

essential

to

you

living

there

Contact

your

local

council

to

apply

for

Council

Tax

Disabled

Band

Reduction

If

you

’re

on

a

low

income

Universal

Credit

If

you

’re

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

you

could

get

help

paying

for

your

housing

Housing

Benefit

Housing

Benefit

is

being

replaced

by

Universal

Credit

Most

people

will

need

to

claim

Universal

Credit

instead

Check

if

you

’re

eligible

for

Housing

Benefit

before

you

apply

You

may

also

get

a

Council

Tax

Reduction

from

your

local

council

On

a

low

income

Universal

Credit

You

may

be

able

to

get

Universal

Credit

if

you

’re

on

a

low

income

or

out

of

work

Check

if

you

’re

eligible

for

Universal

Credit

Jobseeker

’s

Allowance

JSA

You

may

be

able

to

claim

new

style

JSA

You

’ll

need

to

have

worked

as

an

employee

and

paid

Class

National

Insurance

contributions

usually

in

the

last

to

years

National

Insurance

credits

can

also

count

You

will

not

be

eligible

if

you

were

self

employed

and

only

paid

Class

National

Insurance

contributions

unless

you

were

working

as

a

share

fisherman

or

a

volunteer

development

worker

You

’ll

also

need

to

take

reasonable

steps

to

look

for

work

Check

if

you

’re

eligible

for

new

style

JSA

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

The

Blind

Person

’s

Allowance

allows

you

to

receive

an

amount

of

income

without

having

to

pay

tax

It

’s

added

to

your

personal

tax

allowance

Television

licence

discount

You

can

get

off

the

cost

of

your

TV

licence

if

either

you

’re

registered

blind

or

severely

sight

impaired

you

live

with

someone

who

is

registered

blind

or

severely

sight

impaired

If

the

person

who

is

registered

blind

is

not

the

current

licence

holder

for

your

address

you

’ll

need

to

transfer

the

licence

to

their

name

You

can

either

transfer

the

licence

online

you

’ll

need

your

licence

number

contact

TV

Licensing

to

transfer

the

licence

How

to

apply

To

claim

the

TV

licence

concession

for

blind

people

you

’ll

need

to

get

a

certificate

from

your

local

authority

or

ophthalmologist

stating

that

you

are

registered

blind

or

severely

sight

impaired

In

Northern

Ireland

the

certificate

or

document

must

be

issued

by

or

on

behalf

of

a

Health

and

Social

Services

Trust

On

the

Isle

of

Man

it

must

be

issued

by

or

on

behalf

of

the

Department

for

Health

and

Social

Services

Post

a

copy

of

the

certificate

along

with

your

licence

renewal

notice

if

you

have

one

and

a

cheque

or

postal

order

for

the

licence

to

Remember

to

include

your

name

address

phone

number

and

TV

licence

number

if

you

have

one

VAT

relief

for

disabled

people

If

you

’re

disabled

or

have

a

long

term

illness

you

will

not

be

charged

VAT

on

products

designed

or

adapted

for

your

own

personal

or

domestic

use

Also

you

will

not

be

charged

VAT

on

the

installation

and

any

extra

work

needed

as

part

of

this

repairs

or

maintenance

spare

parts

or

accessories

The

product

and

your

disability

have

to

qualify

Qualifying

products

or

services

Your

supplier

can

tell

you

but

usually

products

designed

or

adapted

for

a

disability

qualify

For

example

certain

types

of

adjustable

beds

stair

lifts

wheelchairs

medical

appliances

to

help

with

severe

injuries

alarms

braille

paper

or

low

vision

aids

but

not

spectacles

or

contact

lenses

motor

vehicles

or

the

leasing

of

a

motability

vehicle

building

work

like

ramps

widening

doors

installing

a

lift

or

toilet

How

to

get

the

product

VAT

free

To

get

the

product

VAT

free

your

disability

has

to

qualify

For

VAT

purposes

you

’re

disabled

or

have

a

long

term

illness

if

you

have

a

physical

or

mental

impairment

that

affects

your

ability

to

carry

out

everyday

activities

for

example

blindness

you

have

a

condition

that

’s

treated

as

chronic

sickness

like

diabetes

you

’re

terminally

ill

You

do

not

qualify

if

you

’re

elderly

but

not

disabled

or

if

you

’re

temporarily

disabled

You

’ll

need

to

confirm

in

writing

that

you

meet

these

conditions

Your

supplier

may

give

you

a

form

for

this

Help

from

your

council

You

can

apply

to

your

council

for

equipment

or

help

to

adapt

your

home

if

you

have

a

disability

Importing

goods

You

do

not

pay

VAT

if

you

import

qualifying

goods

that

are

for

your

own

personal

or

domestic

use

This

includes

certain

goods

for

blind

and

partially

sighted

people

If

you

use

a

freight

service

they

can

help

you

with

the

paperwork

otherwise

make

sure

the

following

is

written

on

parcel

Goods

for

disabled

people

relief

claimed

If

you

bring

them

in

yourself

declare

them

in

the

red

channel

at

Customs

For

any

other

method

of

import

contact

the

National

Import

Reliefs

Unit

Work

related

injuries

or

illness

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

You

may

be

entitled

to

get

Industrial

Injuries

Benefit

if

you

’re

disabled

as

a

result

of

an

accident

at

work

a

disease

deafness

caused

by

work

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

You

can

claim

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

if

you

need

daily

care

and

attention

because

of

a

disability

and

you

claim

Industrial

Injuries

Disablement

Benefit

Armed

forces

compensation

You

can

claim

for

compensation

if

while

serving

in

the

armed

forces

you

got

an

injury

or

illness

an

existing

condition

you

had

was

made

worse

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

You

can

also

apply

for

Constant

Attendance

Allowance

if

you

need

daily

care

for

a

disability