Benefits information

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The following information has to be read alongside government changes due to coronavirus. Please also see our special page on coronavirus and benefits.

This information can help you find some of the benefits you may be entitled to depending on your circumstances, calculate your own benefit, deal with benefit problems and avoid getting into benefit trouble. More detail is in our Introduction to Benefits and Tax Credits guide below

• Benefit rates
• What benefits can I receive in these situations?
• In urgent financial need or crisis
• Online benefits calculators
• What other help am I entitled to?
• Dealing with and avoiding benefit problems
• Self help factsheets and guides 
• Where can I go for further information and advice?

Benefit Rates 

Benefit and Tax Credit rates for this and earlier years by Rightsnet

Benefit Rates Quick Guide and more detailed Benefit Rates Booklet for 2021-22 including details of the Universal Credit uplift by Wolverhampton Welfare Rights Service

Benefit rates from April 2021 - March 2022 on gov.uk - with the Universal Credit £20 a week uplift from April till September 2021. Benefit rates from April 2021 - March 2022 on gov.uk - without the Universal Credit £20 a week uplift.

Details about the Universal Credit uplift on our Coronavirus and benefits - special webpages

More details on the 2020/21 rates from the government,  HMRC and the Commons Library

What benefits can I receive in these situations?  

Most of these link to Government information but sometimes to other independent sites. Most benefits are run by the Government's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Those run by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Local Authority and employers - are noted in brackets. More detail is in our Introduction to Benefits and Tax Credits guide below

Bereaved 

You may be entitled to...

• Bereavement Support Payment (from April 2017)
• Bereavement Allowance
• Bereavement Payment
• Funeral Payments
• Widowed Parent's Allowance

Caring for someone

You may be entitled to...

• Carer's Allowance

See also Financial Support on Carersuk website

Responsible for a child 

You may be entitled to...

• Child Benefit  (HMRC)
• Child Tax Credits (HMRC) or Universal Credit
• Cold Weather Payment 
• Guardian's Allowance  (HMRC)
• Healthy Start Scheme and Welfare Food 
• Free school meals (Local Authority)
• Maternity Allowance
• Shared Parental Pay 
• Statutory Adoption Pay  (Employer)
• Statutory Maternity Pay  (Employer)
• Statutory Paternity Pay  (Employer)
• Sure Start Maternity Grant  (Employer)

Disabled 

You may be entitled to...

• Attendance Allowance
• Cold Weather Payment
• Disability Living Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Personal Independence Payment. See also factsheets below
• War Disablement Pension

See also ‘caring for someone’ above

See also benefit factsheets and guides from Disability Rights UK and advice and support for families with disabled children from Contact

Incapable of work 

You may be entitled to...

• Cold Weather Payment
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)  or Universal Credit
• Contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Statutory Sick Pay (Employer)

See also  factsheets below: How ESA is assessed, how to complete an ESA form and how to avoid losing ESA   

See also benefit factsheets and guides from Disability Rights UK

Managing on a low income 

You may be entitled to...

• Budgeting Loan or similar in Universal credit (budgeting advances)
• Supporting Independence Scheme (Local Authority)
• Cold Weather Payment 
• Crisis Support Scheme (Local Authority)
• Short Term Benefit Advance
• Funeral Payments
• Income Support  or Universal Credit
• Working Tax Credit (HMRC) or Universal Credit

See also ‘working’ and 'In urgent financial need or crisis' below

Need help with paying housing costs (rent or mortgage) or Council Tax

You may be entitled to...

• Council Tax Support (Local Authority)
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal credit
• Income Support or Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance  (Local Authority) or Universal Credit
• Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) Scheme (Local Authority)

An older person - of pension age 

You may be entitled to...

• Cold Weather Payment
• Pension Credit
• State Pension
• Winter Fuel Payment
• See Attendance Allowance above

See also benefits for older people from AgeUK

Pregnant 

You may be entitled to...

• Healthy Start food vouchers and vitamins (NHS)
• Maternity Allowance
• Shared Parental Pay
• Sure Start Maternity Grant
• Statutory Maternity Pay (Employer)

See also know your rights from Maternity Action

Unemployed and looking for work 

You may be entitled to...

• Income based Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit
• Contribution based Jobseeker's Allowance
• See also How can I avoid a benefit sanction?  below

 Working 

You may be entitled to… 

• Working Tax Credit (HMRC)
• Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance (Local Authority)
• Universal Credit

Also see our factsheets ‘Benefits in work’ and ‘Redundancy, finishing work and benefits’ below 

Also see Benefits and Tax Credits from workingfamilies.org

In urgent financial need or crisis 

As well as the above weekly benefits, the DWP and jobcentre also provide single payments in certain situations, for example:

• Budgeting loans, funeral and maternity grants from the Social Fund by the DWP 
• Repayable 'short term benefit advances' for those waiting for a benefit payment and in financial need.
• Under Universal Credit 'budgeting advances' replace budgeting loans and 'advance payments' replace short term benefit advances. 

See more information about help with urgent and one-off needs by the Council and others on our Debt and Money Advice page. See also Dealing with an avoiding benefit problems below 

Online benefit calculators 

Visit our page that describes the online benefits calculators and at a glance guides to get an estimate of the benefits, including Universal Credit, Tax Credits or pension that you may be able to claim

What other help am I entitled to? 

You may be entitled to help with health care costs such as prescriptions, dental care and eye tests. You can find out more on help with NHS costs

If you have mobility or accessibility issues you may be able to get your home adapted. Find out about home adaptations

If you are disabled you may be able to apply for a blue badge. Apply for a blue badge

How will the changes to the benefits system affect me? 

The government is implementing some major national changes to the benefits system. The changes will affect those who are claiming benefits for children, older people, unemployment, income support, housing, council tax help, or disabilities and ill health. Find out more about the benefit changes

Dealing with and avoiding benefit problems 

• How do I challenge a benefits decision?
• Benefit overpayment: Government information and what can be done about an overpayment
• What happens to my benefits if myself or a family member go to prison?
• How can I avoid a benefit sanction? 
  Your Universal Credit, Jobseekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support may be cut if you do not comply with work related requirements for those benefits. See our joint  leaflet: benefit sanctions and how to avoid them (pdf, 399kb), by Newcastle City Council and Jobcentre Plus. Also see the Government factsheet: Jobseeker's allowance sanctions: how to keep your benefit payment  

Self help factsheets and guides 

• Benefit tips for Newcastle residents and who can help  (pdf, 358kb)
• The Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit ‘work capability assessment' criteria (pdf, 620kb)
• How to complete an Employment and Support Allowance form (ESA50) and Universal Credit form (UC50) on your incapacity for work - by Swansea Council
• Ways to avoid losing Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (pdf, 199kb)
• What to do if you disagree with a 'work capability assessment' decision for Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit (pdf, 361kb)
• Guide to Personal Independence payment (PIP), including how to complete the self-assessment claim form (PIP2) - produced by Disability Rights UK (pdf, 305kb)
• Guide to completing the PIP2 form - by Swansea Council
• What to do if you disagree with a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) decision (pdf, 468kb)
• Working families and Working Tax Credit: exceptions to the 24 hour rule for couples (pdf, 333kb)
• Redundancy, finishing work and benefits  (pdf, 394kb)
• Benefits in work (pdf, 268kb)

See also our Introduction to Benefits and Tax Credits guide  April 2021 (pdf, 574kb)

Where can I go for further information and advice? 

Visit Benefit advice services in Newcastle and benefit offices
Visit the government webpage on benefits 
Visit the Citizens Advice webpages on benefits