Benefits information
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Please also see our special page on coronavirus and benefits.
The following information has to be read alongside government changes due to coronavirus
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.
- 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
Current benefit and tax credit rates for 2019/2020 (pdf 73kb) by Lasa
Last year's benefit and tax credits rates for 2018/2019 (pdf 73kb) by Lasa
What benefits can I receive in these situations?
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...
See also Financial Support on Carersuk website
Responsible for a child
You may be entitled to...
- Child Benefit
- Child Tax Credits or Universal Credit
- Cold Weather Payment
- Guardian's Allowance
- Healthy Start Scheme and Welfare Food
- Free school meals
- Maternity Allowance
- Shared Parental Pay
- Statutory Adoption Pay
- Statutory Maternity Pay
- Statutory Paternity Pay
- Sure Start Maternity Grant
Disabled
You may be entitled to...
- Attendance Allowance
- Cold Weather Payment
- Disability Living Allowance
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Personal Independence Payment
- War Disablement Pension
See also ‘caring for someone’ above
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)
- See also factsheets below: How ESA is assessed, how to complete an ESA form and how to avoid losing ESA
- Statutory Sick Pay
Managing on a low income
You may be entitled to...
- Budgeting Loan or similar in Universal credit
- Supporting Independence Scheme
- Cold Weather Payment
- Crisis Support Scheme
- Short Term Benefit Advance
- Funeral Payments
- Income Support or Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credit 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 Reduction
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal credit
- Income Support or Universal Credit
- Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance or Universal Credit
- Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) Scheme
An older person - of pension age
You may be entitled to...
Pregnant
You may be entitled to...
- Healthy Start food vouchers and vitamins
- Maternity Allowance
- Shared Parental Pay
- Sure Start Maternity Grant
- Statutory Maternity Pay
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…
Also see our factsheets ‘Benefits in work’ and ‘Redundancy, finishing work and benefits’ below
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
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 November 2019 (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’ (pdf, 620kb)
- How to complete an Employment and Support Allowance form (ESA50) and Universal Credit UC50 on your incapacity for work - produced by Swansea Social Inclusion Unit (pdf, 702kb)
- Ways to avoid losing Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (pdf, 199kb)
- What to do if you disagree with a 'work capability assessment 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)
- 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 September 2018 (pdf, 268kb)
See also our Introduction to Benefits and Tax Credits guide October 2019 (pdf, 572kb)
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
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