Benefits information

This information can help you find some of the benefits you may be entitled to depending on your circumstances, calculate your own benefits, deal with benefit problems and avoid getting into benefit trouble. 

It must be read alongside information on changes to benefits due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

To receive updates on homelessness prevention and financial inclusion related services, provision and changes linked to the Coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic, please subscribe to the Active Inclusion Newcastle information update.

• Benefit rates
• What benefits can I receive in the following 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 

The Government publishes details of benefit rates. 

From April 2022 - March 2022

HMRC benefits like Tax Credits and Child Benefit

DWP benefits.  Also, the legislation with the agreed rates

From April 2021 - March 2022

The Government published two sets of rates due to the temporary uplift in Universal Credit:

• benefit rates with the £20 Universal Credit uplift (from April to September 2021)
• benefit rates without the Universal Credit uplift (from October to March 2022)

For details of benefit and tax credit rates now and in earlier years please visit the Rightsnet website.

What benefits can I receive in the following situations?  

Most benefits are administered by the Government's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Others are offered via HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the council or employers.

More detail can be found in our introduction to benefits and tax credits guide.

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)

Need help with NHS costs

• See this online eligibility checking tool to see if you are entitled to free NHS prescriptions, NHS dental treatment and other NHS health costs such as sight tests
• The NHS Low Income Scheme for help with the cost of NHS prescriptions, NHS dental treatment and more
• A maternity exemption certificate for free NHS prescriptions (this is valid until your child is one, and can also be used to prove your entitlement to free NHS dental treatment)

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? 

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 (ESA) and Universal Credit incapacity for work test (pdf 533kb)
• Ways to avoid losing Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (pdf 197kb)
• What to do if you disagree with an incapacity for work decision for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit (pdf 278kb)
• Guide to Personal Independence payment (PIP), including how to complete the self-assessment claim form (PIP2) - by Disability Rights UK
• What to do if you disagree with a Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance decision (pdf 468kb)
• Working families and Working Tax Credit. Exceptions to the 24 hour rule for couples (pdf, 207kb)
• Redundancy, finishing work and benefits  (pdf, 330kb)
• Benefits in work (pdf, 268kb)
• Advicenow have guides on challenging a Work Capability Assessment for ESA and UC decision, a Personal Independence Payment decision and a Disability Living Allowance decision.

See also our Introduction to Benefits and Tax Credits guide.

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