State Benefits 2017/18 Benefits if unable to work and younger than SPA Name Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Employment & Support (ESA) Job Seeker's (JSAS) Disability Living Personal Independence Payment Basic Details Weekly benefit if off work due to sickness or accident Must be off work for 4 days in a row Earning more than 113 a week Claimed by employer Payable for up to 28 weeks It is taxable Available if illness or disability affects your ability to work If not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (self employed) this will be paid rather than ESA. Not payable if over State pension Age Can be contribution based or income related Basic rate paid for first 13 weeks During this period claimant has a medical assessment. If you qualify after 13 weeks you go on to the higher rate Benefit is taxable Paid if you are able to work, are available for work and actively looking for work You must be under the State pension Age Not normally paid if under 18 Not be working or working for less than 16 hours a week Can be contribution based or income based 73.10 a week if over 25 Benefit is taxable A tax-free benefit that is being phased out and replaced by Personal Independence Payment. Weekly benefit helps with some of the extra costs of long term ill health or disability Payment between 22 and 141.10 a week Not payable if over 64 Replacing Disability Living Tax free Not means tested 1
Benefits for persons if working on low pay Name Details Income To qualify you must meet all the following: Support Pregnant/carer/lone parent with a child under 5 Be between 16 and Pension Credit Qualifying Age. No or low income and have savings of less than 16,000 (including any spouse or partner) Working less than 16 hours a week. If spouse/partner working they must work less than 24 hours a week. Working Tax You must be over 16 and have a child or a qualifying disability. Credit Or be over 25 with or without children Can be paid past 60 but not in receipt of Pension Credit Applicants aged 25 to 59 must work 30 hours a week Age 60+, disabled, or single with at least one child must work at least 16 hours a week. A couple with one child must work a combined 24 hours with at least one working 16 hours. The basic amount is 1,960 a year which is adjusted up and down depending on individual circumstances Child Tax Means tested allowance for parents & carers of children under Credit 16 or under 20 who are still in full time education or training. Income means tested Claim can be made for all children if all were born before 6 April 2017. You can claim for the Child element and family element. If one or more child was born after 6 April 2017, CTC can only be paid for two children. You can only get the family element if at least one child born before 6 April 2017. Family element 545 a year Child element up to 2,780 Higher amounts paid for disabled children. Child Benefit Payable if you have a child who is under 16. Can be paid over 16 if in relevant training or education Withdrawn if one of a couple has income more than 50,000 Tax free Note that studying at university is not relevant education Universal Credit Will eventually replace: Income based JSA Housing Benefit Working Tax Credit Child Tax Credit Income related ESA Income Support 2
UC can be claimed by a single person anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales. A couple or family living in certain areas with two or fewer children. Three or more children, Child Tax Credit should be claimed. To qualify you must be: 18 or over Under State Pension Age Not in full time education or training Not have savings over 16,000 3
Death Benefits Bereavement Widowed Parent's Bereavement Payment Bereavement Support Payment Weekly benefit paid for up to 52 weeks from the date of the death of husband, wife or civil partner Must be over 45 when spouse/civil partner died before 6 April 2017 Survivor must be under State Pension Age You are not bringing up children Deceased had paid NIC Benefit is taxable Weekly benefit if you are a parent whose husband, wife or civil partner has died. Death must have occurred before 6 April2017. Continues until parent no longer eligible for Child Benefit. You are under State Pension Age The deceased had paid NIC Benefit is taxable Tax free lump sum payment of 2,000 Payable if wife, husband or civil partner died before 6 April 2017 Survivor was under State Pension Age Deceased wasn't in receipt of a State Pension Either survivor or deceased must have paid NIC Spouse/CP died on or after 6 April 2017 Deceased was under state pension age A lump sum payment followed by 18 monthly payments Both elements tax free 3,500/ 350 if you have children in full time education 2,500/ 100 otherwise 4
Benefits payable after State Pension Age Pension Credit Weekly benefit to give a guaranteed income of 159.35 for a single person and 243.25 for a couple. Guarantee Credit paid at minimum state pension age for women. Capital means tested by turning capital into notional income Savings Credit payable at 65 but not generally available if you reached State Pension Age after 6 April 2016 Offers a benefit if income above basic state pension. Is withdrawn gradually of income is above guarantee level Attendance Basically the same as DLA for over 65's Lower rate 55.65 a week Higher rate 83.10 a week 5
Knock on Benefits Support for Mortgage Interest To qualify you must be in receipt of either Income support, Job Seekers, Income Related ESA, Universal Credit, Pension Credit. Payments begin 39 weeks after claiming one of these Pays interest on a mortgage of up to 200,000 ( 100,000 if on PC) Standard rate 2.61% paid directly to the lender From April 2018 SMI will be abolished and replaced with a loan. Anyone receiving a qualifying benefit after 7 July 2017 will be put on to a loan rather than getting SMI Carer's The person being cared for must be getting either PIP (daily living component) attendance allowance, Disability Living Benefits Cap The carer must be over 16 Spend at least 35 hours a week Not in full time education or not studying for 21 hours or more a week Not earn more than 116 a week after tax and some expenses. Total Benefits are limited to Outside 20,000 a year if a couple Greater 20,000 if single and children live with you London 13,000 if single and no children live with you Greater London 23,000 a year if a couple 23,000 if single and children live with you 15,410 if single and no children live with you Not included in the cap are: Carer s Disability Living Personal Independence Payment 6