Benefit Entitlement

Am I entitled to benefits?

Being unaware of benefit entitlements is a common but avoidable cause of financial hardship. In fact, billions of pounds goes unclaimed in the UK every year. If you can say yes to any of the following questions then there’s a possibility that you are entitled to financial support to supplement your income:

• Are you on a low income and you’re employed or looking for work?
• Are you ill or disabled?
• Are you aged 60 or over?
• Do you have dependent children?
• Are you pregnant or have you recently had a baby?
• Are you caring for someone?
• Have you been bereaved?

What types of benefits are available?

The benefits system in the UK is complex. Fortunately, Gov.uk, the UK government’s public services and information website, has lots of useful information about different types of welfare benefits including eligibility, payment amounts and how to make a claim.

• Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income Support
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Child Benefit
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Council Tax Reduction
• Housing Benefit
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance

How do I know what benefits I’m entitled to?

Debt Advice Foundation has a free to use online benefits calculator that will help you to identify what benefits you may be entitled to based on your current circumstances and how to make a claim.

Gov.uk and Money Saving Expert also offer online benefit checker tools.

What if my benefit entitlement isn’t enough to cover my outgoings?

If you’re enquiring about benefit entitlement because you need additional income to help you meet your monthly debt or arrears repayments then it might be a good idea to speak to a specialist debt adviser.

The purpose of most benefits is to make sure the basic needs of the recipient are met, which means that any additional income is unlikely to help you meet your credit commitments.

If you have unmanageable debt, there are a number of options that may be available to you that will actually reduce your monthly repayments to a more realistic and affordable level, stop creditors taking enforcement action against you and protect important assets such as your home.

If you require debt advice or need to talk to someone in confidence about any aspect of debt, there’s no need to wait or book an appointment, the charity’s free debt advice helpline is open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.

If you’re looking to get back in to work or change your career, Gov.uk has a useful employment section, which includes a job search tool as well as information on apprenticeships, work experience and volunteering.