What Benefits Can I Claim in England and Wales?

Who this guide is for

People in England or Wales who want to know which benefits they may be able to claim, and who can claim each one.

What this guide does not cover

• People in Scotland or Northern Ireland: see the Scotland guide or the Northern Ireland guide.
• How much you would get: this guide gives no benefit amounts. Use a benefits calculator (see Where to go for help).
• Losing your job, New Style JSA and Universal Credit amounts: use the unemployment checker.
• Challenging a Universal Credit decision: use the Universal Credit appeals checker.
• Complaints about how a benefits office treated you: use the benefits complaints checker.
• Tax on foster care payments: use the foster carers checker.
• State Pension amounts, students, people from abroad and people in prison or a care home. Ask a free adviser.

The questions that decide the answer

1. Where do you live? England or Wales: this guide. Scotland has its own disability and carer benefits. Northern Ireland has its own guide.
2. How old are you? Under State Pension age: Universal Credit, PIP and Carer's Allowance may apply. State Pension age or over: Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance may apply.
3. Do you have a health condition or disability? PIP (16 to State Pension age), Attendance Allowance (State Pension age or over), or Disability Living Allowance for a child under 16.
4. Do you care for someone for 35 hours a week or more? Carer's Allowance may apply, if the person you care for gets a qualifying disability benefit.
5. What are your household's income and savings? They matter for Universal Credit and Pension Credit. They do not matter for PIP or Attendance Allowance.

"I'm on a low income or out of work"

Universal Credit covers people on a low income or out of work. If you live with a partner you claim as a couple, and your partner's income and savings are counted. Money, savings and investments under £6,000 do not affect Universal Credit, and you usually cannot get it with more than £16,000. You can get Universal Credit while working.

If an illness or disability limits your work, New Style Employment and Support Allowance may also apply. For losing your job, use the unemployment checker.

"My Universal Credit has been sanctioned"

• A sanction means your Universal Credit is cut because the DWP says you did not do something you were asked to do, such as going to an appointment, without a good reason. You are told in your Universal Credit journal or by letter. If you had a good reason, your payment is not reduced.
• How long it lasts depends on the level. Lowest level (your only requirement is to take part in appointments to discuss work): from the date of the appointment until the day before you contact the DWP to arrange a new one. You must then take part in it.
• Low level: until the day before you do the activity, plus usually 7 days. It is 14, then 28 days extra if you have had other low level sanctions in the last 365 days.
• Medium level: 28 days for your first in any 365 days. It might be 91 days if you had another one in the past year.
• High level: 91 days for your first. It can be up to 182 days if you had another one in the past year.
• If you are 16 or 17, sanctions are usually shorter: medium usually 7 days (14 after another in the past year), high usually 14 days (28 after another in the past year).
• You will not have 2 sanctions at once, but they can run back to back.
• How much: your standard allowance is cut by 100% for each day of the sanction, or 40% if you are 16 or 17 or your only requirement is to attend appointments to discuss work. Less may be taken off if you care for young children or people with disabilities, your baby is due in less than 11 weeks, you had a baby less than 15 weeks ago, or a child was placed with you for adoption less than a year ago. The amounts for children and housing are still paid.
• Hardship payment: if you cannot pay for rent, heating, food or hygiene needs because of a sanction, you can ask for a hardship payment. You pay it back through your Universal Credit, so your payments are lower until it is repaid.
• To challenge a sanction, ask for mandatory reconsideration (a note in your journal, by phone, face to face or in writing), usually within one month of the date of the decision. Use the Universal Credit appeals checker.

Housing Benefit

• You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if you have reached State Pension age, or you live in supported, sheltered or temporary housing. If you live with a partner, the State Pension age rule means you both need to have reached it, unless one of you started claiming Pension Credit for you as a couple before 15 May 2019.
• Otherwise, claim Universal Credit. It can include help with housing costs.
• Housing Benefit is handled by your local council. If you think a decision is wrong, you can ask the council to look at it again, or appeal to an independent tribunal. Ask the council within one month of being told about the decision. An appeal is sent to the council, not the tribunal, usually within one month of the date the decision was sent to you.

"I have a health condition or disability"

PIP: you can get it if you are 16 or over, you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, you have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around, and you expect the difficulties to last for at least 12 months from when they started. You usually need to be under State Pension age to make a new claim. PIP is not affected by your earnings or savings, and you can get it while working. There are different rules if you are nearing the end of life.

How PIP is scored: you get points for 10 daily living activities and 2 mobility activities (planning and following journeys, and moving around). For each part, 8 to 11 points gives the standard rate and 12 or more gives the enhanced rate. You are only treated as able to do an activity if you can do it reliably: safely, to an acceptable standard, as often as you need to, and in no more than twice the time it would take someone without your condition. Moving around scores 0 points if you can stand and then move more than 200 metres, 4 points for more than 50 but no more than 200 metres, 8 points for more than 20 but no more than 50 metres without an aid, 10 points for that distance using an aid such as a walking stick, and 12 points if you cannot move more than 20 metres. If a decision says you can walk further than you reliably can, say so when you ask for mandatory reconsideration and send any evidence you have.

Attendance Allowance: if you have reached State Pension age, have a physical or mental disability or a health condition severe enough that you need help caring for yourself or someone to supervise you, and have needed that help for at least 6 months. You must also have been in Great Britain for at least 2 of the last 3 years, with some exceptions.

A child under 16: Disability Living Allowance for children, if the child needs extra looking after or has walking difficulties.

"I look after someone"

Carer's Allowance: if you are 16 or over, you look after someone for at least 35 hours a week, you are not in full-time education, and your earnings are under the limit. The person you care for must get a qualifying benefit, such as the daily living part of PIP, the middle or higher care rate of Disability Living Allowance, or Attendance Allowance. You do not have to be related to them or live with them.

"I've reached State Pension age"

Pension Credit gives extra money to help with living costs if you are over State Pension age and on a low income. You can get it even if you have other income, savings or own your home. You might get extra help if you are a carer, severely disabled or responsible for a child.

Attendance Allowance: see above. You cannot usually make a new claim for PIP after State Pension age.

"I have children"

Child Benefit is for people responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training. Only one person can get it for a child, and there is no limit to how many children you can claim for. Claiming also gives you National Insurance credits.

Universal Credit can also include help for children and childcare.

Deadlines you must meet

• This guide sets out no deadline for claiming. If you think you qualify, claim.
• If a DWP decision on your claim is wrong (for example PIP, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance or ESA), you usually need to ask for mandatory reconsideration within one month of the date on your decision letter. Contact the office on your letter by phone or in writing, or use form CRMR1, say which parts of the decision are wrong and why, and send any evidence. If the month has passed, still ask and explain why you are late: a late request can be accepted up to 13 months after the decision if you have a good reason.
• If you still disagree after mandatory reconsideration, you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal, which is independent of the DWP. Appeal within one month of the date on your mandatory reconsideration notice, online on GOV.UK or on form SSCS1 with a copy of the notice. It is free. If you appeal late you must explain why, and a late appeal might not be accepted. Your decision letter says if you can appeal straight away without mandatory reconsideration.
• Universal Credit decisions: use the Universal Credit appeals checker.

Money figures

• Universal Credit: savings under £6,000 do not count; above £16,000 you usually cannot get it. This guide gives no benefit amounts.

Traps

• PIP and Attendance Allowance are not means-tested. Your savings do not stop them.
• You cannot usually start a new PIP claim after State Pension age. Attendance Allowance is the benefit for that age.
• Carer's Allowance depends on the person you care for getting a qualifying benefit.
• Scotland has its own disability and carer benefits: use the Scotland guide there.
• In Northern Ireland, benefits are run by the Department for Communities: use the Northern Ireland guide.