Social security

This section of the website provides general guidance on social security benefits and legislation.

The advice in these briefs provides some basic details on social security benefits and legislation. They do not attempt to describe every aspect, and should not be regarded as an authoritative statement of the law in any particular case.

TSSA members should, where necessary, seek advice in the light of their particular circumstances.

Family and housing benefits

Bereavement Allowance: A system of bereavement benefits for men and women, introduced in April 2001.
Bereavement Payment: A new system of bereavement benefits for men and women was introduced in April 2001.
Budgeting Loans: If you or your partner have been getting Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance or Pension Credit, or payment on account of a combination of these benefits, for at least 26 weeks, you can spread the cost of things other than regular expenses, to help you or your family, by applying for repayable interest-free loans.
Child Benefit: A benefit for people bringing up children that is paid for each child and is not affected by income or savings.
Child Maintenance Bonus and Child Maintenance Premium: The Child Maintenance Bonus is a one-off payment of up to Ł1000 for people who receive child maintenance and leave benefit to start work.
Child Tax Credit (CTC): Parents who are out of work and those in work are eligible for CTC which is designed as a support for children.
Child Trust Fund: From April 2005 the government will provide all eligible children with a Ł250 voucher which can be used to open a Child Trust Fund.
Christmas Bonus: The Ł10.00 Christmas bonus is normally paid automatically to anyone who is in receipt of at least one of a variety of benefits including Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit (long term rate), Retirement Pension, etc.
Council Tax Benefit: Helps towards paying council tax.
Crisis Loan (Social Fund): A repayable interest-free loan designed for help in an emergency or disaster.
Extended Payment of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit: The rules are the same for both of these benefits, also known as Housing Benefit Run On (HBRO), and mean that you can carry on getting these benefits for an extra 4 weeks at the amount you have been getting if certain benefits stop because of work.
Funeral Payment: If you have taken responsibility for the costs of a funeral in the UK you can get help towards the cost, dependent upon your circumstances and not those of the person who has died.
Guardian’s Allowance: Guardian’s Allowance is an allowance for people bringing up a child or children because one or both of their parents has died.
Housing Benefit: If you are on a low income and paying rent, you can make a claim for Housing Benefit (also known as rent rebate (council tenancies) or rent allowance (private tenancies)).
Income Support for care homes: If you are aged 16 to under 60 and on a low income whilst living in a home either permanently or temporarily you may be able to claim Income Support.
Maternity Allowance: You can claim Maternity Allowance (MA) if you cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay and if you are employed (or self-employed) and earning on average Ł30 a week or more.
Mortgage / Home Loan Interest 52 week linking: For homeowners taking up full time work (16 hours a week or more for you, 24 hours a week or more for your partner) mortgage/home loan interest benefit linking arrangements of 52 weeks duration are available.
Mortgage Interest Run On (MIRO): You can continue to receive help with your mortgage or housing costs for an extra 4 weeks (known as Mortgage Interest Run On) at the amount you have been getting if you:
Social Fund: The Social Fund provides lump sum payments, grants and loans.
Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP): Since April 2003 you have been able to claim Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP).
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP): SMP is paid by your employer for up to 26 weeks.
Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP): Is paid to employees whose partner gives birth to or adopts a child and is paid for up to two weeks by employers.
Sure Start Maternity Grant: This is a lump sum payment to new or expectant parents worth Ł500 for each new baby. The grant is made from the Social Fund but you do not have to pay it back.
Widowed Parent’s Allowance (WPA): This benefit is designed for widowed parents bringing up at least one child (or are expecting their late husband’s baby).

Sickness and disability benefits

Attendance Allowance (AA): A tax free benefit paid to anyone aged 65 or over who needs help with their personal care because of illness or injury.
Carer’s Allowance (CA): CA (formerly called Invalid Care Allowance) is a taxable benefit for informal carers.
Christmas Bonus: The Ł10.00 Christmas bonus is normally paid automatically to anyone who is in receipt of at least one of a variety of benefits including Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit (long term rate), Retirement Pension, etc.
Community Care Grants: Community Care Grants are part of the Social Fund.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for a child under 16: You can claim DLA for a child with a severe physical or mental illness or disability if they need much more help or looking after than other children of the same age because of their illness or disability.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for a person aged 16 or over: DLA should be claimed if you have needed help for 3 months because of a severe physical or mental illness or disability, and you are likely to need it for at least another 6 months.
Free milk for disabled children: If you have a child (aged between 5 and 16) who cannot attend school because of a physical or mental disability, you can claim free milk for them.
Help for Carers: You may be able to get help with things like adapting a home for a disabled person, respite care or other support.
Incapacity Benefit: Incapacity Benefit is paid if you are unable to get Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) or your SSP has ended.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (diseases and deafness): This benefit is for those people who are ill or disabled as a result of a disease or deafness caused by work.
Pneumoconiosis Etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979: The 1979 Act provides one-off lump sum compensation for sufferers (or their dependants if they have died) of certain dust-related diseases.
Reduced Earnings Allowance (REA): If you are unable to earn as much as you normally could because you are unable to do your usual job or work due to an accident or disease caused by work before 1st October 1990 then you should make a claim for REA.
Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA): Since April 2001 it has not been possible to make a new claim for Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) but if you were getting SDA at that time you will normally continue to receive it.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): Is paid by employers to employees who are over 16 and under 65 years of age when they are sick.
Vaccine Damage Payments: You may be able to get a Vaccine Damage Payment if you think you are severely disabled and your disability was caused by vaccination against certain diseases.
War Disablement Pension: You may be able to claim a War Disablement Pension if you were injured or disabled through serving in Her Majesty’s (HM) Armed Forces or in other organisations such as the Merchant Navy.

Unemployment and pensions benefits

Additional State Pension: Depending on your individual circumstances, you may be entitled to additional State Pension which is paid in addition to the State Pension.
Back to Work Bonus: A tax free lump sum of between Ł5 and Ł1000, for people moving off benefits and into work.
Cold Weather Payments: Cold weather payments are paid automatically during periods of very cold weather.
Financial Assistance Scheme: The Pensions Act 2004 contains the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), which will offer help to some people who have lost out on their occupational pension because their scheme was under-funded when it wound up and their employer has been unable to make up the deficit.
Help with health costs: Help with health costs is available in the following circumstances
Income Support: Income Support is designed for people aged between 16 and 59, on a low income and who are either not working at all or are working on average less than 16 hours a week.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (Accidents): For people who are disabled as a result of an accident at work
Job Grant: Job Grant is a tax free payment payable if you are taking up full time work of at least 16 hours per week.
Jobseekers Allowance (JSA): JSA is paid if you are capable of working, if you are available for work and if you are actively seeking work.
Lone Parent Benefit Run On (LPRO): If you have been getting Income Support (IS) or income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA(IB)) you can get an extra 2 weeks benefit (at the same weekly amount) in the following circumstances:
Over 80 Pension: Over 80 Pension is a non-contributory pension for people aged 80 or over with little or no State Pension.
Pension Credit: There are two elements to Pensions Credit.
Rapid Reclaim: You can claim Rapid Reclaim benefit in the following circumstances.
State Pension: State Pension is for people who have reached State Pension age and is based on National Insurance (NI) contributions.
War Disablement Pension: You may be able to claim a War Disablement Pension if you were injured or disabled through serving in Her Majesty’s (HM) Armed Forces or in other organisations such as the Merchant Navy.
War Widows Pension: You may be entitled to a War Widow’s/Widower’s Pension if your husband/wife’s death was a result of their service in Armed Forces, Merchant Navy, etc.
Winter Fuel Payment: A Winter Fuel Payment is an annual payment to help people aged 60 and over with their winter heating bills.