The following benefits are paid to people under pension age who are incapable of work because of illness or disability. Only one of these benefits can be paid to you at any one time.

If you are employed and are off work because of illness or disability, your employer should pay you Statutory Sick Pay. If you become ill, you should notify your employer. You will need to send them a medical certificate (usually after 1 week of sickness).

Statutory Sick Pay can be paid for a maximum of 28 weeks. If you lose your job before the 28 week period is finished but are still ill, you should claim Incapacity Benefit.

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Incapacity Benefit is a contributory benefit and is not means tested. It is payable if you are:

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Rate	Period
Short-term lower rate	0 - 28 weeks of incapacity
Short-term higher rate	29 - 52 weeks of incapacity
Long-term rate	After 52 weeks of incapacity

N.B. Claimants who are terminally ill, or who are in receipt of the higher rate of Disability Living Allowance Care Component, will get the long-term rate after 8 weeks of incapacity.

In addition to the basic rates of Incapacity Benefit, you may be entitled to additional allowances.

An Adult Dependency Increase can be paid if you have an adult dependant who is caring for a child, or if your spouse is aged 60 or over.

A Child Dependency Increase can be paid for each dependent child. However, this is only payable if you are under pension age and have been incapable of work for over 28 weeks.

An Age Addition is paid with the long-term rate of benefit if your incapacity began before the age of 45.

To claim Incapacity Benefit, you should complete Form SC1 and send it, with your medical certificate, to your local Benefits Agency office.

However, if you are employed and have been receiving Statutory Sick Pay, after 28 weeks, your employer should give you Form SSP1 to claim Incapacity Benefit. Complete and send this form, with your medical certificate, to your local Benefits Agency office.

If you have been incapable of work for 28 weeks, and you do not qualify for Incapacity Benefit, you may qualify for Severe Disablement Allowance. To qualify you need to meet certain residence conditions and at least one of the following conditions:

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To claim Severe Disablement Allowance, you should complete Form SDA1 and send it to your local Benefits Agency office.

Severe Disablement Allowance can continue to be paid until you reach the age of 65.

These benefits are for people who have had an accident at work or who have contracted a specified industrial disease.

If you are assessed as having an industrial disease or as having a disability as a result of an accident at work, you may be able to get Disablement Benefit. The higher the assessment of your disability, the higher the amount of benefit you will be awarded.

There are different claim forms for Disablement Benefit depending on the type of disease or injury that you have. The forms are available from your local Benefits Agency office. For further information, seek advice.

This is a benefit for people, aged under 65, who need personal care or who have difficulty in getting around.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) consists of:

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A person may be entitled to one or both components.

To qualify, you must be ordinarily resident in Great Britain and meet the specified disability conditions which are relevant to the component(s) you are applying for.

You must have been disabled for at least 3 months immediately before the date of your claim and must also show that your disability is likely to continue for at least a further 6 months. If you are terminally ill, you do not need to meet these time conditions.

You may be able to qualify for the Care Component if you need:

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A person will also qualify if they are terminally ill or if they receive renal dialysis.

You may be able to qualify for the Mobility Component if:

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A person can also qualify if they have no legs or feet, or if they are blind and deaf.

To claim DLA, you should complete Form DLA1. A leaflet requesting one of these forms can be obtained from Post Offices, or from your local Benefits Agency office.

Payment of DLA is usually made every four weeks either in an order book or directly into a bank or building society account.

Attendance Allowance is a benefit for people aged 65 or over who need personal care. There is no upper age limit for making a claim. There is no help available from this benefit if you need help with getting around outside your home.

You can be paid at a lower or higher rate depending on the amount of care or supervision you need.

You can qualify for Attendance Allowance if you need:

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A person can also qualify if they are terminally ill or if they receive renal dialysis.

You must have needed the care or supervision for 6 months. If a person is terminally ill, they do not need to meet this time condition.

Claim on Form DS2. A leaflet requesting one of these forms is available from your local Benefits Agency office.

Payment is usually made every four weeks either directly into a bank or savings account or in an order book.

This is a benefit paid to carers.

You can qualify if you are under 65 and you are spending at least 35 hours a week caring for someone. The person(s) you care for must either receive Attendance Allowance or the middle or higher rate Care Component of Disability Living Allowance.

You can work and still claim Invalid Care Allowance as long as your earnings are below a certain limit (i.e. �50 a week in 1998).

Claim on Form DS700 which is available from your local Benefits Agency office.

Payment is usually made weekly in an order book.

Income Support is a means-tested benefit which provides people with a basic level of income. It can be paid as your only source of income or as a top-up to other income. You can claim Income Support if you, or your partner, are aged 18 or over. (Some 16 and 17 year olds can also claim. Please seek further advice).

You cannot claim if:

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The amount of Income Support you will receive depends on your personal circumstances, and your income and savings. Some help can also be given towards mortgages.

If you are incapable of work, a carer or a lone parent, you should claim Income Support on Form A1 which is available from your local Benefits Agency office.

If you are aged 60 or over, you should claim Income Support by completing Form SP1 which is available from your local Benefits Agency office.

Payments of Income Support are generally made by giro or by order book. Income Support can also be paid by direct credit transfer into a bank.

Payments are usually made in arrears but are made in advance for most pensioners and widows.

If you are capable of work, you can claim Jobseeker's Allowance by "signing on" at the Employment Service Jobcentre where you will be given Form JSA1.

Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance is a means-tested benefit and the rules are very similar to the Income Support rules.

Disability Working Allowance is a benefit for low-paid, disabled workers. You may qualify if you are assessed as having a disability which puts you at a disadvantage in getting a job and you have recently been receiving one of the following benefits:

The amount of benefit you will get depends on your personal circumstances, and your income and savings. You will not be entitled to Disability Working Allowance if you have more than �16,000 in savings.

You can claim on Form DWA1 or Form DWA2 (for renewal claims) which are available from the Benefits Agency or Post Offices. The Benefits Agency will then contact your employer to find out how much you earn.

If you qualify for Disability Working Allowance, it will be paid for 26 weeks. After this you will have to re-apply.

If you have to stop work, within 2 years, because of your illness or disability, you should be awarded the same benefit you were receiving before you claimed Disability Working Allowance.

Some benefits are available to help people meet certain housing costs.

You can claim Housing Benefit if you are liable to pay rent for:

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You cannot claim Housing Benefit if you have more than �16,000 in savings. Any savings over �3,000 will reduce the amount of Housing Benefit payable.

If you make a claim for Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, you will be given Form NHB1 to claim Housing Benefit. You should complete this form and send it to your local Benefits Agency office and they will pass it on to the local council.

If you are not making a claim for Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, you need to make your Housing Benefit claim directly to your local council. Each local council has its own claim form. You should complete the form as soon as possible, as any delay in returning it may result in a loss of benefit.

If you receive Income Support or income based Jobseeker's Allowance, you will be entitled to maximum Housing Benefit (i.e. 100% of the eligible rent for your accommodation - although this may not be as much as your actual rent). If you are not eligible for Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, but are on a low income, you may still be entitled to some Housing Benefit.

Housing Benefit may be paid to directly to your landlord or to you.

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The only help available with mortgage payments is for people who receive Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

If you, or your partner, are aged 60 or over, all the mortgage interest will normally be paid from the first day of your Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance claim.

If you are aged under 60, and you took out your mortgage before 2 October 1995, you will not receive any help with your mortgage interest for the first 8 weeks of your claim. Then for the next 18 weeks 50% of the mortgage interest will be paid. Following this 100% of the mortgage interest will be paid.

If you took out your mortgage after 1 October 1995, you will not receive any help for the first 39 weeks of your claim. Following this you will receive 100% of your mortgage interest.

Any Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance that is given to cover your mortgage costs will be paid direct to your Building Society or lender.

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If you are on a low income and are liable to pay the Council Tax, you may be able to claim Council Tax Benefit. You will not qualify, however, if your savings are above �16,000.

If you make a claim for Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, you will be given Form NHB1 to claim Council Tax Benefit. You should complete this form and send it to your local Benefits Agency office and they will pass it on to your local council.

If you are not making a claim for Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, you need to make your Council Tax Benefit claim directly to your local council. Each local council has its own claim form.

If you receive Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, you will be entitled to maximum Council Tax Benefit (100% of the charge for your area). If you are not eligible for Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, but are on a low income, you may still be entitled to some Council Tax Benefit.

If you qualify for benefit, the local council will send you a Council Tax bill with your benefit already deducted.

Other help may be available with your Council Tax bill. For example, some properties (such as certain unoccupied dwellings) are exempt from the Council Tax.

Also discounts from the bill can be obtained in certain circumstances, for example, if you live alone, or if a room in the dwelling is used predominantly by a disabled person.

Please seek further advice on whether you qualify for an exemption or a discount.

No help is available for water rates, or most other housing costs such as fuel bills.

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If you receive Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance you can get free prescriptions, dental treatment, sight tests and glasses, wigs and fabric supports.

You can also get free help with some NHS charges if the treatment or NHS item is for:

Men and women aged 60 or over can also get free prescriptions.

You can also get some help with NHS costs if you have a low income. To get this help, you should apply to the Benefits Agency on Form HC1. If you qualify, you will be sent a certificate which allows you to pay reduced charges for NHS items.

Before you have your treatment, or order the NHS item, remember to:

If you have an extra expense, which you cannot meet, you may be able to get some help from the Benefits Agency Social Fund.

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Community Care Grants can be given to help purchase furniture or household equipment, bedding, clothing and footwear, or to help with removal expenses, etc. To qualify for a grant you must be on Income Support (or, if you are leaving care, you must be likely to qualify for Income Support in the next 6 weeks ), or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

Community Care Grants are discretionary. They can be given to help people re-establish themselves in the community after being in residential care, or to prevent people going into care, or to ease exceptional family pressures due to, for example, separation, disability or divorce.

You can apply on Form SF300. State clearly each item you need and a realistic price for a new item.

Budgeting Loans are paid for items such as furniture or household equipment, bedding, clothing and footwear or removal expenses, etc. To be considered for a loan, you, or your partner, must have been on Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance continuously for the last 26 weeks.

Any loan you are given will have to be repaid from your weekly benefit. You should seek advice before accepting a loan instead of a grant.

You can apply on Form SF300. State clearly each item you need and a realistic price for a new item.

Crisis Loans can be given to meet your, or your family's, immediate needs to prevent serious damage to your health or safety.

You can apply by visiting the Benefits Agency for an interview with a Social Fund Officer who will help you fill in a Form SF400. The Benefits Agency will have to be convinced that there is no other way for you to get any money before they give you a Crisis Loan.
Repayments will have to be made from any benefit you are receiving or from your normal income.

If you, or your partner, are receiving Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance and you are expecting a baby, you may be eligible for a Maternity Payment.

You can claim, on Form SF100, from 11 weeks before the baby is due until 3 months after the birth of the baby.

You may be eligible for a Funeral Payment if your partner has died. In certain circumstances you may also be entitled to a Funeral Payment if you are responsible for the funeral of a close relative or close friend. You can qualify if you are receiving Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance. Payments can be made for funerals which take place in the U.K. or in a European Union country.

You can claim, on Form SF200, within 3 months of the funeral.

You will automatically receive a Cold Weather Payment, during a period of very cold weather, if you receive Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and you are either disabled, or are aged 60 or over, or have a child under the age of 5. Pensioners are also entitled to extra money for heating (Winter Fuel Payment) during the winter.

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