In all cases we will discuss the issue of welfare benefits and if you have had advice on these. However we are not specialists in this area and if you require specialist advice and information we recommend that you contact Citizens Advice or Southampton Advice and Representation Centre Ltd.
The Types of Benefits
There are two main types of Benefits to which you may be eligible:
- Means tested benefits eg. Universal Credit, Income Support, Income based Job Seeker’s Allowance, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit
- Non-means tested benefits, payable if you satisfy certain conditions such as disability. These may be either:
- Contributory (depending on National Insurance Contributions paid) such as Contribution based Employment and Support Allowance, Maternity Allowance
- Non-contributory such as Child Benefit and Personal Independence Payment
The rules regarding eligibility and the amount of benefit paid are complicated; contact the Department of Work and Pensionsand/or the HM Revenue and Customs website for further information.
The Child Poverty Action Group also has further advice.
Benefits Calculator
This free calculator from Turn2Us will help you find out if you’re entitled to Benefits. To use the calculator visit the Turn2Us Benefits Search Page.
This is also a useful resource: Moving help for disabled people
