STATE BENEFITS SUMMARY MATRIX (2020/2021) Non means tested benefits Benefit 2020/2021 amount Qualification Taxable How to claim Attendance Allowance (AA)* - Paid over State Pension Age No Attendance Allowance Helpline: Higher Rate £ 89.15 per week You must have a physical disability Telephone: 0800 731 0122 (including sensory disability, for example Textphone: 0800 731 0317 Day and night care required blindness, a mental disability (including Northern Ireland: Lower Rate £ 59.70 per week learning difficulties), or both. Your Telephone: 0800 587 0912 disability is severe enough to make Textphone: 0800 012 1574 Day or night care required caring for yourself difficult, and you need or claim online using a step by step help. You must have needed that help for form: www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance at least 6 months (unless terminally ill – see below). Or form AA1 to claim by post. Northern Ireland: www.nidirect.gov.uk Bereavement Allowance (paid for deaths on or before 5 April 2017) Yes Complete form BD8 (Form 344S1 in Age 55 to State Pension Age 100% is £121.95 per week Dependent on National Insurance Scotland) – on the back of the death Payable for one year maximum contribution record of deceased. certificate, & send off for claim form BB1. Or ring local Jobcentre Plus Office Age 45 to 54 Amount dependent on Age on: Telephone: 0800 731 0469 Payable for one year maximum Paid to widows/widowers/civil partners. Textphone: 0800 731 0464 Bereavement Payment £2,000 lump sum Mainly widows/widowers/civil partners No Welsh Language: under State Pension Age. But if over Telephone: 0800 731 0453 SPA, where deceased not entitled to a Textphone: 0800 731 0456 State Pension on their own record or Northern Ireland: partner was under SPA when they died. Telephone: 0800 085 2463 www.gov.uk/bereavement-allowance Northern Ireland: www.nidirect.gov.uk Bereavement Support Payment (paid for deaths on or after 6 April 2017) No Complete form BSP1 – on the back of Paid at any age up to State An initial lump sum of £3,500 for Dependent on National Insurance the death certificate, or complete online. Retirement Age people with children, and £2,500 contribution record of deceased. Or ring local Jobcentre Plus Office on: for people without children, Telephone: 0800 731 0469 followed by 18 monthly Paid to widows/widowers/civil partners Textphone: 0800 731 0464 payments of £350 for people Welsh Language: with children, and £100 for Will be disregarded in the calculation of Telephone: 0800 731 0453 people without children means-tested benefits and the benefit Textphone: 0800 731 0456 cap, helping those on the lowest Northern Ireland: incomes. Telephone: 0800 085 2463 www.gov.uk/bereavement-allowance Northern Ireland: www.nidirect.gov.uk/ Carers Allowance £67.25 per week Caring for someone who is in receipt of Yes Claim online using an easy step by step (not paid to people who are in AA, highest or lowest rate, care form: www.gov.uk/carers-allowance receipt of a State Retirement Scotland only Scotland have component of DLA, or Daily living or claim by post. Ring Carer's Pension) introduced an increased Carers component of PIP, for at least 35 hours a Allowance Unit for forms: Allowance in line with week, but earnings limit of £128.00) per Telephone: 0800 731 0297 Jobseeker’s Allowance (£74.35 - week. (Occupational and Personal Textphone: 0800 731 0317 25+) which took effect from the Pensions not classed as earnings). The Northern Ireland: summer of 2018. Paid as a allowance can be reduced by the amount Telephone: 0800 587 0912 supplement (£7.10) in six of certain other benefits received e.g. Textphone: 0800 012 1574 monthly lump sum payments. State Pension Northern Ireland: www.nidirect.gov.uk Benefit 2020/2021 amount Qualification Taxable How to claim Disability Living Allowance (DLA)* - From 08 April 2013, replaced by Personal Independence Payment No Disability Service Centre: (PIP) Telephone: 0800 731 0122 Care Component Textphone: 0800 731 0317 Higher rate £ 89.15per week Age below 65. Day and night care Northern Ireland: required Telephone: 0800 587 0912 Middle rate £ 59.70 per week Age below 65. Day or night care required Textphone: 0800 012 1574

Lower rate £ 23.60 per week Age below 65. Needing some care www.gov.uk/disability-benefits Mobility Component Northern Ireland: Higher rate £ 62.25 per week High mobility needs www.nidirect.gov.uk Lower rate £ 23.60 per week Some mobility needs Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Under State Pension age and unable to Contrib. No initial forms required. To start the Single for 13 weeks £ 74.35 per week work because of illness or disability. based application process: Couple (Income related ESA £116.80 per week Evidence of sickness required. ESA Telephone: 0800 328 5644 only) Contributory ESA dependent on national is a Textphone: 0800 328 1344 Thereafter if work thought insurance contributions. taxable Welsh Language: unlikely - Single £113.55 per week Not generally means tested but if benefit. Telephone: 0800 328 1744 Couple (Income related) £156.00 per week claimant is receiving a gross pension of Northern Ireland: more than £85 per week, benefit will be Income Telephone: 0800 085 6318 Thereafter if work thought likely reduced by 50p for every £1 in excess of related Textphone: 0800 328 3419 Single - Payable for 1 year £103.90 per week Couple (Income related ) £145.35 per week £85 pw ESA is www.gov.uk/employment-support- non allowance Income related ESA is for couples or taxable Northern Ireland: those with insufficient contributions. www.nidirect.gov.uk Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) Contribution based JSA is Unemployed or working less than 16 Yes Telephone: 0800 055 6688 £74.35 per week for up to six hours per week. Must be under state Textphone: 0800 023 4888 months, reduced pound for pension age and actively seeking a full Welsh Language: pound if company pension is time job. Full rate NIC (national Telephone: 0800 012 1888 more than £50 per week. insurance contributions) must have been Northern Ireland:Tel: 0800 353 530 or Income based JSA payable if paid for the contribution based JSA. claim online at: Jobcentre Plus an agent insufficient NIC. Homeowners will then tel. to arrange an interview. may receive help with mortgage For income based JSA, you have to be www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance interest. on a low income and have savings of Northern Ireland: less than £16,000 (£6,000 disregarded). www.nidirect.gov.uk Personal Independence Payment (PIP)* - From 08 April 2013 No PIP Claim Line: Daily Living Component – Below State Pension Age Telephone: 0800 917 2222 Enhanced rate £ 89.15 per week You must have a long-term health Textphone: 0800 917 7777 condition or disability and have difficulties NGT Relay Service: Standard rate £ 59.70 per week with activities related to ‘daily living’ and Dial 18001 then 0800 917 2222 or mobility. You must have had these difficulties for 3 months and expect them Northern Ireland: to last for at least 9 months. (not Telephone: 0800 012 1573 applicable if you are terminally ill - see Textphone: 0800 587 0937 below). Mobility Component – Below State Pension Age www.gov.uk/pip Enhanced rate £ 62.25 per week You may get the mobility component of Standard rate £ 23.60 per week PIP if you are assessed as needing help Northern Ireland: with going out or moving around. www.nidirect.gov.uk Benefit 2020/2021 amount Qualification Taxable How to claim State Pension (Paid to people who reach State Retirement Age Basic Pension based on full rate national Yes Telephone: 0800 731 7898 on or before 5 April 2016) insurance contributions paid for 35 years Textphone: 0800 731 7339 Basic Retirement Pension £134.25 per week (30 years before 06 April 2016). Welsh Language: Spouse/Female Civil Partner £ 80.45 per week Paid if you have reached state pension Telephone: 0800 731 7936 (Male Civil Partner after 6 April age before 6 April 2016 and qualify for Textphone: 0800 731 7339 2015). No longer available for less than 60% of the full pension based Northern Ireland: Spouse/Civil Partner below on your own contributions. Telephone: 0808 100 2658 State Pension Age or those Textphone: 0808 100 2198 or claim who reach State Pension Age Your spouse/civil partner must have online at: www.gov.uk/state-pension on or after 06 April 2016 reached state pension age. Northern Ireland: www.nidirect.gov.uk/state-pension Not available if your spouse/civil partner reached state pension age on or after 6 For NGT Text Relay – Insert 18001 April 2016. before the above numbers. New State Pension (Paid to £175.20 per week • The amount you get can be higher or Yes Telephone: 0800 731 7898 people who reached State lower depending on your National Textphone: 0800 731 7339 Retirement Age on or after 6 Insurance record. It will only be higher if Welsh Language: April 2016) you already have over a certain amount Telephone: 0800 731 7936 of Additional State Pension. It will be Textphone: 0800 731 7339 lower if you have been in a Pension Northern Ireland: Scheme that was contracted out of the Telephone: 0808 100 2658 Additional State Pension part of the State Textphone: 0808 100 2198 or claim Scheme. It will never be lower than the online at: www.gov.uk/state-pension pension you would have received under Northern Ireland: the old scheme. www.nidirect.gov.uk/state-pension State Pension Statement Below State Pension Age N/A Telephone: 0800 731 0175 (Form BR19) Textphone: 0800 731 0176 NGT Text Relay: 018001 0800 731 0175 Outside of the UK: Telephone +44 (0)191 218 3600 Textphone +44 (0)191 218 2051 Welsh Language Telephone: 0800 731 0453 Textphone: 0800 731 0456 or online at: www.gov.uk/state-pension- statement £200 lump sum The Winter Fuel Pension payment date is No Winter Fuel Claim Line: Winter fuel payments will no increasing in line with the increases to Telephone: 0800 731 0160 longer be payable to individuals the State Retirement Age. For Winter Textphone: 0800 731 0464 who live in: Cyprus, France, 2020 you must have been born on or Outside of the UK: +44 191 218 7777 Gibraltar, Greece, Malta, before 5 October 1954 and reach SPA or claim online at: Portugal or Spain because the before 6 September 2020 to be eligible. www.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment average winter temperature is £300 lump sum Age 80+ No Northern Ireland: higher than the warmest region www.nidirect.gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment of the UK. *Note: People who are terminally ill can claim Attendance Allowance (Higher Rate), or Personal Independence Payment (Enhanced Rate, Daily Living Component) without the three or six month waiting period. They will be considered to be terminally ill if they have a progressive illness that is likely to limit their life expectancy to six months or less. Mobility Components will depend on individual needs.

Means tested benefits Benefit 2020/2021 amount Qualification Taxable How to claim You must have reached State No Pension Credit claim line Standard minimum guarantee Minimum guarantee of Pension age to qualify for Pension Telephone: 0800 991 234 (couple) £265.20** per week (you and Credit. If you are in a couple you Textphone: 0800 169 0133 your partner must have both can start getting Pension Credit if www.gov.uk/pension-credit reached Pension Credit either: • you and your partner have qualifying age) both reached State Pension Northern Ireland: Standard minimum guarantee Will top up income to minimum age Telephone: 0808 100 6165 (single) guarantee of £173.75** per • one of you is getting Housing Textphone: 0808 100 2198 week Benefit for people over State Pension age Northern Ireland: www.nidirect.gov.uk/ Income will be assumed to be £1 per week for every £500 of savings Pension Credit Calculator or capital over £10,000. www.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator ** These figures may be higher if you have an illness or disability or if you are a carer Savings credit (couple) Maximum of £15.62 per week You both must be above SPA Savings credit (single) Maximum of £13.97 per week Above State Pension Age Social Fund You may get a Funeral The deceased or their spouse/civil No Bereavement Service helpline Funeral payment Expenses Payment (also called partner were claiming or receiving a Telephone: 0800 731 0469 a Funeral Payment) if you get means tested benefit such as Textphone: 0800 731 0464 Funeral Support Payment - certain benefits and need help Pension Credit, , Welsh language: Scotland to pay for a funeral you’re Income based Jobseekers Telephone: 0800 731 0453 arranging. You must be one of Allowance, Income-related Textphone: 0800 731 0456 the following: the partner of the Employment & Support Allowance, deceased when they died, a , Council Tax Northern Ireland: close relative or close friend of Benefit, or Working Telephone: 0800 353 2463 the deceased, the parent of a Tax Credit. www.gov.uk/funeral-payments baby stillborn after 24 weeks of Northern Ireland: www.nidirect.gov.uk You might not get a Funeral pregnancy, the parent or person Scotland: Call Expenses Payment if another close responsible for a deceased child on: 0800 182 222 relative of the deceased (such as a who was under 16 (or under 20 www.mygov.scot/funeral-support- sibling or parent) is in work. and in education or training). payment/ Universal Credit - Single Universal Credit is a benefit that is No Claim online at: www.gov.uk/apply- Standard Allowance for single person £323.22 per month replacing 6 existing benefits with a universal-credit age 25+ single monthly payment. Universal If you need help claiming Universal Standard Allowance for single person £256.05 per month Credit will eventually replace: Credit online call the Universal Credit below age 25 Income-based Jobseeker’s helpline: Universal Credit - Couple Allowance, Income-related No Telephone: 0800 328 5644 Employment and Support Textphone: 0800 328 1344 Standard Allowance for joint £507.37 per month Allowance, Income Support, Welsh Language: 0800 012 1744 claimants both 25+ , Child Tax Textphone: 0800 328 1344 Standard Allowance for joint £401.92 per month Credit, Housing Benefit. Dependent www.gov.uk/gwneud-cais-am-gredyd- claimants both below age 25 on income and capital. Capital must cynhwysol not exceed £16,000. £6,000 Northern Ireland: 0800 353 530 disregarded. www.nidirect.gov.uk/ © Tina Gilchrist