Jobseeker’s Al owance
Other help you may be
entitled to
This sheet is about other help you may
get when you are getting income-based
Jobseeker’s Allowance.
It also tells you about other help you may be
able to get if you stop getting this benefit.
If you start work, please read the section
Help for working people.
This information sheet gives general guidance
on the rights and responsibilities of claimants.
It must not be treated as being a current and
comprehensive statement of the law.
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Use this information sheet to find out about
• help with paying for where you live
• help with extra costs
• health benefits
• help for working people
• paying for fuel, water and service charges
• help for prison visits
• Tax Credits
• other help for people with children or qualifying
young persons
• other help for pensioners, people who are sick or
disabled, or for carers
• child maintenance
• where to get more information
• our service standards.
We use
partner to mean
• a person you live with who is your husband, wife
or civil partner, or
• a person you live with as if you are a
married couple.
We use
child to mean a person aged under 16 who
you are getting Child Benefit for.
We use
qualifying young person to mean a
person aged 16, 17, 18 or 19 who you are getting
Child Benefit for.
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Help with paying for where you live
If you pay rent or Council Tax you may get help
from your local council while you are getting
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. This help is
called Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction.
Get in touch with your local council to find out more
about this. You will be given
HCTB1 claim form and
notes with your Jobseeker’s Allowance claim form
to claim Housing Benefit. To apply for a reduction in
Council Tax contact your local council direct.
If you are not getting income-based Jobseeker’s
Allowance, you may still get Housing Benefit or a
reduction in Council Tax. Get in touch with your local
council to find out more about this.
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Help with extra costs
If you are living on a low income and receive a
qualifying benefit or entitlement, you may be able to
get help from the Social Fund with important costs
that are hard to meet out of your regular income.
Budgeting Loans
These can be paid to help cover the cost of one-off
expenses including household items, clothing and
footwear and certain travelling expenses. Budgeting
Loans have to be paid back but they are interest free.
Cold Weather Payment
This can help with extra heating costs during periods
of very cold weather. It does not have to be paid back.
Sure Start Maternity Grant
This can help with costs such as buying things a
new baby needs immediately. It does not have to be
paid back.
Funeral Payments
This is a one-off payment that can help with funeral
costs. Payment depends on your circumstances,
not the circumstances of the person who has died.
Funeral Payments have to be paid back from the
estate of the person who has died, if they left one.
If you want any more information on the
Social Fund, get in touch with Jobcentre Plus or your
Pension Centre.
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Health benefits
If you get income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance,
you, your partner, and any children you are claiming
for, will be entitled to
• free NHS prescriptions
• free NHS dental treatment
• free NHS wigs and fabric supports
• vouchers towards the cost of glasses and
contact lenses
• repayment of necessary travel cost to receive
NHS treatment under the care of a consultant.
You will also be entitled to free NHS sight tests.
For the majority of people this will be once every
2 years although in some circumstances this could
be more frequent. You do not have to get benefits
in Scotland to get a free NHS sight test. For more
information, please refer to leaflets
HC11,
HCS1 for
Scotland or
HC11W for Wales.
If you are not getting income-based Jobseeker’s
Allowance, for example if you are getting
contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance,
Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity
Benefit or Working Tax Credit you may still be able
to get help with health benefits.
If you are not sure if you are getting income-based
Jobseeker’s Allowance or contribution-based
Jobseeker’s Allowance, ask Jobcentre Plus.
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If you want to know more about health benefits
contact Jobcentre Plus.
You can also get information about this from the
Department of Health website at
www.dh.gov.uk or
by contacting the Department of Health customer
contact centre on
020 7210 4850.
Help for working people
If you stop getting Jobseeker’s Allowance you may
still be entitled to some help. If you do not have
much money coming in you might be able to get
• Housing Benefit extended payments
• Mortgage Interest Run On
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• help with health benefits
• help for children or qualifying young persons at
school. But not school meals.
If you want to know more about any of these things,
get in touch with Jobcentre Plus.
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Helping people back to work
Schemes to help people back to work:
• Housing Benefit extended payments
• Mortgage Interest Run On
Housing Benefit extended payments
This provides help with rent for 4 weeks after your
Jobseeker’s Allowance has stopped. If you satisfy the
conditions for this payment you will not have to apply
for it. Your local authority will consider making an
award on the information they have.
Mortgage Interest Run On
If you or your partner start full-time work that you
expect to last for 5 weeks or more, we might be able
to keep on paying your housing costs for 4 weeks
after your income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance,
Income Support or income-related Employment
and Support Allowance has stopped. This is called
Mortgage Interest Run On (MIRO).
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To qualify for MIRO you must have been getting help
with your mortgage interest before starting work
and
• be starting work for, or increasing your hours to,
16 hours or more a week,
or
• be claiming for a partner who is starting work for, or
increasing their hours to, 24 hours or more a week,
or
• have been getting income-based Jobseeker’s
Al owance, Income Support or income-related
Employment and Support Al owance for 26 weeks or
more before starting work,
or
• be a member of a couple who have been getting
income-based Jobseeker’s Al owance, Income Support
or income-related Employment and Support Al owance
for 26 weeks or more before starting work.
If you or your partner start getting Pension Credit, your
mortgage interest run on will stop straight away.
For find out more, please contact Jobcentre Plus.
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Paying for fuel, water and
service charges
The income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance you get
includes money for
• personal expenses, and
• things like fuel bills, water bills and service charges
you are responsible for.
If you have a bill you cannot pay
Get in touch with supplier or person you owe the
money to. If you cannot make your own arrangement
with them, get in touch with the office that pays
your benefit straight away. We may be able to help
by taking money off your income-based Jobseeker’s
Allowance each week and paying it to the supplier
or person you owe the money to. We call this a
third party deduction.
Keeping your costs down
Your electricity, gas and water suppliers can give
you advice on how to keep your costs down.
Your electricity, gas or water statement tells you how
to get advice.
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What about help with heating costs?
You may also get financial help to make your home
more energy efficient. You could be eligible for a boiler
replacement, loft and cavity wall insulation.
There are different schemes depending on where you
live. For more information depending on where you live,
please call Energy Saving Advice Service (England and
Wales), Home Energy Scotland or NEST Wales:
England
Phone:
0300 123 1234
Website:
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Scotland
Phone:
0800 512 012
Website:
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland
Wales
Phone:
0808 808 2244
Website:
www.nestwales.org.uk
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Help for prison visits
You may be able to get help with the costs of travelling
to visit a close relative in prison. Get form
F2022 from
Jobcentre Plus before you go.
For more information about the scheme, write to
APVU
PO Box 2152
Birmingham
B15 1SD
If you have already paid for the visit, you may be able to
get the money back if you claim within 4 weeks of the visit.
You will not get a refund if you claim after this.
To find out more about claiming, write to the
Assisted Prison Visit Unit writing
Claim form request
on the envelope. If your request is urgent, you may be
able to contact them on
0845 300 1423 or if you have
speech or hearing difficulties, by using a textphone on
0845 304 0800.
Before they can help you, you will need to tell them
• the name of the person you are visiting
• the prison they are in
• your National Insurance number
• your date of birth.
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Tax Credits
Child Tax Credit
The Child Tax Credit is a payment to support families with
children or qualifying young persons. It can be claimed by
those responsible for one or more children or qualifying
young persons.
Child Tax Credit will provide support for
• a child or qualifying young person up to and including
31st August following their 16th birthday,
or
• a qualifying young person aged 16,17, 18 or 19 who:
– is in full-time, non-advanced education,
or
– has left full time education, does not have a job
or a training place, and has registered with Local
Authority Youth Services,
and
– is not claiming Income Support or Tax Credits in his
or her own right, or serving a custodial sentence of
more than four months imposed by a court
– a 19 year old if they have been registered or enrolled
on the course before their 19th birthday.
Since 6 April 2004, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
has not included money for children or qualifying young
persons. Claims now need to be made for Child Tax Credit
through HM Revenue & Customs.
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Working Tax Credit
This is a payment to top up the earnings of
working people with a low income. You usually
need to be working a minimum number of hours a
week to claim Working Tax Credit.
If you are aged 16 or over, you can claim Working
Tax Credit if you work at least 16 hours a week and
• you qualify for a disability element,
or
• you are aged 60 or over,
or
• you are single and are responsible for a child or
qualifying young person.
If you are part of a couple and are responsible for
a child or qualifying young person, you can claim
Working Tax Credit if
• you and your partner work at least 24 hours a
week between you, with one of you working at
least 16 hours a week,
or
• you or your partner work at least 16 hours a
week when the other partner is incapacitated,
in hospital, in prison, or entitled to Carer’s
Allowance,
or
• you or your partner work at least 16 hours a
week and are disabled or aged 60 or over.
If you do not have children, are not entitled to the
disability element or are not over 60, you can claim
Working Tax Credit if:
• you are aged 25 or over,
and
• you work at least 30 hours a week.
Working Tax Credit is available to self-employed
people and employees.
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To find out more about Tax Credits
To find out more about Child Tax Credit and Working Tax
Credit visit
www.gov.uk
To claim Child Tax Credits or Working Tax Credits you have
to fill in a claim form. You can only get a Tax Credit claim
pack from the Tax Credit Helpline. You can’t claim online.
If you would rather phone, call the HM Revenue &
Customs Helpline on
0345 300 3900.
The textphone number for people with hearing or speech
difficulties is
0345 300 3909.
Lines are open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week
except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day,
2nd January in Scotland and Easter Sunday.
If you need help or a form in Welsh, please telephone
0300 200 1900. Lines are open are open 8.30am to 5pm
Monday to Friday
Other help for people with children or
qualifying young persons
Pregnant women and children up to 4 years old
Pregnant women and children up to 4 years old can get
• free vitamins. Ask about these at your local
health clinic
• Healthy Start vouchers.
To claim Healthy Start vouchers you must fill in the
form which you can get from your doctor’s surgery or
Health Clinic, or by phoning
08701 555 455.
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You can get Healthy Start vouchers if you are getting
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. Healthy Start
vouchers will be sent to you by post every 4 weeks by
the Department of Health.
If you are getting Child Tax Credit you will need to
contact HM Revenue & Customs for further information
on how to get your Healthy Start vouchers.
Help with childcare charges
In some cases, people who get Working Tax Credit or
Housing Benefit can get help with childcare charges.
Children or qualifying young persons at school
Ask the education office of your local council about
• free school meals.
Your children or qualifying young persons can get
free school meals if you are getting income-based
Jobseeker’s Allowance
• free milk
• fares to school
• help with school clothing
• extra money for keeping qualifying young persons
on at school.
Separated parents – child maintenance
Child maintenance is regular, reliable financial support
that helps towards a child’s everyday living costs.
The parent who does not have the main day-to-day
care of their child pays it to the parent or person, such
as a grandparent or guardian, who does. But it can
be about more than just money. For example, it can
provide help with a school uniform.
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Recent changes in the law mean that money you
receive for child maintenance won’t affect any state
benefits you are entitled to.
For more information call Child Maintenance Options,
a free, impartial service, on
0800 988 0988. Or visit the
website at
www.cmoptions.org
Other help for pensioners, people who are
sick or disabled, or for carers
Employment and Support Allowance
Employment and Support Allowance is a social security
benefit for people who have an illness or a disability.
You may be able to get Employment and Support
Allowance if you have an illness or disability, and you
• are unemployed,
or
• are self-employed,
or
• work for an employer but you cannot get Statutory
Sick Pay,
or
• have been getting Statutory Sick Pay but it has now
stopped.
Statutory Sick Pay is money employers pay to employees
who are away from work for 4 days or more in a row
because of their illness or disability.
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Personal Independence Payment
Personal Independence Payment is a benefit to
help towards some of the extra costs you may
have because of a health condition or disability.
Personal Independence Payment replaces Disability
Living Allowance for people aged 16 or over but
under 65 when they claim. You cannot get Personal
Independence Payment and Disability Living Allowance
at the same time.
It is based on how your health condition or disability
affects you, not on the condition you have. You can
receive Personal Independence Payment whether you
are in or out of work. The benefit is not means tested
or taxed.
The Personal Independence Payment is being
introduced from April 2013 but may not be available in
your area straightaway. For further information go to
www.gov.uk/pip
Disability Living Allowance
This is a social security benefit for people under 65
who need a lot of help with personal care because
of a physical or mental illness or a disability. It
can also be paid to people who need help with
getting around because of their illness or disability.
Getting Disability Living Allowance may mean you get
extra income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. We call this
a
disability premium. But, in some cases the rules are
different. For example, if you live in a care or nursing
home. Contact Jobcentre Plus if this may affect you.
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Attendance Allowance
This is a social security benefit for people aged 65 or over
who need a lot of help with personal care because of a
physical or mental illness or a disability. It is extra money
that is paid on top of income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Getting Attendance Allowance may mean you get extra
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. We call this a
higher
pensioner premium. However, in some cases the rules are
different. For example, if you live in a care or nursing home.
Contact the office that pays your benefit straight away if this
may affect you.
Severe Disablement Allowance
If you already get Severe Disablement Allowance, you
will continue to do so as long as you meet the qualifying
conditions.
Carer’s Allowance
Carer’s Allowance is a benefit to help people who look after
someone who is disabled. You don’t have to be related to, or
live with, the person you care for.
You may be able to get Carer’s Allowance if you
• are aged 16 or over, and
• spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a person.
The person you care for should be getting one of the
following benefits:
• Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate
for personal care
• Personal Independence Payment daily living component
at the standard or enhanced rate
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• Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the
normal maximum rate with an Industrial Injuries
Disablement Benefit
• Constant Attendance Allowance at the basic (full day)
rate with a War Disablement pension.
Payment of Carer’s Allowance is taken into account in
full in the calculation of income-related benefits and
Pension Credit.
If you receive Carer’s Allowance you will qualify for the
carer premium in Income Support and income-based
Jobseeker’s Allowance, worth up to £31.00 a week.
To find out more, ask Jobcentre Plus for a leaflet about
Carer’s Allowance or visit
www.gov.uk/carers-allowance
Pension Credit
• The minimum age you can get Pension Credit is rising,
linked to the changes to women’s State Pension age.
For more information, visit
www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension
• Pension Credit provides a contribution towards a
guaranteed minimum income of £145.40 for single
pensioners and £222.05 for couples.
People with caring responsibilities, severe disability or
certain housing costs may be entitled to more.
• People aged 65 and over, who have made modest
arrangements for their retirement, may also be
rewarded.
• Pension Credit has no upper savings limit, and savings
of £10,000 or less will be ignored.
• Pension Credit has no restriction on the number of
hours you can work, although the amount you earn
may affect the amount of Pension Credit you get.
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Help from your council or the Social Services or Social Work
Department
Some people may be entitled to help with things like
• bus and train fares
• home helps
• day centres and social clubs
• meals on wheels
• special housing
• special equipment and adapting your home
• help with care home fees for people entering care
• laundry
• fitting a telephone or television, in special circumstances
• holidays, in special circumstances.
Where to get more information
For more information about your Jobseeker’s Al owance or
anything else in this information sheet, get in touch with
Jobcentre Plus. The phone number and address are in the
phone book under
Jobcentre Plus.
You can get more information about legal advice from
www.gov.uk/civil-legal-advice
For general information about benefits anywhere in the UK, get
in touch with an advice centre, like a Citizens Advice Bureau.
Our service standards
At Jobcentre Plus we aim to provide a high standard of
customer service at all times. Details of the standard of
service you can expect from us can be found at
www.dwp.gov.uk/about-dwp
You can access the website from many libraries.
For more information please contact Jobcentre Plus.
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