What Benefits am I Eligible for?Â
If you’re out of work or on low income you may be entitled to claim benefits. Knowing what you are able to claim and how to claim is important to not miss out on support you are entitled to.
Each year the government release data showing how much benefit is going unclaimed. It is estimated that £15 billion is going to waste. The main access to benefits is now through Universal Credit. They will be able to give you benefits for housing, job seeking, income-related employment and support, child tax credits, working tax credits and income support. You can also get assessed for disability benefits if you have a long term health condition.
You can calculate your benefits using an independent benefits calculator to find out:
- What benefits you can claim
- How to claim
- How your benefits will be affected if you start work
There are three calculators the government recommends you use:
- entitledto – for information on income-related benefits, tax credits, contribution-based benefits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit and how your benefits will be affected if you start work
- Turn2us – for information on income-related benefits, tax credits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit and how your benefits will be affected if you start work or change your working hours
- Policy in Practice – for information on income-related benefits, tax credits, contribution-based benefits, Council Tax Reduction, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit, how these are calculated and how your benefits will be affected if you start work or change your working hours
When you calculate your benefits you will need information about your savings, income, including your partners (eg. Payslips), existing benefits and pensions (including anyone living with you), outgoings (such as rent, mortgage, childcare payments), council tax bill.
If you are under 18, a prisoner, a student, not a British or Irish Citizen, on strike, living outside the UK or living permanently in residential care or a nursing home, you will not be able to use the calculators and may not be eligible to receive any form of state benefit.Â
If you’re not a British or Irish citizen
You can use the Support for Migrant Families tool if you’re responsible for children under 18 and you want to find out what benefits and other help you can get. You’ll need to be either:
- from the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein and not able to get benefits in the UK
- subject to immigration control, for example if your visa says “no recourse to public funds”
At Free2Learn, we are here to help with any housing, safeguarding, health and legal advice you may need help with on your course. You can go to: https://free2learn.org.uk/resources/ to find out about services you can access in your area.
