Benefits

The benefits system in England is quite complicated so below are the basic facts on what you may be entitled to, if you require further information check out the links page.

Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA)
If you are not working or are working less than 16 hours a week you can claim job seekers allowance. However, you will not be able to claim JSA if you are under 18 yrs old or in full time education.

There are 2 types of JSA, if you have paid national insurance contributions in the past you may be able to get contribution based JSA which is paid at a fixed rate based on your age for up to 26 weeks.

If you are on a low income, even if you have not paid national insurance contributions you may be entitled to income based JSA. This is based on the how much the law says you need to live on and is means tested. The amount you get will be based on your level of income and what, if any, savings you have got.

You can claim JSA by contacting your local Job Centre or Job Centre Plus. You will be given an appointment and a claim form to fill in. You will not get money immediately until your claim has gone through. You will also have to prove that you are actively seeking work and from then on go to the job centre every 2 weeks to sign on.

Council Tax Benefit
Council Tax Benefit is paid to people on a low income who have to pay council tax. You can get Council tax benefit even if you are not claiming for any other benefits.

The Council will look at your earnings, savings and family situation to work out the amount that you are entitled to. The most you can receive could cover all your council tax.

As soon as you think you may be entitled you should claim, you can claim in advance if you think your circumstances are going to change.

You can get further information on this from your local council office. Go to the links page for further information

Housing Benefit
Housing Benefit is available if you are paying rent and on a low income. Housing benefit entitlement will be assessed on how much you earn, any savings that you may have and whether the place you are living and the rent you are paying are suitable.

If you are under 25, single and renting from a private landlord, you will normally only be entitled to enough housing benefit to cover the average cost of a single room in a shared house in your area, even if you have your own place.

Don’t delay in claiming as you may lose out on benefit. Go to your local council office for further information, you can also access further information through the links page.

Benefits for under-16s
The system for allocation of benefits for under-16s is complicated and usually evaluated on an individual basis. Check out your local connexions centre, talk to a personal advisor about what your options may be. You can find your nearest Connexions centre here.