Benefits
Benefits are essential to the welfare of many people. Most benefits are available from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP – previously known as the Benefits Agency or Social Security). Here you will find a list of benefits that relate to social care, with links to the DWP website. A complete A-Z of benefits is also available.
- Attendance Allowance is a weekly payment for people aged 65 and over who become ill or disabled and need help to look after themselves.
- Blind Allowance is a special income tax allowance that reduces the amount of income that you have to pay tax on. You do not need to be totally blind to be able to claim but you will need to be certified as blind.
- Carer’s Allowance (formally know as invalid care allowance) is a weekly payment for people looking after a disabled person for at least 35 hours per week.
- Disability Living Allowance (Adults) is a benefit for people under 65 who have a mental or physical impairment. It is split into two parts. The ‘care’ component for people who need looking after, and the ‘mobility’ component to help people to get around. If you are over 65 you may be able to claim attendance allowance instead.
- Disability Living Allowance (Children) is a benefit for carers who have a child with severe physical, or mental illness, or disability who needs much more help or looking after than other children of the same age because of their illness or impairment.
- Income Support is a paid to people with a low income. It can include help with costs, such as free prescriptions from your doctor and dental treatment. It is not paid to unemployed people or people in full-time work.
- Job Seeker's Allowance
If you are paid National Insurance contributions you may be eligible for Job Seeker's Allowance at a fixed rate for up to 26 weeks.
- Help claiming benefits – help for older people in East Sussex to claim benefits.
