Benefits

▶ Benefits

• How can I check what benefits I might be entitled to?

  Turn2us have a free online calculator that you can use to check your entitlement to a range of benefits and tax credits. You can access the calculator here.

• I am unemployed and looking for work, what can I claim?

  Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) is the main benefit available for unemployed individuals who are seeking work. For more information see  this section of the Citizens Advice website.

• I am unable to work due to sickness / disability, what can I claim?

  There are a range of benefits available for sick and/or disabled people, including ESA (Employment & Support Allowance) and PIP (Personal Independence Payment).  For more information see this section of the Citizens Advice website

• I am finding it difficult to afford the costs of dealing with my disability, what can I claim?

  ​If you are 16-65 and have mobility and care needs you could be entitled to Personal Independence Payments (PIP). For more information see this section of the Citizens Advice website.

  If you are under 16 and have mobility and care needs you could be entitled to Disability Living Allowance (DLA). For more information see this section of the Citizens Advice website

  If you are over 65 and have care needs, you may be entitled to Attendance Allowance. See this section of the Age UK website

• I’m a carer for a friend or family member, is there any extra help that I may qualify for?

  If you are a carer, or if you have a carer, then Carers Allowance may be payable. For more information see  this section of the Carers Northumberland website

• I’m in need of emergency support. What can I do?

  The Welfare Reform Act 2012 abolished the discretionary elements Social Fund (crisis loans for items and daily living expenses and community support grants). This has now been replaced with local welfare provision.

  For more information see Northumberland Emergency Transition Support

• I have childcare responsibilities, what can I claim?

  Citizens Advice has a full guide on their website covering the main benefits available for families and children.  For more information see this section of the Citizens Advice website

• How can I check my pension and rights entitlements?

  Age UK has a dedicated section on their website covering pensions, including a pension calculator and advice on tracing old pensions. For more information see this section of the Age UK website

• I have a low income, what can I claim?

  There are a range of benefits available for those with a low income:

  How to make a claim for Housing Benefit in Northumberland

  How to make a claim for Council Tax Support in Northumberland

  For further information about help that you may entitled to see this section of the Citizens Advice website

• My benefits/tax credits have stopped – how do I challenge this?

  Citizens Advice has further information on challenging benefits and tax credits decisions.

  • Benefits
  • Tax credits

• What can I do to ensure that my JSA doesn’t get sanctioned?

  For more information on what you can do to ensure that your JSA doesn't get sanctioned please read our leaflet.

  
  

  Downloads

  • benefit_sanctions_and_how_to_avoid_them.pdf

• What is benefit fraud?

  If you have acted dishonestly or deliberately to claim benefits to which you’re not entitled and this comes to the attention of the office paying your benefit, they may try to investigate you for  benefit fraud.

  Benefit fraud is a criminal offence and is treated differently to benefit overpayments. This is because benefit overpayments can happen for other reasons. For example, because the benefit office made a mistake or because you were not aware that you had to tell the benefit office about a change of circumstances which meant you were entitled to less benefit.

  Examples of benefit fraud include:

  deliberately failing to tell the benefit office about your true financial circumstances when you claimed the benefit. For example, you were working while claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance or you did not declare all your savings because you knew that it would affect your entitlement to the benefit

  Deliberately failing to tell the benefit office about your true household circumstances. For example, you were living with someone but claiming benefits as a lone parent
  using a false identity or using false documents to claim benefits. For example, you used a false birth certificate so that you could claim Child Benefit
  deliberately not telling the benefit office about a change of circumstances because you knew that it would affect your entitlement to the benefit.

  You can find out more about this if you have been suspected of benefit fraud here.

• Benefits and Work Guide

  For a whole host of information around benefits and work click here 

• FACTSHEETS

  A range of printable fact sheets on Benefits is available from the Citizens Advice website found here

  You will also find a range of printable facts sheets about Tax credits at the links below:​

  • Financial help for teenage parents
  • Financial help in the early years
  • Financial help for families affected by imprisonment
  • Financial help for families fleeing domestic violence
  • Tax credits - moving on to universal credit
  • Childcare, tax credits and other help
  • Tax credits and complaints
  • Tax credits annual review
  • Tax credit checks
  • Lone parents and tax credits
  • Tax credits – the basics
  • Tax credits and self-employment
  • Tax credits – challenging decisions
  • Tax credits update
  • Tax credits and judicial review
  • Tax credits – reporting changes
  • Tax credit overpayments
  • Tax credits and penalties
  • Tax credits for disabled workers
  • Tax credits and foster carers
  • Tax credits and going back to work
  • Tax credits and flexible working
  • Tax credits for people from abroad