Benefits information

This information can help you find some of the benefits you may be entitled to depending on your circumstances, calculate your own benefits, deal with benefit problems and avoid getting into benefit trouble.  

For those struggling with money and bills, go to: Support in Newcastle for those affected by the cost of living crisis 

• Benefit rates
• What benefits can I receive in the following situations?
• In urgent financial need or crisis
• Online benefits calculators
• What other help am I entitled to?
• How will the changes to benefit affect me?
• Dealing with and avoiding benefit problems
• Self help factsheets and guides 
• Where can I go for further information and advice?

More detail about the benefit system can be found in our Introduction to Benefits and Tax Credits guide below 

Benefit rates 

The Government usually changes benefit rates every April 

Details of benefit and tax credit rates now and in earlier years (Rightsnet)

For the year 2021 - 2022, there were two sets of rates due to the temporary uplift in Universal Credit:

• benefit rates with the £20 Universal Credit uplift (from April to September 2021)
• benefit rates without the Universal Credit uplift (from October to March 2022)

What benefits can I receive in the following situations?  

Most benefits are administered by the Government's Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

Others are offered via HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the council or employers

More detail can be found in our Introduction to Benefits and Tax Credits guide below 

Bereaved 

You may be entitled to...

• Bereavement Support Payment (from April 2017) 
• Bereavement Allowance 
• Bereavement Payment 
• Funeral Payments 
• Widowed Parent's Allowance 

Caring for someone

You may be entitled to:

• Carer's Allowance
• Extra amount in means tested benefits like Universal Credit

See also the useful Carersuk website

Responsible for a child 

You may be entitled to:

• Child Benefit  (HMRC)
• Child Tax Credits (HMRC) or Universal Credit
• Cold Weather Payment  
• Disability Living Allowance (for a disabled child)
• Guardian's Allowance  (HMRC)
• Healthy Start Scheme and Welfare Food 
• Free school meals (Local Authority)
• Maternity Allowance
• Shared Parental Pay 
• Statutory Adoption Pay  (Employer)
• Statutory Maternity Pay  (Employer)
• Statutory Paternity Pay  (Employer)
• Sure Start Maternity Grant  (Employer)
• Extra amount(s) in means tested benefits like Universal Credit

Disabled 

You may be entitled to:

• Attendance Allowance
• Cold Weather Payment
• Disability Living Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (injured through work)
• Personal Independence Payment. See also factsheets below
• War Disablement Pension
• Extra amounts in means tested benefits like Universal Credit

See also ‘caring for someone’ above

See also benefit factsheets and guides from Disability Rights UK and advice and support for families with disabled children from Contact

Incapable of work 

You may be entitled to...

• Cold Weather Payment
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)  or Universal Credit
• Contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Statutory Sick Pay (Employer)
• Extra amount(s) in means tested benefits like Universal Credit

See also these factsheets below: 'How ESA is assessed', 'How to complete an ESA form' and 'How to avoid losing ESA'   

See also benefit factsheets and guides from Disability Rights UK

Managing on a low income 

You may be entitled to...

• Budgeting Loan or 'budgeting advances' in Universal credit 
• Supporting Independence Scheme (Local Authority)
• Cold Weather Payment 
• Crisis Support Scheme (Local Authority)
• Short Term Benefit Advance
• Funeral Payments
• Income Support  or Universal Credit
• Working Tax Credit (HMRC) or Universal Credit

Also see  working and In urgent financial need or crisis below 

Also see our Debt and money advice page for help and advice

Need help with paying housing costs (rent or mortgage) or Council Tax

You may be entitled to...

• Council Tax Support (Local Authority)
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal credit
• Income Support or Universal Credit
• Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance  (Local Authority) or Universal Credit
• Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) Scheme (Local Authority)

Need help with NHS costs

See...

• Online eligibility checking tool to see if you are entitled to free NHS prescriptions, NHS dental treatment and other NHS health costs such as sight tests
• NHS Low Income Scheme for help with the cost of NHS prescriptions, NHS dental treatment and more
• Maternity exemption certificate for free NHS prescriptions (this is valid until your child is one, and can also be used to prove your entitlement to free NHS dental treatment)

An older person - of pension age 

You may be entitled to...

• Cold Weather Payment
• Pension Credit
• State Pension
• Winter Fuel Payment
• See Attendance Allowance above

See also benefits for older people from AgeUK

Pregnant 

You may be entitled to...

• Healthy Start food vouchers and vitamins (NHS)
• Maternity Allowance
• Shared Parental Pay
• Sure Start Maternity Grant
• Statutory Maternity Pay (Employer)

See also know your rights from Maternity Action

Unemployed and looking for work 

You may be entitled to...

• Income based Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit
• Contribution based Jobseeker's Allowance
• See also How can I avoid a benefit sanction?  below

 Working 

You may be entitled to… 

• Working Tax Credit (HMRC)
• Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance (Local Authority)
• Universal Credit

Also see our factsheets ‘Benefits in work’ and ‘Redundancy, finishing work and benefits’ below 

Also see Benefits and Tax Credits from workingfamilies.org

In urgent financial need or crisis 

As well as the above weekly benefits, the DWP and jobcentre also provide single payments in certain situations, for example:

• Budgeting loans, funeral and maternity grants from the Social Fund by the DWP 
• Repayable 'short term benefit advances' for those waiting for a benefit payment and in financial need.
• Under Universal Credit 'budgeting advances' replace budgeting loans and 'advance payments' replace short term benefit advances. 

See help with urgent and one-off needs by the Council and others on our Debt and Money Advice page.

See also Dealing with an avoiding benefit problems below 

Found out about grants you could get from turn2us

Online benefit calculators 

Visit our page check your benefits online to get an estimate of the benefits you may be able to claim. Some provide a comparison between benefits

What other help am I entitled to? 

If you have mobility or accessibility issues you may be able to get your home adapted. Find out about home adaptations

If you are disabled you may be able to apply for a blue badge. Apply for a blue badge

See InformationNOW for local services and information 

See turn2us and entitledto

How will the changes to benefits affect me? 

The Government has made some major changes to benefits called 'welfare reform' and regularly changes benefit rules. Find out more about benefit changes

Dealing with and avoiding benefit problems 

• If you have a benefit overpayment, see guides from the Government and turn2us
• What happens to benefits if I or a family member goes into prison?
• See our leaflet benefit sanctions and how to avoid them (pdf, 399kb), by us and Jobcentre Plus
  Your Universal Credit, Jobseekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support may be cut if you do not comply with work related requirements
• See Advice Now guides to help deal with various benefit problems
• See How do I challenge a benefits decision? by Citizens Advice

Self help factsheets and guides 

• Benefit tips for Newcastle residents and who can help  (pdf, 245kb)
• The Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit incapacity for work test (pdf 533kb)
• Ways to avoid losing Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (pdf 197kb)
• What to do if you disagree with an incapacity for work decision for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit (pdf 278kb)
• Personal Independence payment. A guide to making a claim - by Disability Rights UK
• What to do if you disagree with a Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance decision (pdf 468kb)
• Working families and Working Tax Credit. Exceptions to the 24 hour rule for couples (pdf, 207kb)
• Redundancy, finishing work and benefits  (pdf, 330kb)
• Benefits in work (pdf, 268kb)
• Advicenow have guides on challenging a Work Capability Assessment for ESA and UC decision, a Personal Independence Payment decision and a Disability Living Allowance decision.

Also see our guide to the benefits system: Introduction to Benefits and Tax Credits  June 2023 (pdf 243kb)

Where can I go for further information and advice? 

Visit Benefit advice services in Newcastle and benefit offices
Visit the government webpage on benefits 
Visit the Citizens Advice webpages on benefits