Dependants
You may be able to get an increase of SDA for: [Legislation (42)]
- your wife, husband or civil partner
- someone who cares for or helps to care for your children.
The increase of SDA will normally be paid to you. You may be asked to show marriage or civil partnership and birth certificates to support your claim.
If you have children, you may be able to get Child Tax Credit. For more information, see 'Further information'.
Increased SDA for a wife, husband or civil partner
You may get an increase of SDA for your wife, husband or civil partner if:
- they are aged 60 or over
- or you are entitled to Child Benefit
- or you live with your wife, husband or civil partner who gets Child Benefit for a child or children, and the child or children also live with you.
If your wife, husband or civil partner does not live with you then you may still be able to get an increase if:
- you are entitled to Child Benefit
- and when you became incapable of work you were paying at least the amount of the increase in your SDA towards their maintenance each week
- or the dependency arose after you became incapable of work
- and in either case you pay your husband, wife or civil partner the amount of the increase in the SDA you get for them.
Work Focused Interviews for partners
Where you get an increase of benefit for your partner (other than a partner aged 60 or over), they may be required to take part in a Work Focused Interview with a Personal Adviser after you have been claiming SDA for 26 weeks or longer. The Personal Adviser will discuss a range of topics with your partner, which may include: current or future job prospects; training to help bring their work skills up to date; and help and advice if they are considering moving into work, increasing the number of hours that they already work, or changing jobs.
Any of the options your partner discusses with their Personal Adviser are voluntary. Your benefit may be reduced if, without good reason, your partner does not take part in their Work Focused Interview.
Increased SDA for a person looking after children
You may be able to get an increase of SDA for a person looking after your children if:
- you are entitled to Child Benefit
- or you live with a parent who gets Child Benefit for a child or children and the child or children also live with you
- and the person you are claiming for is living with you.
If the person you are claiming for is not living with you then you may still be able to get an increase for them if:
- you are entitled to Child Benefit
- or you live with a parent who gets Child Benefit for a child or children and the child or children also live with you
- and the person you are claiming for is maintained by you at least to the level of the standard weekly amount of the increase
- or employed by you to look after the child or children at a weekly cost to you of at least the standard weekly amount of the increase in your SDA. They must have been employed before you became incapable of work, unless your need to employ them arose due to your incapacity.
Effect of dependants’ earnings on increased SDA for dependants
Increased SDA you are entitled to for a child or children, under the rules which operated before 6 April 2003, will be affected if your husband, wife or civil partner lives with you and earns more than the weekly earnings limit shown in leaflet BRA5DWP Social Security Benefit Rates. You can get this leaflet from your Jobcentre Plus office.
You may lose all or part of the extra SDA for an adult if the adult earns more than the appropriate weekly earnings limit shown in leaflet BRA5DWP Social Security Benefit Rates. Increased SDA for a person who does not live with you, but is employed by you to look after children for you, is not affected by any earnings that person may have.
What counts as earnings
Earnings include: [Legislation (43)]
- money paid by an employer as earnings. This includes overtime, bonuses, regular tips and sick pay
- money earned from self-employment, including money that your dependant is paid for helping in your business, and any charge that is made against your business for them
- money paid as an occupational pension by a former employer
- money paid as a personal pension or self-employed pension
- money received from the Pension Protection Fund.
Some expenses can be deducted. These include:
- National Insurance (NI) contributions
- income tax
- half of any sum paid by an employee towards an occupational or personal pension scheme
- expenses directly incurred during employment, providing they have not already been reimbursed by the employer.
Child Tax Credit
If you have children, you may be able to get Child Tax Credit. To find out more about Child Tax Credit, phone the Tax Credits helpline on 0845 3003 900. If you use a textphone, the number is 0845 3003 909.
For more HM Revenue & Customs contact details.