Other social security benefits

• Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Jobseeker’s Allowance

In this section we explain other key benefits your customer may be able to claim. There is a full list of all social security benefits in Technical guidance.

There are also leaflets available which give more detail about each of these benefits.

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance is for people aged 65 or over who have a physical or mental disability which means that they need supervision or help with their personal care.

Your customer’s, or their partner’s, entitlement to Attendance Allowance depends on how much supervision or help with their personal care they need. Eligibility does not depend on National Insurance contributions.

Attendance Allowance is not treated as income when Pension Credit is worked out. In some cases, customers are entitled to more Pension Credit if they get Attendance Allowance (for example, if they qualify for the extra amount for severe disability).

Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance is for people under 65 who have a physical or mental disability which means that they need supervision or help with their personal care or have walking difficulties or both, and claim before age 65.

Your customer’s or their partner’s entitlement to Disability Living Allowance depends on how much supervision or help with their personal care they need or the difficulty they have with walking or getting around. Eligibility does not depend on National Insurance contributions.

Disability Living Allowance has two parts:

• a care component (payable at one of three rates),
• a mobility component (payable at one of two rates).

If Disability Living Allowance is being paid when someone reaches 65 it can continue to be paid for as long as they meet the qualifying conditions.

Disability Living Allowance is not treated as income when Pension Credit is worked out. In some cases, customers may be entitled to more Pension Credit if they get Disability Living Allowance (for example, if they qualify for the extra amount for severe disability).

Carer’s Allowance (CA)

Carer’s Allowance is for people spending at least 35 hours a week looking after someone receiving Attendance Allowance, the middle or highest rate of Disability Living Allowance care component or the equivalent rates of Constant Attendance Allowance.

If your customer is entitled to Carer’s Allowance and already gets another social security benefit (for example, State Pension), they may not be paid any Carer’s Allowance if the other benefit is higher. However, if they claim and are entitled to Carer’s Allowance (even if it is not paid), their Pension Credit would include the extra amount for carers.

If the person being cared for is getting Pension Credit which includes the extra amount for severe disability or an income-related benefit which includes the severe disability premium, their benefit could be affected if your customer or their partner are paid Carer’s Allowance.

For a wider range of information for carers visit the Directgov website at http://www.direct.gov.uk.

Incapacity Benefit (IB)

Incapacity Benefit offers people a replacement income when they have to stop working or looking for work because they become sick or disabled.

If your customer, or their partner, are under the age at which they can start claiming State Pension, are incapable of work and have paid enough NI contributions, they may be able to get Incapacity Benefit. It will be taken into account when their Pension Credit is worked out.

It is paid at three rates:

• first 28 weeks of sickness – Short-Term Lower Rate
• from weeks 29-52 – Short-Term Higher Rate,
• after one year – Long-Term Rate.

People who get Incapacity Benefit may be credited with NI contributions which can help towards State Pension.

Employment and Support Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support from 27 October 2008 for people who have an illness or disability and are unable to work. Employment and Support Allowance is a combined benefit, having a contributory element and an income-related element. It brings together the rules from Incapacity Benefit and Income Support as far as possible.

Employment and Support Allowance applies to new claims only made on or after 27 October 2008. Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on the grounds of illness or disability will continue until we complete the migration of existing incapacity benefits recipients to Employment and Support Allowance. This began in October 2010 and is due to be completed by March 2014.

Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

Jobseeker’s Allowance is for people under State Pension age who are currently out of work, or who work less than 16 hours a week, but are available for and actively seeking work.

There are two types of Jobseeker’s Allowance:

• contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance can be paid for up to 182 days if enough NI contributions have been paid. If your customer or their partner get contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, it will be taken into account when their Pension Credit is worked out,
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance is means-tested, so if your customer or their partner are getting Pension Credit, neither of them will be entitled to income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. Men who are between the Pension Credit qualifying age and male State Pension age can choose to claim income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Pension Credit.

There are also leaflets available which give more detail about these other social security benefits.

If you would like copies of any of our leaflets, please contact The Pension Service Leaflet Order Line.

Phone: 0845 7 31 32 33

Textphone: 0845 604 0210

Website: www.direct.gov.uk/pensions