Child Tax Credit is paid by the Inland Revenue to people who are responsible for at least one child or qualifying young person. Child Tax Credit replaces the child additions in Working Tax Credit and previous tax code increases. It is paid if you work or not, is paid direct to the carer for the child or children. If you are a lone parent you will receive the payment. More details and questions

Council Tax Benefit Top

Council Tax Benefit is a tax-free, income related, benefit awarded to people who satisfy the qualifying conditions. Any award of benefit is deducted from the amount of Council Tax due. Some people are totally Exempt from paying Council Tax. More details and questions

Council Tax Discounts Top

Disability: Council Tax banding is reduced to the one below, or if already in lowest band "A" then cash reduction applies. Property must have been altered to suit disabled person. E.g doors widened, extra bedroom, or a wheelchair user, etc.

Carers: If living with anyone over 18, other than your partner, and they have the high rate Attendance Allowance or high rate Care Component of Disability Living Allowance. The carers would not count within the household. So if only one other person is remaining then 25% single person discount could apply.

Mental impairment: If someone comes under these rules and lives alone they have no council tax at all to pay. If they live with others then they do not count within the household so single discount could apply.

Students: Full time students (Over 12 hours weekly). They do not pay any council tax if household has only full time students within. Household that has student and others, do not count any full time student so single discount could apply.

Disability Living Allowance Top

Disability Living Allowance is a tax-free benefit paid to people under age 65 who need help with personal care, getting around, or both because of an illness or disability. The rate payable depends on the person’s care and mobility requirements. More details and questions

Housing Benefit Top

Housing Benefit is a tax-free, income related, benefit awarded to person responsible for paying rent who satisfy the qualifying conditions. If the rent is paid to the local authority the benefit is paid by reducing the rent payable. If the rent is paid to a private landlord then benefit is in the form of a cheque or equivalent. More details and questions

Incapacity Benefit Top

Incapacity Benefit is payable to people who are sick or disabled and have been incapable of work for four or more days in a row and who are not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. The Short-term (lower) rate is tax-free, but the Short-term (higher) and Long-term rates are taxable. More details and questions

Incapacity Benefit for youths (Under 20 's some under 25 's) Top

People who have been incapable of work for over 28 weeks before age 20, or age 25 if they have continually been in education since before age 20. If they do not already have Severe Disablement Allowance, you could get Incapacity Benefit without needing to satisfy the National Insurance Contribution Conditions. More details and questions

Income Support is a tax-free, income related, benefit payable to people aged 16 or over, and who are not required to be available for work and whose income, from all sources, is below the minimum level set by Parliament. See the levels here in word format. More details and questions

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Top

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is a tax-free benefit payable to people who have become disabled as a result of an accident at work or as a result of an industrial disease. This benefit is payable even if the person continues or returns to work. The rate of benefit payable depends on the level of the person’s disability. More details and questions

Jobseeker’s Allowance Top

Jobseeker’s Allowance (Contribution based) is payable to unemployed people who have paid enough National Insurance Contributions and are available for and actively seeking work It is payable for up to 182 days. No additional benefit is payable for adult dependants or children. Jobseeker’s Allowance (Income based) is income related and is payable to unemployed people who are available for and actively seeking work but have not paid enough National Insurance Contributions or Jobseeker’s Allowance (Contribution based) does not fully meet their needs. The rates payable depend on the person’s circumstances. More details and questions

Maternity Allowance Top

Maternity Allowance is a tax-free benefit payable to a woman who is pregnant and has 11 weeks or less before the week the baby is due, or who has already given birth. The rate payable depends on the employment status, of the person, at the 15th week before the expected week of confinement. More details and questions

Maternity Grant Top

Maternity Grant is a tax-free lump sum of £500 payable to a woman who is pregnant and within 11 weeks or less before the week the baby is due, or who has already given birth or adopted within the last three months. They also have to have certain benefits in payment. More details and questions

Pension Credit Top

Pension Credit is a new entitlement for people aged 60 and over that was introduced by the Government from October 2003. It guarantees all over 60's a minumum weekly income of £124.05 and couples £189.35. More details and questions

Reduced Earnings Allowance Top

Reduced Earnings Allowance is a tax-free benefit payable to a person who was disabled in an accident at work or has a prescribed industrial disease, which happened or started before 1 October 1990, and as a result of their disablement is unable to return to their regular job or do work of the same standard.

Retirement Pension Top

Retirement Pension is paid to people, who have reached state pension age and have paid, or been credited with enough National Insurance Contributions. More details and questions

Severe Disablement Allowance Top

Severe Disablement Allowance is a tax-free benefit for people who have not been able to work for at least 28 consecutive weeks because of illness or disablement, but cannot get Incapacity Benefit because they have not paid enough National Insurance Contributions. No new claims after 5th July 01. More details and questions

Social Fund Top

The Social Fund helps people with expenses, which are difficult to pay out of regular income. Help can be given in the form of grants, payments or interest free loans. Grants and payments don’t usually have to be paid back. More details and questions

Statutory Maternity Pay Top

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid to a pregnant woman by her employer. It can be paid for up to 39 weeks. Grants and payments don’t usually have to be paid back. More details and questions

Statutory Sick Pay Top

Statutory Sick Pay is taxable and can be paid by an employer to an employee who is sick, if they meet the qualifying conditions. It is payable at a flat rate of £64.35 a week. More details and questions

War Disablement Pension Top

War Disablement Pension is tax-free and is payable to members of various services whose disablement is due to or has been made worse as a result of being in the service.The rate payable depends on how severely disabled the person is as compared to a normal healthy person of the same age and sex. More details and questions

Widow’s / Widowers Payment Top

Widow’s Payment is an immediate tax-free lump sum payable to a widow / widower under state pension age or to a widow / widower over state pension age whose husband / wife was not entitled to a Category A Retirement Pension when he /she died. More details and questions

Widows / Widowers Pension Top

Widow’s Pension is a regular payment of benefit to widows and widowers who are aged 45 or over when their husband / wife dies or when their Widowed Parent’s Allowance ceases. It is a taxable, contributory benefit. More details and questions

Working Tax Credit Top

Working Tax Credit replaced Working Families Tax Credit, Disabled Persons Tax Credit, and Over 50's Employment Credit from April 6th 2003.

It is a tax credit, administered and paid by the Inland Revenue, to working families with children, disabled workers, workers over 50, workers over 25 who work over 30 hours. More details and questions