Social security benefits are financial payments. Some benefits are paid to meet basic living costs, some are paid for specific expenses such as rent, other benefits are paid if you meet certain criteria such as being in full-time work.

There are dozens of different benefits and many have complex rules. This is an introduction to help you start to find out which of those benefits might be relevant to you. It does not cover all the benefits or all the rules.

This information is for people aged between 16 and state retirement age. We also have information about benefits for older people, children and people aged 16-20.
 

Disability benefits (Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment)

Disability benefits can be paid if your disability means that you have care needs or mobility difficulties regardless of whether you are in work or in education and regardless of how much money you have or who you live with.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) has been the disability benefit for 'working age' people (which means people aged 16-65), but this is gradually being abolished and replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP). All new claims for a working age disability benefit must now be claims for PIP. If you are already getting DLA, you will be moved on to PIP if you had not reached age 65 on 8.4.2013.

To make a claim for PIP, call 0800 917 2222, or find out more on our Personal Independence Payment page.

Benefits for people who are not working (or only doing a small amount of work)

If you are not doing any paid work or are doing a small amount of work, you may be able to claim an out of work benefit.

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Jobseeker’s Allowance is the benefit for people who can work and can prove that they are actively looking for work. There are two types of Jobseeker’s Allowance:

• contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance is not means-tested and is paid to people who have paid enough National Insurance contributions to qualify. This is now known as New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance is means-tested and is paid to people whose income and savings are low enough to qualify. Only your income and savings, and those of a partner who you live with, are counted. For example, if you live with a friend or with your parents, their income and savings are not counted.

You can only make a new claim for income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance if you are getting a severe disability premium on another pre-Universal Credit means-tested benefit.

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance is gradually being abolished and replaced by Universal Credit, please see information below. Contribution-based/New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance is not affected by this change.

Claims for New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance are usually made online on the Government's website. 

If you cannot claim online, you can ring 0800 055 6688 for help, or in Northern Ireland, contact your local social security office.

Employment and Support Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance is the benefit for people who cannot work or who have a limited ability to work due to having a disability or health condition. There are two types of Employment and Support Allowance:

• contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance is not means-tested and is paid to people who have paid enough National Insurance contributions to qualify, or who qualified under the old 'youth' rules which have since been abolished for new claims. This is now known as New Style Employment and Support Allowance for new claims
• income-based Employment and Support Allowance is means-tested and is paid to people whose income and savings are low enough to qualify. Only your income and savings, and those of a partner who you live with, are counted. For example, if you live with a friend or with your parents, their income and savings are not counted.

You can only make a new claim for income-based Employment and Support Allowance if you are getting a severe disability premium on another pre-Universal Credit means-tested benefit.

Income-based Employment and Support Allowance is gradually being abolished and replaced by Universal Credit, please see information below. Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance is not affected by this change.

To make a claim for New Style Employment and Support Allowance, call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644 or in Northern Ireland call 0800 587 1377.

If you qualify for the pre-Universal Credit benefits, call 0800 169 0350.

For more information about the criteria and how to claim, see our information on Employment and Support Allowance.

Income Support

Income Support is a benefit for people who are carers or lone parents of children under five and do not work or only do a small amount of work. For more information, please see www.gov.uk/income-support

Income Support is gradually being abolished and replaced by Universal Credit, please see the information below.

Carer’s Allowance

Carer's Allowance is a benefit for people who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a child or adult who is receiving certain disability benefits. For more information, please see our information on Carer's Allowance.

Benefits for people who are working

Working Tax Credit is a benefit for people who are working and have a low income. You must be working a certain number of hours per week to qualify. The number of hours needed to qualify depends on your circumstances.

To claim Tax Credits, call the Tax Credits Helpline on 0345 300 3900.

People who are working can claim Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support if their income and savings are low enough. Please see below for more details.

Working Tax Credit and Housing Benefit are gradually being abolished and replaced by Universal Credit, please see information below.

Benefits for people on a low income

The following benefits can be claimed by anyone on a low income regardless of whether they are in or out of work.

Housing Benefit

If you pay rent and have a low income and savings of under £16,000, you may be entitled to claim Housing Benefit. Some people on a very low income get all their rent paid. Some people who are working or have some savings get some money towards the cost of their rent.

Council Tax and Rates

There are various schemes that can reduce the amount of Council Tax that you have to pay. Council Tax Support is a means-tested reduction of your bill. Council Tax discounts are reductions that are not means-tested and depend on who is living in the property. The Disability Reduction Scheme can reduce the bill where the home has been adapted for a disabled person.

In Northern Ireland, you can get means-tested help to pay your rates, and it is also possible to qualify for a non means-tested disability reduction on adapted properties.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax are administered by local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland. There is more information on the Government's website. You will need to contact your local authority to apply. In Northern Ireland, it’s the Housing Executive and Land and Property Services. Visit the nidirect website or call the Land and Property Services helpline on 0300 200 7802. 

Housing Benefit will gradually be replaced by the Housing Element of Universal Credit.

Changes to the benefits system – Universal Credit

The following benefits are currently being abolished: income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Tax Credits, Housing Benefit, and Income Support. These are now referred to as ‘legacy benefits’. They are being replaced by a new benefit called Universal Credit (UC).

Most people who need to make a new claim, or have a change of circumstances that trigger a new claim, will need to apply for UC. UC is usually claimed online.

To get help, you can ring the UC helpline on 0800 328 5644. You can also use the Citizens Advice Help to Claim service on 0800 144 8 444.

All claims for legacy benefits will eventually be moved to Universal Credit. This is known as ‘managed migration' and started in November 2020. The DWP will write to you inviting you to claim Universal Credit. For more information, see our page on Universal Credit.

More information 

• The Government-run website www.gov.uk (or https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/ for Northern Ireland) provides details of most benefits. 
• Advicelocal has information on local advice services throughout the UK.
• Citizens Advice has information about benefits and details of local Citizens Advice bureau. 
• Shelter has information on benefits relating to housing.