7. Other benefits and tax credits

You cannot make a new claim for income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), income-related employment and support allowance (ESA), housing benefit (there are some exceptions - see here), child tax credit or working tax credit, unless you have a severe disability premium in one of these benefits already (or you got one in the last month and still satisfy the conditions for it).

You can still get other benefits, such as carer’s allowance (CA), contributory ESA or contribution-based JSA, but they may count as income.

The benefit cap

Your universal credit (UC) is reduced if your total income from benefits is over the maximum level that you or your partner can receive. The amount is £1,666.66 a month if you are a lone parent or member of a couple, and £1,116.67 if you are a single person.

The benefits that count towards the cap include child benefit and maternity allowance.

You are exempt from the cap if:

•you or your partner are working and earning at least £617 a month;
•you or your partner are disabled. You or your partner must get certain disability benefits, including disability living allowance (DLA), personal independence payment (PIP), ESA with a support component, or UC with a limited capability for work-related activity element;
•you are responsible for a child or young person who gets DLA or PIP;
•you or your partner are a carer and get CA or the carer element in UC;
•you are a war widow/er.

There is protection for nine months before the cap applies if you are no longer working, or are earning less than £617 a month, but were working and earning at least £617 a month for each of the 12 months before this.

Passported benefits

Provided you meet any other conditions, getting UC entitles you to:

•a Best Start grant;
•funeral support payments;
•free school lunches from your local authority, provided your earnings (or the earnings of you and your partner) are not more than £610 in the assessment period before your application.

If you get UC and have income below a certain level, you are eligible for:

•free dental treatment (see here);
•vouchers for glasses (see here);
•Best Start foods (see here).You may also be eligible for a school clothing grant - see mygov.scot/clothing-grants.