5. Benefits and tax credits
If you receive income support (IS), income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) or child tax credit, you automatically get free health benefits (see Chapter 11). You may also qualify if you get universal credit (see
here).
Housing benefit is effectively disregarded, as the NHS Business Services Authority only takes into account the rent paid directly by you when determining need.
Benefits and tax credits taken into account in full include:
Benefits and tax credits completely disregarded include:
•attendance allowance;
•child benefit;
•disability living allowance;
•personal independence payment;
•social fund payments.
Benefits and tax credits partly disregarded include:
•widowed parent’s allowance, which has £10 a week disregarded. Note: you do not receive this disregard if you already have £10 disregarded from a student loan or £20 disregarded from hardship fund payments.