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Debt Advice Handbook 15th edition

2. How to use this chapter

• Which benefits and tax credits can a client claim

The table on here lists common circumstances that apply to people and the benefits and tax credits that it may be possible to claim. You should check all the circumstances that could be relevant.

The A–Z of the most common benefits (see here) outlines the main eligibility criteria for each benefit. This chapter cannot describe fully the entitlement conditions for every benefit. It is a guide to which benefits you should consider that may be appropriate for a client.

Following the A–Z is a brief explanation of how benefits are calculated, including, in particular, how the means test works. Means tests are complex and cannot be described in full in this Handbook. This chapter explains the basics so you can judge whether further enquiries or an application for benefit should be made. Other sources of financial help that may be available to clients are listed here.

For more information, see CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook.

Which benefits and tax credits can a client claim

The table on here gives an overview of the possible benefits and tax credits to which a client may be entitled depending on her/his circumstances. More than one circumstance may apply to a particular client (eg, s/he may have a child, a disability, a mortgage and work part time), in which case you should refer to each circumstance.

Some benefits and tax credits can be paid if a client does not have enough money to live on, either in addition to other benefits and tax credits, or on their own. These are:

•universal credit (UC) if s/he is in or out of paid work and her/his income is below the set minimum level required for her/his household’s needs, including housing costs. Note: UC is replacing the current means-tested benefits for working-age people and most new claims are now for UC and not the following benefits (see here). You may see clients who are still receiving income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) or tax credits. At some point, they will be transferred over to UC;
•income-based JSA or income support (IS) if s/he is not in full-time paid work;
•income-related ESA if s/he has ’limited capability’ for work;
•working tax credit (WTC) if s/he is in full-time paid work (what counts as full-time work varies according to the client’s circumstances);
•pension credit (PC) if s/he is over the qualifying age and either in or out of full-time paid work;
•child tax credit (CTC) if s/he has children and the household income is below the set threshold;
•housing benefit (HB) if s/he is out of work or has a low income and is unable to meet her/his housing costs (restrictions apply). As above, most existing claimants will be transferred over to UC. However, they will remain on HB or a new claim may be made if the client is in a couple and both partners have reached state pension age, or if one partner reached state pension age and they started claiming PC as a couple before 15 May 2019, or if the client is living in specified accommodation or temporary housing.

Circumstance	Potential benefits and tax credits
Bereaved	Bereavement support payment
	Social fund funeral expenses payment
	Statutory parental bereavement pay
Carer	Carer’s allowance
	UC (if under the UC system)
	IS
	Young carer grant (Scotland)
Responsible for a child	CTC
	Child benefit
	Guardian’s allowance
	Statutory maternity pay (SMP)
	Statutory paternity pay
	Statutory shared parental pay
	Statutory adoption pay
	Maternity allowance (MA)
	Health benefits
	Healthy Start food and vitamins (England and Wales)
	Best Start grant (Scotland)
	Best Start foods (Scotland)
	UC (if under the UC system)
Disabled	Personal independence payment
	Disability living allowance
	Attendance allowance
	Industrial injuries benefits
Has a mortgage	IS
	Income-based JSA (existing claims only)
	Income-related ESA (existing claims only)
	PC
	UC (if under the UC system)
Pensioner	Retirement pension
	PC
	Winter fuel payment
Pregnant	SMP
	MA
	Sure Start maternity grant
	Health benefits
	Healthy Start food and vitamins
	Best Start grant (Scotland)
Paying rent	HB
	UC (if under the UC system)
Sick and unable to work	ESA
	Statutory sick pay
	UC (if under the UC system)
Unemployed and seeking work	JSA
	UC (if under the UC system)
Unemployed and not seeking work	IS
	UC (if under the UC system)
Working, but on a low income	WTC
	CTC
	HB
	UC (if under the UC system)