Appendix 1: Glossary of terms
Alternative payment arrangements
Non-standard arrangements about when or where your benefit is paid. For example, universal credit might be paid twice a month, directly to a landlord or split between partners.
Appeal
When you ask an independent tribunal to look at a benefit decision and consider whether it should be changed.
Appointee
Someone authorised to claim and receive your benefit on your behalf, when you are unable to manage it yourself.
Backdated
When you can get a benefit from a date before the date on which you actually claimed it. Not to be confused with getting arrears of benefit – eg, after winning an appeal.
Bedroom tax
A reduction in the maximum amount of housing benefit you can get, or the maximum housing costs element you can get in your universal credit, if you live in social housing and are regarded as having a spare bedroom(s).
Benefit cap
The maximum yearly amount of benefits that someone can receive. Not all benefits are included and not all people are affected.
Capital
This includes (but is not limited to) savings, shares, certain lump-sum payments and most property that is not a person’s main home.
Care component
Part of disability living allowance and child disability payment paid if someone needs supervision or assistance because of a disability or health condition.
Claimant commitment
A document setting out what someone must do while claiming universal credit, and the possible penalties if its terms are not met.
Contributory benefit
A benefit for which entitlement depends on having paid a certain amount of national insurance contributions.
Daily living component
Part of personal independence payment and adult disability payment paid if someone has difficulties with certain daily living activities.
Descriptor
A statement describing your ability to carry out one of the activities in the work capability assessment or the personal independence payment assessment.
Discretionary housing payment
A payment that can be made by a local authority to top up universal credit or housing benefit when someone needs extra help with their rent or some other housing costs.
DWP
The Department for Work and Pensions. A central government department that pays many benefits in Great Britain.
Habitual residence
When someone has a settled intention to stay in the UK, and has usually been living here for a period.
Healthcare professional
A doctor, nurse, paramedic, physiotherapist or occupational therapist who carries out assessments.
Journal
An online record for your universal credit claim.
Judicial review
A way of challenging the decisions of government departments, local authorities and some tribunals against which there is no right of appeal.
Legacy benefit
A means-tested benefit that is being replaced by universal credit: income support, income-related employment and support allowance, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, child tax credit, working tax credit and (with some exceptions) working-age housing benefit.
Local housing allowance
The maximum amount of universal credit or housing benefit that you can get to help you pay private rent. The allowance varies based on your household size, circumstances and which area you live in.
Managed migration
When the DWP writes to you and tells you that your legacy benefit is ending and that you need to make a claim for universal credit instead.
Mandatory reconsideration
The requirement to have a decision looked at again by the DWP before you can make an appeal.
Means-tested benefit
A benefit that is only paid if someone’s income and capital (eg, savings) are low enough.
Mixed-age couple
A couple in which one partner has reached pension age and the other has not.
Mobility component
Part of a disability benefit paid if someone has difficulties getting about, including for mental health reasons. There is no mobility component of attendance allowance.
‘New-style’ employment and support allowance
A contributory form of employment and support allowance for those claiming under the universal credit system.
‘New-style’ jobseeker’s allowance
A contributory form of jobseeker’s allowance for those claiming under the universal credit system.
Non-dependant
An adult, other than a partner, who lives with the person claiming benefit – eg, a grown-up daughter or son. There are some special rules about who is included.
Non-means-tested benefit
A benefit that is paid regardless of the amount of someone’s income or capital such as savings.
Official error
An error by a benefit official, such as getting the law wrong or ignoring relevant information. Not every decision that you disagree with counts as official error – eg, if a decision maker takes a different but reasonable opinion on the evidence available.
Overpayment
An amount of benefit that is paid which is more than a person’s entitlement.
Pension age
This is age 66, and will reach 67 by October 2028.
Person subject to immigration control
Someone who requires leave to enter or remain in the UK but does not have it, or who has leave to remain but is prohibited from having recourse to public funds, or has leave to remain in the UK on the basis of a sponsorship agreement.
Qualifying young person
A young person aged 16 or over who can still be included in their parent/guardian’s benefit claim in the same way as a child would be, usually because they are in education. There are slightly different definitions for different benefits.
Qualifying benefit
In general, any benefit which gives you entitlement to another benefit, or makes another benefit payable at a higher rate.
Revision
A method of changing a benefit decision, (usually) effective from the date it was originally made.
Right to reside
A social security test, mainly affecting European Economic Area nationals, which must be satisfied in order to claim certain benefits.
Sanction
A reduction in a person’s benefit for failing to meet their work-related requirements without a good reason or because they have committed a benefit offence.
Social Security Scotland
A Scottish government department that pays many devolved benefits in Scotland.
Specified accommodation
Accommodation from a relevant body also providing care, support or supervision, or temporary accommodation provided because of domestic abuse.
Supersession
A method of changing a benefit decision some time after it was made, often because of a change in circumstances.
Temporary accommodation
Certain types of homeless accommodation where payments are made to a local authority or a social housing provider.
Two-child limit
A restriction on the number of child elements included in universal credit. There are exceptions – eg, if a child is adopted or for multiple births.
Work allowance
The amount of earnings ignored before a person’s universal credit award starts to be reduced. The amount depends on personal circumstances.
Work capability assessment
An assessment of whether, because of a health condition or disability, someone has limited capability for work/work-related activity.
Work-focused interview
A job centre appointment to discuss issues related to work – eg, future work opportunities and barriers to work.
Work coach
A job centre staff member. Part of their job is to decide your work-related requirements.
Work preparation
Carrying out activities to prepare for a future return to work, such as training or CV writing.
Work-related requirements
Activities connected with finding or preparing for work that some people must undertake to receive universal credit or employment and support allowance.