The welfare system is complex. Variable criteria entitle your family to different financial benefits, items of equipment or welfare services. Any parent bringing up their child is always entitled to some welfare benefits, but if a child needs additional care or if the family’s income is below certain thresholds (which again vary), there are likely to be further benefits and services available. Some of them depend on having paid National Insurance, and some do not.Some are means tested and some not, and the means tested ones are subject to capital and income rules. Some benefits are taxable and some not. Some benefits are interdependent with others, especially Carer’s Allowance.
These criteria can change. At least once a year, sometimes twice, adjustments are made to the benefits system. These may just be small changes to the amounts payable, or they may be larger adjustments to the system, and to who qualifies for benefits. In addition to that, your own circumstances might change; for example, an addition to your family may also entitle you to additional benefit.It may mean that you will now qualify for a benefit that you were not entitled to before, such as Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.
At such times, or if you have never gone through the exercise of making sure you are receiving everything you are entitled to, it is worthwhile reviewing your benefits or running through a benefits check with an advice agency that knows about all the complexities of the system.It is also said, sometimes, that it is worth getting a second opinion in case a mistake is made in some part of the calculation. Another reason for getting experienced help is that the way the form is filled in can sometimes make a difference. There is an interactive benefits and tax credits check available on the Web at www.entitledto.co.uk
Currently the definition of a ‘child’ within the welfare system varies from those under 16 years of age, to those under 20 years of age who are described as ‘Qualifying young people’. The benefits extended, or to be extended in this way include Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit, Widowed Mothers / Parents Allowance, Guardians Allowance, and amounts included for children within Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, and Income Support that is not with Child Tax Credit.
This section lists the most relevant welfare benefits and services, some of which relate directly to having a child with additional needs. The others, while not relating directly to that, are likely to interact financially. For the details about each one, there are links to government websites where possible:this is because the government is the source of any changes and therefore the details will normally be updated quickly.
