Photo by Tony Plant
Other benefits (continued)
- Employment and Support Allowance (replaces Incapacity Benefit & Income Support)
This allowance is paid to help people who have an illness or a disability to move into work. To qualify, you either need to fulfil the criteria for ‘contribution-based’ or ‘Income-based’ Employment and Support Allowance. For the contribution-based allowance, you need to have paid enough National Insurance Contributions and for the Income-based allowance, where you haven’t paid enough National Insurance contributions, you need to show you haven’t got enough money or savings. For more information about Employment and Support Allowance click on the link http://campaigns.dwp.gov.uk/esa/.
You may be eligible for this allowance if you:
- have an illness or disability that makes you unable to work;
- are self-employed;
- work for an employer but cannot get statutory sick-pay or you were getting statutory sick pay but it has now been stopped.
- Healthy Start - Milk, fruit and veg vouchers
A government-run scheme, Healthy Start provides vouchers for people with children under four or pregnant women to help buy milk, fresh fruit and vegetables or infant formula milk. To be eligible, you must be receiving certain benefits. To find out more information about Healthy Start, click on the following link http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/.
- Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
If you are 16-19 years old and decide to further your education after your GCSEs and you live in a household with income under £31,000, you may be eligible to claim the Education Maintenance Allowance. EMA is currently worth up to £30 a week and can be paid directly into your bank account. Discover all you need to know about EMA by click on the link http://ema.direct.gov.uk/.
- Bereavement Allowance
Bereavement Allowance is a benefit that’s paid weekly for up to a year after the death of a spouse/civil partner who paid NI contributions. You may also be eligible for a separate one-off bereavement payment of £2,000 tax-free. For more information about bereavement allowance, click on the link http://www.direct.gov.uk.
- Guardian’s Allowance
Guardian's allowance is available for people bringing up a child because one or both of their parents have died. For more information on guardian’s allowance, click on the link http://www.direct.gov.uk
- Grants
You may also find it useful to look at what grants are available to you on http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/protect/grant-grabbing.
Useful telephone numbers:
Jobcentre Plus
To make a new or repeat claim for benefit: 0800 0 55 66 88
To enquiry about an existing benefit claim: 0845 608 8624
Social Fund: 0845 608 8616
Crisis Loan: 0800 032 8349
Pensions Service
Pensions service enquiries: 0800 99 1234
HMRC
Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credits: 0845 300 3900
Cornwall Council
Council tax and housing benefit: 0300 1234 161
