What benefits can I claim for? ~ Debt Managements and Consolidation

With a rise in unemployment, redundancy and many people struggling on low income, any increase to your monthly income can help relieve the financial strain. There are lots of different benefits out there, but I just want to go through the main ones for now.

To be eligible for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) you must be aged over 18 years but below pension age and you must either be out of work or work less than 16 hours per week on average. There are two types of Jobseekers Allowance; contribution-based and income-based. Contribution-based allowance allows you to claim if you have paid enough National Insurance over the course of the year, please note that if you are self-employed you may not be eligible. And income-based allowance allows you to claim if you have not paid enough but are on a low income.

When claiming Jobseekers Allowance you need to attend regular meetings to show that you are actively seeking full time employment.

To be eligible for Child Tax Credits you must be responsible for at least one child. You can be either unemployed or employed and you will receive money for each child that you have in your care. You must be aged 16 years or over to receive Child Tax Credits and, if you are working, your income must be within a certain limit. If you are responsible for at least one child you must have a total income of no more than ?40,000 a year from 06/04/2011 which is a reduction from the previous income threshold of ?50,000. This means if your income will be over the new limit your basic child tax credit payment of ?545 will be reduced.

The benefit is paid in two parts, the family element (this is paid to any family that is responsible for at least one child) and the child element (this is paid for each child in the family and may be higher if the child has a disability).? The maximum you can get for the family element is ?545 per year and the maximum you can get for the child element is ?2,555 per year.

Working Tax credits are designed for people who are working but in low income jobs. The benefit is calculated on the amount of hours that you work or the amount that you are expected to work and you can receive the benefit whether you are employed of self-employed.

In order to be eligible for Working Tax Credits you have to fit the following criteria:

If you have children you must be aged over 16 years and work over 16 hours per week.If you do not have children then you must be aged over 16 years and work at least 30 hours per week. However if you have a disability then you must only work 16 hours a week to qualify. If you or your partner are aged 50 years and older and are returning to work after being on Income Support or JSA, you must be working at least 16 hours per week to qualify.

Please seek advice if your income has increased significantly during the last tax year as this may affect your tax credit eligibility.

Income Support is designed to give extra money to people on low income. You are eligible for the benefit if you are aged 16 years or over and within the age where you can get pension credits. You must have a low income and work less than 16 hours a week. You cannot have more than ?16,000 of savings or receive JSA. ?You may also be eligible if you are a lone parent, on paternal or paternity leave, a carer or a refugee learning English.

Young people in relevant education may also be eligible if they are; a lone parent, don?t live with their parents, a refugee or at risk of serious abuse or violence.

If you are responsible for a child then you may be eligible for Child Benefit. The child will either live with you or if they don?t you must pay towards their upkeep, pay at least the amount that you receive and the person your child lives with must not also be claiming.

You can claim for child benefit regardless of your income or savings and everyone gets the same amount. You can claim child benefit until the child turns 16 years old or is aged between 16 and under 20 years old and is in education or training that counts for child benefit.

You can qualify for housing benefit if you pay rent and your income and capital is below a certain threshold. Your savings must be below ?16,000, you must not live in the home of a close relative, you must not be a full time student or you must not be an asylum seeker. If you live with your partner then only one of you can claim housing benefit. It is also important to note that if you are single and under 25 years old you can only claim for bed-sit accommodation.

Council tax benefit is available to anyone who would normally pay council tax and has an income and savings within a certain criteria; your savings must be below ?16,000. You can claim whether you own your home, rent or live rent free and you would also qualify if you are either employed or out of work.

Another way in which you could possibly qualify for council tax benefit is if you are the only adult in the property or if the other person you live with falls under one of the following categories; the person is not your partner and is aged over 18 years old, not currently paying rent or council tax or on a low income.

This is a tax free benefit for disabled adults and children in Great Britain to help with extra costs that you may have due to your disability. The amount that you receive for the benefit depends on the needs that you have rather than just your specific disability/ies.

To be eligible for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) you must fit within certain disability criteria; physical (including sensory such as blindness), mental (including learning disability) or both. Your disability may be severe enough for you to need help caring for yourself, and to receive DLA you must be aged under 65 years old when making your first claim. Unlike most other benefits your income and savings are not affected by your ability to claim DLA.

DLA is paid in two separate components; care & mobility. You will receive a certain amount if you require help looking after yourself and then you will receive a separate amount to help you get around. Receipt of DLA may increase the levels of entitlement to other benefits you receive as well.

These are just a few examples of the benefits that may be available to you. If you are unsure of the benefits that you could be claiming then visit your local Citizens Advice Centre or visit Direct Gov.

If you are still unsure about anything call one of our specialists who will always be happy to help

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