Benefits
DIAL has a team of eight trained volunteer benefit advisors with appointments available Monday to Friday, morning and afternoon. We will in exceptional circumstances, undertake a home visit if clients are unable to attend the office, however this service is dependant on availability of volunteers.
We can undertake benefit checks to ensure you are in receipt of the appropriate benefits. We are able to assist with completion of forms, and will guide and support you through the application process.
Should your claim be unsuccessful, we can help with requesting reconsiderations and completion of the GL24 claim lodging an appeal. At this time we are unable to provide representation for appeals, however we have links with local agencies who are always willing to assist where possible.
When making an appointment for benefits advice, it is advisable to allow 2 hours to complete thoroughly.
- Disability Living Allowance
Tax free cash help towards extra costs you may face if you are disabled. You can get it if you have physical or mental disability, or both (including developmental disorders or learning difficulties), and if your disability is severe enough for you to need help with personal care or have walking difficulties, or both; and you are under 65 years of age when you make a claim. You may get either a care component or a mobility component, or both of these.
- Attendance Allowance
Tax free cash help towards extra costs you may face if you are disabled. You can get it if you have physical or mental disability, or both, and if your disability is severe enough for you to need help with personal care; and you are over 65 years of age when you make a claim.
- Carers Allowance
A benefit for carers of people who are severely disabled. You may have to pay tax on it. The person you are caring for must be getting one of the following benefits: Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance at the middle or high rate care component, Constant Attendance Allowance at or above the normal maximum rate as part of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or the basic (full day) rate as part of a War Disablement Pension. The carer must be over 16 years of age, provide care for at least 35 hours per week, not in full time education.
- Incapacity Benefit
Replaced by Employment and Support Allowance for new claims after 2th October 2008.
- Employment Support Allowance (from October 2008)
From October 2008, new claims for both Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on the basis of incapacity for work will be replaced by the Employment Support Allowance.
New benefit paid to people whose ability to work is limited by ill health or disability. It has two elements:
Contributory ESA is linked to your National Insurance contribution record, and to be entitled national insurance contributions will be assessed over a number of years.
Income-related ESA is the means tested element of ESA. It replaces Income Support paid on the grounds of incapacity. It provides for basic living expenses (and those of a partner if applicable). Like Income Support, income-related ESA can help with mortgage interest payments and certain other housing costs. It can be paid on its own, or as a top up to contributory ESA. Certain premiums are also paid – but not the disability premium.
Youth Provisions – young claimants aged 16-19 may be able to get contributory ESA if they have been unable to work due to illness or disability for at least 28 weeks. It does not matter if they have not paid enough National Insurance Contributions. In some cases young claimants under 20 may be entitled to Income-related ESA, even if they have not been ill for 28 weeks. Young claimants aged 20 to 24 may be entitled to ESA if they were in education during the last 3 months before their 20th birthday and are now unable to work due to illness or disability.
- Income Support (claimed through Incapacity to Work)
Replaced by Employment and Support Allowance for new claims after 27th October 2008.
- Pension Credit
A means tested benefit for people over 60 or over. Pension Credit has two elements: Guaranteed Credit - if your income is below a certain level, known as the “appropriate minimum guarantee”, the guarantee makes up the difference and Savings Credit, paid if you or you partner are aged 65 or over, intended to provide extra money for people who have made modest provision for their retirement.
We can also assist with
- Housing Benefit
- Council Tax Benefit
- Tax credits