LRD guides and handbook March 2015

State benefits and tax credits 2015

Introduction

Introduction [pages 5-9] (2,283 words)

State Benefits and Tax Credits 2015 is the revised edition of the Labour Research Department’s annual guide to the benefits system. It concentrates ...
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Chapter 1

1. The welfare revolution [ch 1: page 10] (128 words)

As a result of the huge shake-up of the benefits system introduced by the coalition government through the Welfare Reform Act 2012, several state ...
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Universal Credit [ch 1: page 10] (193 words)

The introduction of Universal Credit [ch 1: page 11] (241 words)

How Universal Credit works [ch 1: pages 10-11] (268 words)

Disability [ch 1: page 11] (89 words)

Carers [ch 1: pages 12-13] (544 words)

Housing costs [ch 1: pages 13-14] (168 words)

Owner-occupier housing costs [ch 1: page 14] (134 words)

Children [ch 1: page 14] (25 words)

Childcare costs [ch 1: page 14] (153 words)

Work allowances [ch 1: page 15] (52 words)

Taper rate [ch 1: page 15] (215 words)

Claimant commitment [ch 1: pages 15-16] (328 words)

Universal Credit and European Union nationals [ch 1: page 16] (52 words)

The Benefit Cap [ch 1: page 16] (57 words)

What is covered? [ch 1: pages 16-17] (86 words)

What is the Benefit Cap level? [ch 1: page 16] (58 words)

Exemptions [ch 1: page 17] (114 words)

Where the Benefit Cap would not apply [ch 1: pages 17-18] (215 words)

Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment [ch 1: pages 18-19] (404 words)

The ‘bedroom tax' [ch 1: page 19] (275 words)

Local Housing Allowance rates [ch 1: page 20] (49 words)

Council Tax Support [ch 1: page 20] (157 words)

The impact of the introduction of Council Tax Support [ch 1: pages 20-21] (613 words)

The Social Fund [ch 1: pages 21-22] (166 words)

Budgeting Loans [ch 1: page 22] (43 words)

Local Welfare Assistance [ch 1: page 22] (158 words)

Tax Credits [ch 1: page 22] (57 words)

Appeals process changes [ch 1: page 23] (160 words)

Chapter 2

2. Help if you are on a low income, whether in or out of work [ch 2: page 24] (150 words)

There are a number of benefits – primarily Working Tax Credit, Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance, as well as Universal Credit (currently ...
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Increases to benefits in 2015 [ch 2: page 24] (130 words)

Working Tax Credit [ch 2: pages 24-25] (278 words)

What hours of work are needed [ch 2: pages 25-26] (307 words)

If you used to get the ‘50-plus element’ [ch 2: page 26] (82 words)

What happens to your payments if your income changes? [ch 2: page 26] (271 words)

Backdated payments [ch 2: pages 26-27] (101 words)

Income Support [ch 2: page 26] (34 words)

Who can get it? [ch 2: page 27] (260 words)

Income Support and lone parents [ch 2: pages 27-28] (213 words)

If you are currently claiming [ch 2: pages 28-29] (284 words)

How much can you get? [ch 2: page 29] (325 words)

Help for starting work scrapped [ch 2: page29] (68 words)

Deductions [ch 2: page 29] (40 words)

Taking industrial action [ch 2: page 30] (151 words)

Help with housing costs [ch 2: page 30] (99 words)

Other benefits [ch 2: page 30] (88 words)

Parental or paternity leave [ch 2: page ] (89 words)

Partners of Income Support claimants [ch 2: pages 30-31] (68 words)

Jobseeker’s Allowance [ch 2: page 31] (128 words)

Who can get it? [ch 2: page 31] (184 words)

Contribution-based JSA [ch 2: page 32] (183 words)

How much can you get? [ch 2: page 32] (226 words)

Income-based JSA [ch 2: pages 32-33] (110 words)

How much can you get? [ch 2: page 33] (238 words)

How to claim [ch 2: pages 33-34] (322 words)

Jobseeker’s Agreement [ch 2: page 34] (235 words)

Jobseeker’s directions and sanctions [ch 2: page 35] (210 words)

How much will a sanction be and how long will it last? [ch 2: pages 35-36] (477 words)

‘Good reason’ why a sanction should not be applied [ch 2: page 36] (159 words)

People with disabilities and carers [ch 2: page 37] (305 words)

Sanctions, the Work Programme and “Workfare” [ch 2: page 38] (329 words)

Cold Weather Payment [ch 2: pages 37-38] (186 words)

Other financial help: the Social Fund [ch 2: page 39] (35 words)

Chapter 3

3. Help if you are sick, injured at work or disabled [ch 3: page 40] (293 words)

There are a number of benefits that you may be able to claim if you are sick, injured at work or disabled. What you get depends on whether you are in ...
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Statutory Sick Pay [ch 3: page 40] (69 words)

Who can get it? [ch 3: pages 40-41] (171 words)

Exceptions [ch 3: page 41] (173 words)

How much can you get? [ch 3: page 41] (133 words)

Qualifying days [ch 3: page 41] (46 words)

When to claim [ch 3: page 42] (182 words)

Notification rules for SSP [ch 3: page 42] (172 words)

How is it paid? [ch 3: page 42] (87 words)

If you are pregnant [ch 3: page 43] (68 words)

Independent medical examination [ch 3: page 43] (81 words)

How to appeal [ch 3: page 43] (194 words)

Acas Early Conciliation of employment tribunal claims [ch 3: page 44] (201 words)

Employment tribunal fees and fee remission [ch 3: pages 44-45] (315 words)

Fit for Work [ch 3: page 45] (280 words)

Employment and Support Allowance [ch 3: page 46] (255 words)

How does it work? [ch 3: pages 46-47] (268 words)

How much can you get? [ch 3: page 47] (200 words)

Impact of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 on ESA [ch 3: pages 47-48] (172 words)

Severe Disablement Allowance and ESA [ch 3: page 48] (146 words)

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit [ch 3: page 48] (66 words)

Who can get it? [ch 3: pages 48-49] (276 words)

How much can you get? [ch 3: page 49] (195 words)

How to appeal [ch 3: page 49] (51 words)

Extra help for those claiming IIDB [ch 3: pages 49-50] (190 words)

Reduced Earnings Allowance and Retirement Allowance [ch 3: page 50] (175 words)

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) [ch 3: page 50] (117 words)

PIP assessments criticised [ch 3: page 51] (262 words)

How much can you get? [ch 3: pages 51-52] (100 words)

If you currently get DLA [ch 3: page 52] (60 words)

New claims [ch 3: page 52] (135 words)

Attendance Allowance [ch 3: page 52] (151 words)

Carer’s Allowance [ch 3: pages 52-53] (328 words)

How much can you get? [ch 3: page 53] (70 words)

How to claim [ch 3: page 53] (27 words)

The Independent Living Fund [ch 3: page 54] (178 words)

Chapter 4

4. Support for parents-to-be and parents [ch 4: pages 55-56] (795 words)

From 5 April 2015, the Children and Families Act 2014 (CFA 2014) allows a woman to end her maternity leave early and convert the remainder of the ...
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Parents-to-be [ch 4: pages 56-57] (191 words)

Statutory Maternity Leave [ch 4: pages 57-58] (376 words)

Returning to work [ch 4: page 58] (156 words)

Statutory Maternity Pay [ch 4: page 58] (118 words)

How much can you get? [ch 4: pages 58-59] (163 words)

How is it paid? [ch 4: page 59] (110 words)

Maternity Allowance [ch 4: page 59] (54 words)

Who can get it? [ch 4: pages 59-60] (339 words)

How to claim [ch 4: page 60] (69 words)

Sure Start Maternity Grant [ch 4: pages 60-61] (214 words)

Shared Parental Leave and Pay [ch 4: page 61] (364 words)

Eligibility [ch 4: pages 61-62] (501 words)

Ordinary Paternity Leave and Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay [ch 4: page 62] (311 words)

Statutory Adoption Leave and Pay and Surrogacy Leave [ch 4: pages 63-64] (448 words)

Child Benefit [ch 4: pages 64-65] (319 words)

Guardian’s Allowance [ch 4: page 65] (85 words)

Child Tax Credit [ch 4: page 65] (75 words)

How much can you get? [ch 4: pages 65-66] (130 words)

If your circumstances change [ch 4: page 66] (129 words)

If your child is disabled [ch 4: page 66] (60 words)

How to claim [ch 4: page 67] (223 words)

Chapter 5

5. Basic State Pension and Pension Credit [ch 5: page 68] (129 words)

Once you reach the State Pension Age (SPA) you may be able to claim a range of benefits to help you financially, including Winter Fuel Payment (see ...
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State Pension Age [ch 5: page 68] (133 words)

State pensions [ch 5: page 68] (63 words)

Pensions for people reaching State Pension Age before 6 April 2016 [ch 5: pages 68-69] (108 words)

Basic State Pension [ch 5: page 69] (93 words)

Who can get it? [ch 5: pages 69-70] (359 words)

How to claim [ch 5: page 70] (69 words)

Topping up your state pension [ch 5: page 70] (78 words)

Deferring your state pension [ch 5: page 70] (59 words)

Over-80s pensions [ch 5: page 71] (85 words)

Additional State Pension [ch 5: page 71] (327 words)

Being contracted out of Additional State Pension [ch 5: page ] (195 words)

Pensions for people reaching State Pension Age on or after 6 April 2016 [ch 5: page 72] (169 words)

What you may get [ch 5: pages 72-73] (185 words)

Deferring new State Pension [ch 5: page 73] (64 words)

What it will mean [ch 5: page 73] (115 words)

Concerns [ch 5: pages 73-74] (190 words)

Pension Credit [ch 5: page 74] (169 words)

Entitlement to Pension Credit [ch 5: pages 74-75] (250 words)

Changes to Pension Credit [ch 5: page 75] (83 words)

Pensioners who work and Universal Credit [ch 5: page 75] (72 words)

Winter Fuel Payment [ch 5: page 75] (144 words)

Chapter 6

6. Help with housing costs [ch 6: page 76] (237 words)

The government has focused particularly on Housing Benefit as a means of cutting public spending. ...
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Housing Benefit [ch 6: pages 76-78] (568 words)

How is Housing Benefit paid? [ch 6: page 78] (74 words)

Local Housing Allowance (LHA) [ch 6: pages 78-79] (463 words)

Help with a mortgage [ch 6: pages 79-80] (209 words)

Chapter 7

7. Help if your husband, wife or civil partner dies [ch 7: page 81] (106 words)

If your husband, wife or civil partner dies, you may be entitled to: ...
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Bereavement Payment [ch 7: pages 81-82] (195 words)

Bereavement Allowance [ch 7: page 82] (114 words)

Widowed parent’s benefits [ch 7: page 82] (156 words)

Inheriting State Pension entitlement [ch 7: pages 82-83] (426 words)

Funeral Payments [ch 7: pages 83-84] (182 words)

Chapter 8

8. Calculating means-tested benefits [ch 8: pages 85-86] (395 words)

Income Support (IS), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Support (CTS) are means-tested benefits that ...
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Further information

Further help and information [pages 87-88] (657 words)

The state benefits system is run mainly by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), while HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) administers Tax Credits. ...
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