LRD guides and handbook April 2016

State benefits and tax credits 2016

Introduction

Introduction
 [pages 5-9] (2,372 words)

State Benefits and Tax Credits 2016 is the latest edition of the Labour Research Department’s annual guide to the benefits system. It concentrates ...
Open access

Chapter 1

1. The welfare revolution
 [ch 1: page 10] (155 words)

After winning an outright majority in the May 2015 general election, the Conservatives have moved quickly to continue sweeping reform of the UK ...
Subscribers only

Universal Credit
 [ch 1: pages 10-19] (3,674 words)

The Benefit Cap
 [ch 1: pages 19-22] (1,041 words)

Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment
 [ch 1: pages 22-23] (509 words)

Housing Benefit
 [ch 1: pages 23-24] (437 words)

Council Tax Support 
 [ch 1: pages 24-25] (580 words)

The Social Fund
 [ch 1: pages 25-26] (369 words)

Tax credits
 [ch 1: pages 26-27] (318 words)

Appeals process
 [ch 1: page 27] (160 words)

Chapter 2

2. Help if you are on a low income, whether in or out of work
 [ch 2: page 28] (157 words)

There are a number of benefits — primarily Working Tax Credit, Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance, as well as Universal Credit (UC) ...
Subscribers only

Benefit and Tax Credits rate freeze 2016
 [ch 2: page 28] (275 words)

Working Tax Credit 
 [ch 2: pages 28-31] (1,026 words)

Income Support
 [ch 2: pages 31-35] (1,927 words)

Jobseeker’s Allowance
 [ch 2: pages 35-41] (2,436 words)

People with disabilities and carers
 [ch 2: pages 41-42] (460 words)

The Work Programme and sanctions
 [ch 2: pages 42-43] (233 words)

Cold Weather Payment 
 [ch 2: page 43] (255 words)

Other financial help: the Social Fund
 [ch 2: page 43] (35 words)

Chapter 3

3. Help if you are sick, injured at work or disabled
 [ch 3: page 44] (416 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 ...
Subscribers only

Statutory Sick Pay
 [ch 3: pages 45-49] (1,954 words)

Fit for Work 
 [ch 3: pages 49-51] (675 words)

Employment and Support Allowance
 [ch 3: pages 51-53] (1,114 words)

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
 [ch 3: pages 53-56] (1,182 words)

Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
 [ch 3: pages 56-57] (883 words)

Attendance Allowance
 [ch 3: page 57] (142 words)

Carer’s Allowance
 [ch 3: pages 58-59] (430 words)

The Independent Living Fund
 [ch 3: page 60] (216 words)

Chapter 4

4. Support for parents-to-be and parents
 [ch 4: page 61] (126 words)

Benefits available to help parents and guardians raise their children include:
 ...
Subscribers only

Parents-to-be
 [ch 4: page 61] (197 words)

Statutory Maternity Leave
 [ch 4: pages 61-63] (532 words)

Statutory Maternity Pay
 [ch 4: page 63] (387 words)

Maternity Allowance
 [ch 4: pages 64-65] (450 words)

Sure Start Maternity Grant 
 [ch 4: page 65] (211 words)

Shared Parental Leave and Pay
 [ch 4: pages 65-69] (1,586 words)

Ordinary Paternity Leave and Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay
 [ch 4: page 69] (311 words)

Statutory Adoption Leave and Pay and Surrogacy Leave
 [ch 4: pages 69-71] (570 words)

Child Benefit
 [ch 4: pages 71-72] (422 words)

Guardian’s Allowance
 [ch 4: page 72] (86 words)

Child Tax Credit
 [ch 4: pages 73] (470 words)

Chapter 5

5. Pensions
 [ch 5: page 74] (97 words)

The State Pension Age (SPA), state pensions and Pension Credit arrangements are all changing, affecting pensions and benefits. The right to claim ...
Subscribers only

State Pension Age
 [ch 5: page 75] (249 words)

The new State Pension — for people reaching State Pension Age on or after 6 April 2016
 [ch 5: pages 74-77] (1,078 words)

Pensions for people reaching State Pension Age before 6 April 2016
 [ch 5: pages 77-81] (1,527 words)

Graduated pension
 [ch 5: page 81] (56 words)

Pension Credit
 [ch 5: pages 81-82] (496 words)

Pensioners who work and Universal Credit
 [ch 5: page 82] (138 words)

Winter Fuel Payment
 [ch 5: page 82] (145 words)

Chapter 6

6. Help with housing costs
 [ch 6: page 83] (402 words)

The previous Conservative-led coalition government focused particularly on Housing Benefit as a means of cutting public spending. 
 ...
Subscribers only

Housing benefit
 [ch 6: pages 83-85] (1,398 words)

Help with a mortgage
 [ch 6: page 86] (228 words)

Chapter 7

7. Help if your husband, wife or civil partner dies
 [ch 7: page 88] (110 words)

If your husband, wife or civil partner dies, you may be entitled to:
 ...
Subscribers only

Bereavement Payment
 [ch 7: page 88] (196 words)

Bereavement Allowance
 [ch 7: page 89] (114 words)

Widowed parent’s benefits
 [ch 7: page 89] (235 words)

Inheriting State Pension entitlement
 [ch 7: pages 89-90] (432 words)

Funeral Payments 
 [ch 7: pages 90-91] (186 words)

Chapter 8

8. Calculating means-tested benefits
 [ch 8: pages 92-94] (598 words)

Income Support (IS), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Housing Benefit (HB) are means-tested benefits that depend on your income. This ...
Subscribers only

Further information

Further help and information
 [pages 95-96] (649 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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