Benefits
If you are 18 or over you can claim benefits at your Jobcentre Plus. If you have any questions about your claim to benefits or you need help in looking for a job you should contact your local office by phone or in person.
If you want to try to claim benefits and are under 18, go to your local Connexions Centre. They can’t decide whether you can get benefits, but they can tell you which benefits you could apply for and how to apply. You can also call one of these local or national helplines for advice:
Benefit Enquiry Line
Benefits info for people with disabilities, their carers and representatives.
They provide confidential advice and info on all social security
benefits.
Phone: 0800 882200
Email: Bel-Customer-Services@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Community Legal Service Helpline
Get independent advice about debt, education, benefits and tax credits, employment and housing problems if you live on a low income or benefits.
Phone: 0845 345 4 345
Leicester City Council Benefits Advice Line
Monday – Thursday 1pm – 4pm
Phone: 0116 254 3399
Welfare Rights Advice Line
Local advice and information on benefit and tax credit entitlements.
Monday to Thursday 9.30am - 12.30pm
Phone: 0116 277 9496
Commonly Claimed Benefits
Child Benefit and Tax Credits
Your parents can continue to claim Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits for you up to the age of 20 if you are still in full-time education or on e2e or an unwaged apprenticeship.
If you are 16 or 17 and not in employment or training your parents can usually continue to claim child benefit for you until Monday 31st August following your 16th birthday.
Find out more about claiming benefits if you are 16 or 17 and not in employment or training.
Once you start a job or paid apprenticeship your parents can no longer claim child benefit or tax credits for you.
If you are a young parent you can claim Child Benefit and Child Tax credit for each child – whether you are working or not. If you are a young parent and are working for 16 hours or more you can apply for Working Tax Credit.
Child Trust Fund
A savings and investment account for children. Children born on or after 1st September 2002 will get a £250 voucher from the government to start their account. The account belongs to the child and can’t be touched until they turn 18, so that children have some money behind them to start their adult life.
Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance is a social security benefit that you may be able to claim if you have a long-term health problem, mental or physical, that affects your everyday activities. Find out if you qualify and what you are likely to be paid from Benefits Now.
Housing Benefits
Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance info.
Incapacity Benefit (IB)
IB is paid to people who are unable to work because of ill-health or disability. You can claim it from 16 years old.
Income Support (IS)
Under 18s can claim IS if they are unable to work because they are:
- a lone parent
- in the last 11 weeks of pregnancy
- too sick or disabled
- a recently arrived refugee learning English
- in full – time education and living away from
home for a good reason
Job Seekers Allowance
This is a benefit for people out of work but is only paid to under 18s if you can prove that you are under ‘severe hardship’.
Other Benefits
There is a range of other benefits that may be paid to people in specific situations such as parents, homeless young people or people with disabilities. An A-Z of benefits can be found on the DWP website.
Last updated: 14-Apr-2008
