Are You Claiming Enough Benefits?

There’s no doubt that the current financial climate is proving to be very difficult for many people. However, if you live and work in the UK, you may be entitled to a wide range of benefits to help you meet your everyday expenses.

Benefits are available for people of working age, people who have retired or who are planning to retire, families and children and disabled people and carers.

Naturally, the amount of benefits that you can receive will largely depend upon a number of factors i.e.. your personal circumstances and where you live. However, following is a general guide to the benefits that you may be able to obtain.

The Common Benefits

One of the most common types of benefit received is JSA (Job Seekers Allowance). If you are currently of a working age and you are actively seeking work, you may be able to apply for JSA to help you with your living costs. You can also get benefits to help you get back into work and if you are on a low income you may be able to claim for Working Tax Credit – a benefit that helps low-income individuals with their living costs.

There are a range of schemes currently available to help those who are looking for work, or anyone who is entering into work following a period of unemployment – the best place to enquire about any such benefits is at your local Job Centre or council office.

Benefits are also available to individuals who have retired or for those who are planning to retire. Currently, everyone is entitled to receive a basic State Pension, however, you may also be able to receive a range of other benefits if you are of pensionable age.

To find out more about the benefits that you may be able to receive, contact your local council office or The Pension Service for more information. They may ask you to complete a number of forms and send them back to check for your benefit eligibility.

What About Families?

Additionally, benefits are available to help support families and children. As an example, if you are responsible for the care of a child, you may be able to claim for Child Benefit. Many different levels of support are also available for families who have specific requirements i.e.. single parent families, special needs children and for anyone expecting a baby, so if any of these scenarios applies to you, it is worth asking about any benefits that you may be entitled to.

Disability Allowances?

Help is also available for disabled people and their carers – you may be able to get government supported benefits to help you if you are sick or disabled, or you care for someone who is. Again, the kind of benefits that you may be able to get will differ largely depending on your personal situation, so it is wise to contact your local council office for more information.

In Summary

If you think that you may be entitled to benefits, or if you believe that you are not currently claiming enough money in benefits, you should contact your local authority for more information about any current benefit schemes and your eligibility.

You could be missing out on a large amount of money that you are entitled to if you don’t do this. Many people will find the benefits process confusing, and if this is the case, speak to someone today to get help with your application. Staff at your local council office or Job Centre are there to help you get the correct amount of benefits that you are entitled to.