Benefits

SOME BASIC WELFARE RIGHTS ADVICE:

If you’re visiting this site from outside of Brighton and Hove we recommend searching for services close to you: https://advicelocal.uk/

FOR LOCAL FOODBANKS PLEASE SEE: - HTTPS://BHFOOD.ORG.UK/CATEGORY/DIRECTORY-HUB/FOOD-BANKS/

BRIGHTON AND HOVE COUNCIL ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, FOR MORE INFO ON THIS PLEASE CLICK HERE.

THE FOLLOWING COUNCIL PHONE LINE IS OPEN TO PEOPLE WHO ARE DIGITALLY EXCLUDED: 01273 293117

GAS, WATER AND ELECTRIC.

Announced 3/1/23 - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-low-income-households-to-get-new-cost-of-living-payments-from-spring-2023

Exact payment windows will be announced closer to the time, but are spread across a longer period to ensure a consistent support offering throughout the year. They will be broadly as follows:

£301 – First Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2023
£150 – Disability Payment – during Summer 2023
£300 – Second Cost of Living Payment – during Autumn 2023
£300 – Pensioner Payment – during Winter 2023/4
£299 – Third Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2024

Warm Home Discount Scheme - https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme

Southern Water - https://www.southernwater.co.uk/account/what-if-i-can-t-pay-my-bill - and - https://www.southernwater.co.uk/customer-and-community-grants/customer-hardship-fund

BENEFIT AND TAX CREDIT RATES

https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/resources/benefit-tax-credit-rates

UNIVERSAL CREDIT IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE

If you live in Brighton and Hove and make a new claim for any of the following;

Child Tax Credit.
Housing Benefit.
Income Support.
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Working Tax Credit.

You will likely have to claim Universal Credit instead.
Universal Credit is applied for, and managed online. An application for Universal Credit can be made here;
https://www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit

Please note, Citizens Advice Bureau have a helpline number, for help with claiming UC - FreePhone, 0800 144 8 444.

And: https://universalcreditinfo.net/

ESA TO UC

If you are on ESA, you will only have to change to Universal Credit if your circumstances change so that you need to make a new claim. Eg if you move to a new council area where UC is already in full service, if you move in with a partner, or your relationship ends.

If something like that happens, your limited capability for work status should move over to UC with you. If you are in the support group on ESA, you should get the LCWRA element from the start of your UC claim. If you are in the WRAG on ESA, and you have been claiming ESA since before April 2017, you should get the LCW element from the start of your UC claim. Whichever group you are in, you do *not* need to fill in another questionnaire and have another assessment.

These rules are set out in Regulation 19 of the Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations, 2014. Tell your work coach or case manager to look it up if they are telling you something different.

If you have to claim universal credit because you didn't get enough points at a Work Capability Assessment to stay on ESA, Regulation 19 doesn't apply to you. But if that decision is later overturned on appeal, then it does.

SDP (SEVERE DISABILITY PREMIUM) GATEWAY

The SDP Gateway, which stopped those with an SDP in payment from claiming UC, has now been removed. (You'll usually receive an SDP in legacy benefits when you live alone, have no carer and receive PIP or DLA.)

In its place is an additional amount of UC, known as an SDP transitional payment, and should make up the difference potentially lost by claiming UC, for those who have an SDP in payment.

So to clarify, there is now nothing in place to stop SDP claimants from claiming UC - and providing a claimant remains eligible for an SDP in the proceeding month after having claimed UC, an SDP transitional payment will be included in UC awards for these types of claims.

WORK CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT

If you are not fit for work, you can hand in sick notes to the job centre. After 28 days they should send you a UC50 form (this is the equivalent of the ESA50 form for claiming ESA). After filling in the form, you will usually be called in for a face to face medical assessment. Points are scored against descriptors. The following website gives a good outline of these descriptors;
https://wcainfo.net/
See also;
http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/council-tax-and-benefits/housing-benefit-council-tax-reduction-and-discretionary-help-2
Subject Access Request
Dr Surgeries are required on request to provide you with a copy of your medical records, up to the maximum admin fee of £10. This can provide invaluable support when undertaking a Work Capability Assessment.

PIP, PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT

If you have a long term disability or illness, you may be able to claim PIP. This is paid in addition to other benefits. As with ESA and UC, points are scored against descriptors for PIP. The following website gives a good outline of these descriptors;
https://pipinfo.net/
See also;
http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/council-tax-and-benefits/housing-benefit-council-tax-reduction-and-discretionary-help-2
Subject Access Request
Dr Surgeries are required on request to provide you with a copy of your medical records, up to the maximum admin fee of £10. This can provide invaluable support when making a claim for PIP.