If you are sick, injured or disabled, there might be a sickness benefit or aid you are entitled to. Your health status may be directly tied into the help you are entitled to. This Your Benefits article will walk you a number of them. We will help you claim sickness benefits.
What are Sickness Benefits?
If you are sick or disabled, there is a wide range of aid at your disposal, including benefits, tax credits, payments, grants and concessions. A list of benefits you might be eligible for is:
- Universal Credit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Attendance Allowance
- ‘new style’ Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Industrial Injuries Benefit, if the reason for your disability is work related
- Constant Attendance Allowance, if your disability requires daily care and attention
Disability and sickness benefits
There are a multitude of benefits you might be eligible for if you are sick or disabled. If you believe that this applies to your situation, here is a list of the benefits you can claim.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
The Disability Living Allowance is a tax-free benefit that can help you with the extra costs required for taking care of a child who:
- Is younger than 16
- Cannot easily walk, has limited mobility or requires to be looked after much more than a child of the same age without a disability
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
The Personal Independence Payment is a tax-free benefit that people between the age of 16 and State Pension age can earn. Like the Disability Living Allowance (DLA), PIP can help with extra expenses created by long-term health problems and disability.
Attendance Allowance
If you are over State Pension age, you might be eligible for Attendance Allowance. Like PIP and DLA, this is a tax-free benefit. You might be eligible for Attendance Allowance if you suffer from a disability and require the help of someone to achieve day-to-day tasks.
‘New style’ Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
You might be eligible for ‘new style’ Employment and Support Allowance if you are unable to work because of a sickness or disability. If you’re unable to work, the ESA will provide aid with living costs. If you might be able to get back to work, the ESA will provide support to help in the process of doing so.
Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Credit
Are you helping someone with substantial caring needs? If so, you might be entitled to Carer’s Allowance. In order for there not to be any discrepancies in your National Insurance record, you could also receive Carer’s Credit.
Vehicle and Transports
There are a multitude of benefits, schemes and reductions you might be eligible for if you are sick or disabled. However, note that in order to be able to drive, you must meet a list of legal obligations.
Blue Badge: better parking for people with disabilities
If you have a disability that severely hinders your ability to walk, you might be eligible for the Blue Badge. This will allow you to often park closer to your destination, whether you are a driver or passenger.
Vehicle tax exemption and reduction
You might be eligible for an exemption on your vehicle tax, if you receive one of the following:
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA): higher rate mobility component
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP): enhanced rate mobility component
- Child Disability Payment: higher rate mobility component
- War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
If you receive the standard rate of the mobility component of the Personal Independence Payment, you can receive a 50% reduction in vehicle tax. Note that if you receive the lower rate mobility component of the DLA, you are not eligible.
Note that in order to be eligible for the exemption or reduction, the vehicle needs to either be registered in the name of either the disabled person or their nominated driver. However, the exemption or reduction must be for the needs of the disabled person, not the nominated driver.
The Motability Scheme
This aid can help you in leasing a powered wheelchair, scooter or car. You can qualify if you already receive one of the following:
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA): higher rate of the mobility component
- Child Disability Payment: the higher rate of the mobility component
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP): the enhanced rate of the mobility component
- War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
VAT relief for vehicles
You may qualify for VAT relief if you acquired a vehicle to suit your condition.This also applies if you are leasing a vehicle with the Motability Scheme.
Railcard, community and public transport
The Disabled Persons Railcard allows disabled persons to get up to 33% off on the price of rail tickets. You must issue evidence of a relevant disability. You may also be eligible for a bus pass, on top of the Railcard.
Your local council might also provide options for you to get around. An example of this is dial-a-ride taxi schemes. Such a system might function using vouchers or tokens.
Home and Housing
Direct Payments
You might be eligible to receive Direct Payments to arrange help for your day to day life yourself. For this, you must be assessed by your local council as needing care and support services. As such, you will be able to organize them yourself, instead of receiving help through them.
Disabled Facility Grants
This type of grant is issued by local councils. Disabled Facilities Grants are used for the costs that might arise to adapt your home to suit your needs if you have a disability.
Council Tax Disabled Band Reduction Scheme
You may receive a reduction on your Council Tax if you are disabled and require special accommodations. This translates into paying a lower rate than the valuation band of your home.
Low income
If you receive a low income, you might be eligible for Universal Credit to help pay for your housing. However, for most people, Housing Benefits are replaced with Universal Credit.
‘New style’ Jobseeker’s Allowance
If you were an employee and paid Class 1 National Insurance contributions, you might qualify for ‘new style’ Jobseeker’s Allowance. You would usually have to have worked and contributed in the past 2 to 3 years. National Insurance credits also count in this situation.
Blind Person’s Allowance
The Blind Person’s Allowance is added to your personal tax allowance. It allows you to not pay tax on a certain amount of income that you receive.
Television license discount
You might be eligible for a 50% discount on the cost of your TV licence. The condition is that you either are or live with someone who is blind or severely sight impaired. If you are applying for someone else who is not the current license holder for your address, you will need to transfer the license to their name. You can either do so online or by phone.
VAT relief for disabled people
You might not have to pay VAT for products designed to help you with your disability or long term illness. Qualifying products or services may include:
- Stair lifts
- Adjustable beds
- Wheelchairs
- Medical appliances to help with severe injury
- Braille paper paper or low vision aids – not contact lenses or spectacles
- Leasing of a motability vehicle or buying a motor vehicle
- Building work like widening doors, installing a lift, toilet or ramps
Work-related injuries or illness
Accidental injury, sickness and deafness caused at or because of your work may entitle you to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB). How much you receive might depend on your individual circumstances. You may also receive the benefit if you received such a condition at an approved employment scheme or course.
Additionally, if you have a carer, they might be eligible for Carer’s Allowance, if you require caring needs.
Armed forces compensation
You may receive compensation if you served in the armed forces and one of the following occurred:
- You were injured or got sick
- Your service worsened an existing condition that you had
If you require daily care because of a disability that you have, you may also qualify for Constant Attendance Allowance. There are 4 different rates, described in the table below.
| Rate | Weekly amount |
|---|---|
| Exceptional rate | £146.40 |
| Intermediate rate | £109.80 |
| Full day rate | £73.20 |
| Part day rate | £36.60 |
I am trying to find out if my son is intitled to sickness benefits as three weeks ago he broke his foot He was supposed to start a new job on the Monday but broke his foot on the Saturday night please can you help me by giving me a phone number where I can speak to someone thanks
Hello,
The number to call for Statutory Sick Pay is: 0800 024 1222.
Hope this helps,
Robin
i’ve been signed off work for a minimum of 4 weeks, and only qualify for ssp from my employer.
I am a single person aged 53.
Are there any benefits which I am entitled to, to help cover my outgoings/mortgage.
I could be off for a long period, as the doctors expect I may have the start of MS.
I currently not allowed to drive due to my vision so cant get to work. I’m unable to mix with the public due to the medication has effected my immune system.
Hello!
There may be a couple. First, you may get certain benefits, depending on whether you are blind or sight-impaired.
https://www.your-benefits.co.uk/disability/partially-sighted/
https://www.your-benefits.co.uk/disability/registered-blind/
https://www.your-benefits.co.uk/disability/blind-persons-allowance/
From your inability to drive, I think that you could receive PIP for mobility: https://www.your-benefits.co.uk/disability/pip/mobility/.
Hope this helps,
Robin