If you’re living with a mental illness, there might be benefits to financial support that you can claim from the Government such as certain disability benefits.  The welfare system is changing, so it’s important to check if you’re eligible for certain benefits to see what’s available. Some benefits may be available and others might not; the details will vary.

Employment and Support Allowance

You might be able to claim Employment and Support Allowance if you can’t work as a result of illness or disability – it has replaced Incapacity Benefit, Income Support on disability grounds, and Severe Disablement Allowance. You can read a lot of details about Employment and Support Allowance and mental health here if you want to find out more. You might have to apply for Universal Credit if you’re not well enough to work. We can help you find out if you have to apply for UC in your area. To find out more about Universal Credit, click here.

Personal Independent Payment

Personal Independent Payment is a benefit you can claim if you suffer from mental health condition and need help with day-to-day tasks, mobility and more. PIP eligibility is not affected by the amount of income one earns or has in savings, it is only dependent on how long they were receiving benefits prior to losing their job. Here at the MHA we believe that it is important for disabled people to have access to the necessary financial support  and that this should be as near as possible to what a person without disabilities would receive. We’ve seen a lot of people in situations where they have mental health due to personal circumstances. If you have Mental Health Problems and want to find out more about Personal Independence Payment, then go here: You can call the Department for Work and Pensions PIP Claims number on 0800 917 2222, Monday to Friday 8 am to 6 pm.

Universal Credit

Universal Credit is a new benefit for people with low incomes. You may be eligible if you are working on a low income or can’t work because you’re unwell. The amount of money you get depends on your situation, but it could be enough to pay your rent or go towards food. It is being introduced across the country and will take the place of some benefits like Income Support. Depending on where you live, if unemployed and not well enough to work, you might be eligible for Employment and Support Allowance as an alternative to Universal Credit. Have you been in touch with the local office and council to check if you can apply for Universal Credit? Click here to find out now.

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) is a benefit you can claim if you are unemployed or earning below 16 hours per week even though you’re available to work. Looking to apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance? Click here now to apply!

Working Tax Credits

You may be able to get Working Tax Credits if you’re in paid work but your income is low. You can calculate how much you should get using Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs’ (HMRC) calculator.

Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit (HB) is a government program that provides financial assistance for people on low incomes who rent their home. It can be paid by your city council, and must not be used to help with mortgage payments.

Local Housing Allowance

For those with rental agreements in the UK, housing benefits are determined by both their own circumstances (age and household) as well as geographic location. The LHA rates vary according to the area of residence and can be found on the government website. There is a wide range of options you can have for the size of your next property. This can start from a single room in a shared house and end up as a proper home with four bedrooms and plenty of space to live. To work out how much housing benefit you would get, contact your local council to find out LHA rates. By using these figures, you can potentially move somewhere cheaper if the amount of LHA funding is smaller in the new area.

Council Tax Exemptions

The local authority can give you exemption from the council tax.

Exemption due to severe mental impairment

The council tax regulations state that someone is exempt from council tax if they have a ‘severe mental impairment’. It states that – “a person is severely mentally impaired if they have a severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning which appears to be permanent’. To be exempted from paying council tax, you need your doctor to assess that you are severely mentally impaired. You could get one of the following benefits:

• • Disability Living Allowance with the middle or highest rate care component
  • Personal Independence Payment Daily Living Component (standard or enhanced rate)
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Employment and Support Allowance
  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance with a disability premium
  • Working Tax Credit with the disability element.

Find out more about the Local Council by contacting them.