MSE News
Coronavirus Universal Credit & Benefits
Universal credit, employment & support allowance, plus other benefits that can help
The coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live. It's an anxious and upsetting time, especially as we begin the new year with more lockdowns and further restrictions. This guide looks at what benefits you may be able to claim – with many available alongside other Government support. You can also check what benefits you're entitled to using our 10-minute Benefits Calculator.
Important: The info below is the best we have currently, but as this is a fast-changing situation we're updating this guide all the time. If you've a question not covered below or in our other coronavirus guides, please email it to us (we can't respond to each question but we'll try to add answers in these guides).
Looking for other help? This guide has info about benefits you can claim. We also have...
- Coronavirus employees' help for the latest on the extended furlough scheme.
- Coronavirus self-employed & small limited co help for the latest on support schemes.
- Coronavirus finance & bills help for the latest on mortgages, rent, debts and household bills.
- Coronavirus life in lockdown for the latest on restaurant discounts, train tickets, MOTs etc.
- Coronavirus travel rights for the latest on holidays and refunds.
Plus we've specific help on: Wedding cancellation rights | Ryanair refunds | Static caravan fee refunds | Discounts for NHS staff | Working-from-home tax reclaiming | I'm self-employed – can I claim my business is 'adversely affected'? | Bounce back loans | Payment holidays
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Income hit by coronavirus? You may be able to claim universal credit
If you're unemployed, have been made redundant, off work due to sickness, or on a low income, you could be eligible for universal credit, a means-tested benefit to help you meet your basic living costs. You could work for an employer, be self-employed, have been recently furloughed or made redundant, or have had a reduction in wages, and still apply.
Last year the Government increased the universal credit standard allowance by £20 a week in response to the coronavirus pandemic - eg, from £317.82 to £409.89 for single people aged 25 or over - but this is set to end on 6 April. It's also removed the 'minimum income floor' until the end of April to help self-employed people whose income has fallen, and increased the allowance for private renters who need help with housing costs.
You can check if you're likely to be accepted for universal credit using our 10-minute Benefits Calculator.
Claiming universal credit due to coronavirus but now going back to work? Tell the Department for Work and Pensions
If you or your partner are now returning to work or have found new employment, you need to tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). You can do so by updating the details in your online universal credit journal. Bear in mind the following:
- As your income increases, your universal credit payment will reduce.
- It will keep reducing until you're earning enough to no longer claim universal credit.
- Tell the DWP that you're now working but don't just cancel your claim. If you just cancel, you risk missing out on your final payment. For more, see 'When should I cancel my claim?' below.
- If your earnings decrease again, you can claim universal credit again.
- Remember it's not just YOUR income that's taken into account, it's your household income. If your partner is going back to work (and it doesn't matter if you're married or not, as long as you live together), this will affect your universal credit claim.
Who can claim universal credit?
You might be able to claim universal credit if:
- You're out of work or on a low income.
- You're aged 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you're 16 or 17).
- You or your partner are under state pension age.
- You have less than £16,000 in savings – if you have a partner, their savings count too (if you're self-employed, some savings may not count if they're for business purposes, eg, tax. Full what counts info is below).
- You live in the UK.
- You currently receive any of the benefits that universal credit is replacing – eg, working tax credit, child tax credit, income support, housing benefit – and your circumstances have changed.
WARNING: If you currently receive means-tested benefits, such as working tax credit, but are thinking of applying for universal credit, check before you do so. You need to be aware that your existing payments will stop as soon as you apply. Universal credit replaces these benefits and you will NOT be able to go back on to those benefits in future (you may of course remain entitled to some UC). For more, see our Will I be better off switching to universal credit? analysis.
Everyone gets a standard allowance, based on age and whether you're single or in a couple. In response to the coronavirus outbreak, the Government increased the universal credit standard allowance by £20 a week, but this boost is set to expire in April 2021.
Universal Credit Standard Allowance
| Your circumstances | Monthly standard allowance |
Single and under 25 |
£342.72 |
Single and 25 or over |
£409.89 |
In a couple and both under 25 |
£488.59 per couple |
In a couple and either of you is 25 or over |
£594.04 per couple |
In addition, universal credit offers some people extra help. This is for:
- Housing costs – for rent, but mortgage-holders can apply for a 'support for mortgage interest' loan
- If you care for children
- If you have a sickness or disability that prevents you from working
- If you have other caring responsibilities
Don't forget it's quick and simple to see how much you could get with our 10-minute Benefits Calculator.
Quick questions
How much can I earn and still qualify for universal credit?
This is where it gets complicated as there is NO FIXED AMOUNT YOU CAN EARN BEFORE YOU CAN GET UNIVERSAL CREDIT. It all depends on your personal situation. So unless two claimants have identical sets of circumstances they will receive different entitlements and be able to earn different amounts of money before their entitlement is eliminated.
So if there is no set limit, how will I know if I'm eligible?
Even though there are no strict thresholds, there are some clear principles:
- As your income increases, your payment will reduce.
- It will keep reducing until you're earning enough to no longer claim universal credit.
- If your earnings decrease after this, you can claim universal credit again.
- It's not just YOUR income that's taken into account, it's your household income. If your partner is a high earner (and it doesn't matter if you're married or not, as long as you live together) it's likely you won't be eligible to claim universal credit.
What counts as income?
Salary: Money you earn from paid work. For every £1 you earn in a month, your universal credit entitlement will decrease by 63p. However, some people will get a special work allowance.
Pension: If you receive money from a private pension pot and are below state pension age, for every £1 you receive it'll reduce your entitlement by £1.
Other benefits: Some benefits are taken into account when calculating your universal credit entitlement. Generally this is considered 'unearned income' and, like a pension, counts £1 for £1.
Savings: If you or your partner have combined savings of more than £6,000, you'll get less universal credit, and if your household has savings of £16,000 or more, you won't be eligible for universal credit at all.
Note: A redundancy payout does NOT count as income, so is not subject to the 63p decrease, but does count as savings.
On 6 April 2020, the 'minimum income floor' was temporarily suspended. It was due to be reinstated on 13 November, but on 3 November the DWP announced that it will remain suspended until the end of April 2021.
The suspension was a lifeline for many self-employed people who had initially seen income plummet after Covid-19 hit, as it meant their universal credit payments were calculated on what they were actually earning, rather than an assumed amount which may have been higher than the reality. The fact it now won't return till April will therefore be good news for many.
What is the 'minimum income floor'?
In normal times, if you've been "gainfully self-employed" (meaning your main occupation has been self-employment) for more than 12 months, you'll be affected by the minimum income floor rule – though there are exceptions.
Normally with the minimum income floor, the DWP assumes you earn a wage that you may not actually get. If you claim universal credit when you've been self-employed for over a year, the DWP will assume you earn at least the same as someone in paid employment with similar working hours on the minimum wage.
The problem comes for people who earn BELOW the floor. Here, when assessing you for the benefit, instead of looking at what you actually earn, the DWP will assume you earn the (higher) minimum income floor, and the more you are deemed to be earning, the less universal credit you get. If you earn ABOVE the floor, there's no issue – you'll be assessed on your actual income.
What does the suspension of the minimum income floor mean?
Without the minimum income floor in place, you can earn less than this, and the amount of universal credit you get will be boosted.
A self-employed worker aged 25 working full time would previously be assumed to be earning at least about £1,310/mth. If they actually earned less than this amount, their universal credit payment would not have previously increased. But now, if they earn less than £1,310/mth or even zero, their universal credit payment will reflect their actual earnings.
In short:
- If your actual income is LESS than your minimum income floor, it's the minimum income floor that's used to calculate your payments instead, meaning you'd get less universal credit than if your actual earnings were used.
- If your actual income is MORE than your minimum income floor, your real earnings will be used to calculate your universal credit payments.
Here's an example:
A 40-year-old self-employed musician, who didn't qualify for help under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, started claiming universal credit in April after coronavirus restrictions disrupted his income.
At the moment he is only able to earn about £200/mth due to reduced demand, and his universal credit payments are based on this amount. As he is a homeowner, lives alone and doesn't have any children, at the moment he gets £283.89/mth in universal credit.
But if the minimum income floor is brought back in, his universal credit payments would be calculated as if he were earning his minimum income floor amount. This could be about £1,200/mth for someone in his situation (though exact amounts will vary) – even though his actual income is only a fraction of this. As a result, he would no longer be entitled to claim universal credit, leaving him almost £300/mth WORSE OFF.
Self-employed? You might be entitled to the third SEISS grant worth up to £7,500. But if you don't time it right, your universal credit could be wiped out
If you're self-employed and your profits have been significantly reduced due to coronavirus, you might also be able to claim a grant worth up to £7,500 via the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), as well as your universal credit. The third SEISS grant is currently open to applications. If you think you might qualify, but are unsure, we've more info in our 'I'm self-employed but confused about whether I can claim a grant' guide.
It's perfectly within the rules to claim the self-employment grant alongside universal credit, but since it's a significant lump sum, you need to be aware it could wipe out your entire universal credit payment for up to three months.
However, you can protect your universal credit payments and reduce the amount of grant that would count as income if you use it to pay for legitimate business costs, such as national insurance, stock or even your tax bill.
Here's what you need to know:
- When you claim universal credit, each month your income and living costs are looked at to calculate the amount of universal credit you can get. This 'assessment period' starts on the same day each month, and lasts for one month. It is worked out from the date you first applied for universal credit – eg, if you first applied on 2 March, your assessment period would run from the 2nd of every month until the 1st of the following month.
- SEISS grant money counts as income – the more you earn, the less universal credit you'll get. This means your universal credit could be reduced for the month in which you claim the grant and up to three months after (this is called 'surplus earnings'). To see how a SEISS grant would affect your universal credit amount, use our free calculator to see how this will work for your circumstances.
- If you spend your grant on business expenses, it reduces your level of income. If you pay for legitimate business expenses such as stock, national insurance and your tax bill out of your SEISS grant, ONLY the amount left over will count as income for universal credit purposes.
- So you can help protect your universal credit payment by applying at the start of your assessment period. If you receive your grant at the start of your assessment period you'll get a full month to 'spend' some of this money on legitimate business expenses. It typically takes six working days to receive the payment, so if your assessment period starts on Monday 14 December, you don't want to apply for the grant before Friday 4 December.
- If you don't time it right, you might lose it all. If you receive the grant at the end of your assessment period you might not have time to offset any of it, meaning it will all count as income.
Use our free calculator to see how this will work for your circumstances.
Important: It's not MoneySaving to spend your grant on unnecessary business expenses. There's little point in buying £1,000s of surplus items that you can't/won't use, to protect only £100s in your universal credit amount. The benefit of getting the timing right lies in using the SEISS money for vital business expenses you absolutely must pay.
Self-employed and have savings put aside to pay tax? It needn't decrease the universal credit you get
Saving around a third of your profits to pay tax is normally sensible. But if you're now looking at claiming universal credit, you might think that any business savings in your personal account will affect your eligibility for this support. We've checked with the Department for Work and Pensions, which confirmed that while it'd expect business savings to be in a business account, nevertheless "if someone has money in their personal account to be used for business purposes, it won't be counted towards their capital".
However, it did warn that you may need to prove the cash is for business purposes. So if this applies to you, make it clear in your application that the savings are business savings, and put a note of it in your online universal credit 'journal', where you record any changes to your circumstances. It should then be discounted from the calculations.
Quick questions
How to apply
The phone lines can get very busy. So if you can it's best to do it online. Visit the official Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) website.
But be patient.
The DWP has been flat out processing applications, and while the number of claim applications might have fallen since the beginning of the pandemic, it's still a busy period. If you can apply for universal credit online, do so. Once you've completed your application it will call you back. This frees up the lines for people who can't get online to claim.
If you need to phone, the universal credit helpline is 0800 328 5644.
How long will it take to get paid?
It takes around five weeks from the date you submit your claim to your first payment.
I honestly dreaded this process as we'd never been through it before. We tried the phone... too long a wait. Tried online... thought we hadn't successfully completed the process. Then they rang us! All done and sorted in a week. Thank you universal credit workers.
- MoneySaver Jen
Universal credit claimants aged 16-24 can benefit from six-month paid work placements
The Government-funded 'Kickstart Scheme' offering paid six-month work placements to universal credit claimants aged between 16 and 24 is now open for employers to sign up to. Here's how it works:
- To get a placement, you'll need to be placed in it by your Jobcentre work coach, so next time you talk to them, tell them you're interested in the scheme.
- The scheme will offer jobs across England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland. The Government has allocated additional funding to Northern Ireland so it can set up a similar scheme.
- Any size and type of organisation can offer young people claiming universal credit a six-month work placement, paid for by the Government.
- The Government will pay employers 100% of the age-relevant national minimum wage, national insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week, though employers will be able to top up this wage and pay you more if they want to.
- The scheme is open for new applications until December 2021, with the option of being extended.
Check the Kickstart page on the Government's Job Help site for further details, including options if you don't have a work coach.
If told to self-isolate and unable to work in Eng, those on low incomes qualify for a £500 'Test & Trace' payment
If you receive certain means-tested benefits, and you have to self-isolate, but you're unable to work from home and so lose income, you're eligible for a payment of £500 for each period of 10-day self-isolation (cut from 14 days on 14 December) you're required to undertake.
Since 28 September, each time an eligible person is told to self-isolate by 'Test and Trace' – the NHS service set up to combat Covid-19 by tracking down those who may have come into contact with the virus – they will be able to claim £500 for the time they have to self-isolate. It's not a one-off payment, meaning you can claim it EVERYTIME you have to self-isolate. A word of warning though, MSE has reported that some local authorities have run out of funds, and found at least five have stopped offering payments. In January the Government announced that it will run until at least the end of March.
Here how it works:
Who can claim?
- You must receive one of the following benefits: universal credit, working tax credit, income-based employment and support allowance, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income support, housing benefit or pension credit.
- Councils have discretion to make payments to those who don't receive the qualifying benefits. But only for those on a low income who could suffer financial hardship as a result of not being able to work.
- You must have a notification from the NHS Test and Trace Scheme asking you to self-isolate. This can be because you've tested postive for Covid-19 or if you've recently been in contact with someone who has tested positive. It'll include a unique ID number.
- You'll need proof of your employment. Plus, confirmation from your employer that you're unable to work from home.
- If you're self-employed, you will need to show evidence of self-assessment tax returns. Plus, proof that you cannot run your business without social contact.
How do I claim & when?
- The grants will be administered by local authorities.
- As soon as you get the notification to self-isolate, you'll need to contact your local authority, online or by phone. It is then up to individual councils to make payments as quickly as possible.
- Not sure how to contact your local authority? Here's the council website checker.
I was notified to self-isolate via the "test and trace" app, how can I get it?
- People in England who are instructed to self-isolate by the NHS Covid-19 app can claim a £500 Test and Trace Support Payment.
- At the point you receive a notification to self-isolate from the app a ‘Financial support’ button will appear. This will be visible for the isolation period only.
- Select this button, and you'll be taken out of the app to a Government Gateway web page.
- You'll be asked to select whether you live in Wales or England - payments are only being made to those in England, although users in Wales can still use the app.
- Important: Due to the time taken to test technical changes and release updates through the app store, the NHS COVID-19 app will only start to tell people to isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days from Thursday 17 December. If you have been advised to isolate by the app before then you can leave isolation when your isolation countdown timer says three days.
What else do I need to know?
- Even if you make a joint claim for universal credit, you claim the support payment as an individual, so if you AND your partner need to self-isolate, you can each make separate claims for the £500 payment.
- If you need to self-isolate again, you can claim a subsequent payment, as long as you meet the criteria.
- The payment won't affect your benefits. The DWP has confirmed that the payment will be 'disregarded' for benefits purposes, but you will still need to log it as a payment in your online journal.
- The payments are subject to income tax, but not subject to national insurance contributions.
- Anyone who qualifies for this payment will receive it on top of any statutory sick pay they are entitled to.
- You can only claim if you have been told to self-isolate, unfortnuately if you need to care for a child who needs to stay home from school, you can't claim this payment.
- The isolation period was initially 14 days but has been cut to 10 days, effective from 14 December.
What if I'm in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland?
Scotland
If you're told to self-isolate through the 'Test and Protect' service and you're on certain means-tested benefits, you can apply for a £500 self-isolation support grant, which is administered via local authorities. You can see more information on the Scottish Government website.
Wales
If you're told to self-isolate through the 'Test, Trace, Protect' service and you're on the same means-tested benefits as those in England, can also apply for the £500 self-isolation support grant, which is administered via local authorities. You need to apply for the payments via your local authority website.
Northern Ireland
Here, financial support is available through the Department for Communities Discretionary Support scheme, if you're diagnosed with Covid-19 or advised to self-isolate under public health guidelines. It includes a non-repayable Covid-19 'living expenses grant' as well as a specific amount for any children in the household, and may be made for longer periods. You can find more information on the NIdirect website.
I've been told to self-isolate under contact tracing, how much statutory sick pay can I get?
If you've been in close contact with someone who tests positive for coronavirus, you may be told to self-isolate for 10 days. If so, and you're an employee and you can't work from home, you might be due statutory sick pay (SSP), which can be paid in addition to the £500 grants discussed above.
Here's what you need to know:
If you earn at least £120+/wk: You can claim SSP of £95.85/wk from day one of self-isolation – though if your work normally offers more generous sick pay, you may be able to get that. If you then develop Covid-19 symptoms you can continue to get SSP for 28 weeks.
SSP is paid through your employer, so you must notify it. For more information, see statutory sick pay.
If you earn under £120/wk: If you already claim universal credit, log in to your online journal, update your details and your universal credit award should be boosted in line with your drop in earnings. If you're not already claiming, apply for universal credit and if you need cash urgently, request an advance payment.
SSP is only for employees – if you're self-employed and you can't operate your business from home, and it's disrupted, you can apply for universal credit, though what (if anything) you get depends on your costs, savings and income.
Are you 'clinically extremely vulnerable'?
Currently in England those considered 'clinically extremely vulnerable' who are living or working in areas under Tier 4 restrictions are being advised to shield and not travel into the workplace (you should've been informed by the NHS or your GP if you're in this category).
If you're an employee and you fall into these two categories, and you're unable to work from home, you might be eligible for SSP. In the first instance though, it's worth asking whether your employer will put you on furlough.
Are there any other benefits that I can claim?
While universal credit is the main benefit available, there are other benefits that you may be eligible for too. He we go through them in detail – see if any of them apply to you. We also outline the support you may be able to access if you've lost a loved one.
Contributory employment and support allowance (ESA)
Employed and self-employed workers can apply for contributory employment and support allowance, also known as 'new-style ESA', if directly affected by coronavirus, caring for a child who is ill with coronavirus, or self-isolating according to Government advice.
As part of its response to the pandemic, the Government is changing the rules so you're eligible to claim from the first day of sickness/self-isolation rather than the eighth, as was the case previously. The Department for Work and Pensions has also confirmed that these changes will be extended until May 2021.
Given that payments are made fortnightly in arrears, claimants who meet the criteria should actually receive their first payment after about two weeks.
To be eligible, you must have paid enough national insurance contributions in the last two to three years (see full eligibility criteria – national insurance credits also count). What you get (and if you can get it) depends on several factors:
- How much can I get? Up to £74/wk depending on your age – if you're under 25, you'll get £59/wk.
- Can I still earn while I claim? Yes, you can earn up to £140 a week, but only if you are doing 'permitted work' of less than 16 hours a week because of a disability.
- What happens if I have savings? The amount won't be affected by you or your partner's savings or income, though if you get a private pension worth more than £85/wk it'll be reduced.
- What if I'm claiming other benefits? Contribution-based ESA can't be claimed alongside statutory sick pay, maternity pay or jobseeker's allowance. However, it can be claimed alongside universal credit, but your universal credit entitlement may be reduced.
Even though you can't get statutory sick pay (SSP) and ESA at the same time, you can start your ESA claim up to three months before your SSP ends. It's worth claiming ESA early so your payments start as soon as possible. You can get ESA if you're self-employed – the application process is the same.
Working tax credit
If you're still on the old benefit system and receiving working tax credit, you should see an increase in your next payment. That's because, as part of measures to provide support during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has increased the basic element of working tax credit by £1,040/yr (£20/wk) to £3,040/yr.
The only people still eligible to make a new claim for working tax credit are those who receive the 'severe disability premium', or those who have stopped receiving it in the past month but remain eligible for it.
How much can I earn and still qualify?
Payments are means-tested, so the more you earn, the less you receive. While there's no set limit for income, working tax credit is mainly for families earning roughly under £46,000.
But for most people, working tax credit has been replaced by universal credit
I can't work my normal hours – what happens to my tax credits?
To qualify for working tax credit, normally you must work a certain number of hours: at least 30 hours if you're aged 25-59, or 16 hours if you're 60+, disabled or single with one or more children.
But the Government has confirmed that if you can't work your normal hours because of coronavirus, you will still receive your usual tax credit payments.
This means if you're working reduced hours due to coronavirus or you've been furloughed, your payments will not be affected as long as you are still employed or self-employed.
You don't need to contact HMRC about this change. You will be treated as working your normal hours until the Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme close, even if you are not using either scheme.
WARNING: If you currently receive working tax credit but are thinking of applying for universal credit, check before you do so. You need to be aware that your existing payments will stop. Universal credit is a replacement for working tax credit and you will NOT be able to switch back in future (you may of course remain entitled to some universal credit). See 'Will I be better off switching to universal credit?' below for more...
Will I be better off switching to universal credit?
Most people will receive a similar amount on universal credit – within £100 a year of what they would get under the old 'legacy' system. But a few will be £1,000s a year better or worse off.
Who is likely to be better off?
The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that those in work, who live in expensive cities such as London and who pay rent to private landlords are most likely to gain. Around one in three such claimants, it estimates, will see an increase in entitlement of at least £1,000 a year.
Who could be worse off?
Of the claimants who could stand to lose £1,000 a year or more, most are affected by universal credit's harsher treatment of those with savings. If you have savings or capital of more than £6,000 up to £16,000, your universal credit award will reduce – anything over £16,000 and you will not get any universal credit. Meanwhile, savings or capital AREN'T taken into account if you receive working tax credit.
So if you currently get any of the older benefits listed below, and are thinking of making a new universal credit claim, try to get advice from a benefits specialist if you can. Also use our free Benefits Calculator to work out what you're entitled to – that way you can see if you're going to be better or worse off.
You don't want to miss out on the help you need now, by failing to claim, but you do need to be aware of possible consequences – and once you make the switch you can't reverse the decision:
- Working tax credit
- Child tax credit
- Housing benefit
- Income-based jobseeker's allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance (NOT new style)
- Income support
Quick question
Jobseeker's allowance
If you're out of work, you might be entitled to claim jobseeker's allowance (JSA). It's a flat-rate state benefit you can claim if you're unemployed (not on furlough).
It is NOT means-tested. This means it makes no allowances for extra costs such as children or rent and your savings and partner's savings or income don't count either. This can make it a better option than universal credit for some people, eg, if you have too much in savings to be eligible for universal credit.
There are three types of JSA:
- 'New-style' JSA. This is the main type of JSA generally available to new claimants – and this is the one we refer to here.
- 'Income-based' JSA. This has largely been replaced by universal credit for new claims.
- 'Old-style' contributory JSA. It's only available to a small number of people who have been recently receiving a means-tested benefit and are severely disabled.
How much can I get?
How much you get depends on your age:
- £58.90 a week if you're under 25
- £74.35 a week if you're over 25
Note: You are not paid for the first seven days of your claim and will be paid for a maximum of 182 days (about six months), after which your payments will stop.
Am I eligible?
If you were recently working as an employee (ie, not self-employed) and lost your job due to coronavirus, you will likely be eligible for 'new-style' JSA.
Eligibility is based on whether you've paid enough class 1 national insurance contributions in the last two to three years as an employee. Self-employment contributions don't count.
Quick question
What else have I got to do to get JSA?
As a result of coronavirus, most face-to-face assessments have been suspended (apart from for those who are vulnerable). Your 'work coach' – who's tasked with helping you find employment – might ask you to look for work or be available for work but will contact you via phone or online.
Check for messages from your work coach about this. Contact your work coach if you're not sure if you need to be looking for work.
Quick questions
Going back to work? Moving house? Remember you MUST report a change in circumstances
- Your claim could be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change straightaway.
- Changes include starting a new job, training or an apprenticeship, changes to your income, moving house, changing your name, and going abroad.
- You MUST tell the Jobcentre if your employer has put you on furlough (ie, still paying you even though you have been told not to work).
- You may be prosecuted or have to pay a £50 fine if you give the wrong or incomplete information or do not report changes straightaway.
Child benefit
If you've been made redundant, or put on furlough, and your salary has subsequently dropped, you may now be entitled to claim child benefit – a monthly payment for anyone with parental responsibilities for children under the age of 16.
If you've already registered for (and opted out of) the benefit previously, claiming only involves a quick phone call – make sure you have your national insurance number to hand. For those new to claiming, it's just one form to fill in.
How does child benefit work?
If you (or your partner) earn below £50,000, you get 100% of the benefit a week: £20.70 for your first child and £13.70 for each additional child. It's paid every four weeks and depending on how many children you have, it can really add up.
- The benefit is calculated on 'adjusted' net income for a full tax year. So if you had four months of no pay, for example, on a £70,000 salary, you'll have an average income below £50,000 over the tax year. This means you'd be eligible for child benefit for that WHOLE tax year. If you've been furloughed you may have to do some maths to consider the overall average for the year to determine if you are below the threshold.
- If you earn above £50,000 a year, the amount you receive is tapered, up to £60,000. You will be required to pay back (via a self-assessment tax return) 1% of your family's child benefit for every extra £100 you earn over £50,000.
- Once you hit £60,000, you'll then need to pay back 100% of your entitlement via a tax return, meaning essentially you won't get any benefit.
- You may have filled in a 'CH2' child benefit form and opted out previously when your salary was higher, to protect your state pension (for more on this, see our MSE News story). In this case, you'll simply need to call the child benefit helpline on 0300 200 3100 and ask now to opt in.
- If you haven't previously applied for the benefit or you've just had a baby and want to claim, you can do so as soon as you've registered the birth of your child, or they come to live with you if you've adopted them. If you've not been able to register the birth due to coronavirus, you can still make a claim – see 'Had a baby recently?' below.
- To make a claim, fill in the CH2 claim form and send it to the child benefit office. The address is on the form. If your child is adopted, send their original adoption certificate with the form. You can order a new adoption certificate if you've lost the original.
- It can take up to 12 weeks to process a new claim, but the claim can be backdated for up to three months. So if you call to claim the benefit now, but were made redundant a month ago, you can claim from the date you were made redundant.
For full information on how to claim, see our Child Benefit guide.
Going back to work? Contact the child benefit helpline: If and when you go back to work and your salary is back up to 100%, if this pushes you over the £60,000 threshold, make sure you contact the child benefit helpline to say you want to opt out again to avoid having to pay any money back later (or if it's between £50,000 and £60,000, keep a tab on how much you will have to pay back).
The child benefit helpline number is 0300 200 3100 (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone, dial 18001 then 0300 200 3100 to use the NGT text relay).
Normally you have to go in person to register your baby's birth and provide a birth certificate with your child benefit claim. But now you just need to tell HM Revenue & Customs when applying that you haven't been able to register your baby's birth due to coronavirus. For a full rundown of what to do, see our help on claiming child benefit for newborns.
Free school meals - still available during school closures
With many people having their income hit by coronavirus and claiming benefits for the first time, you may not be aware that your child – whether you are their parent or guardian or not – could be entitled to free school meals. (This isn't to be confused with 'universal infant free school meals', available to all schoolchildren from reception to year two.) Pupils entitled to free school meals will still get them while schools are closed - we will update this section when further details have been announced.
Who is eligible?
If your child is in year three or above, they will typically be able to get free school meals if you fulfill the criteria in the following two steps:
Step 1. You are claiming one of these benefits:
- Child tax credit
- The 'guaranteed element' of pension credit
- Income-based jobseeker's allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Income support
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Universal credit
- Working tax credit/working tax credit run-on (1)
(1) Working tax credit is only taken into account in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In England and Wales you can't get free school meals if you get working tax credit – you can only qualify with the 'working tax credit run-on'.
Step 2. You are earning below a certain amount (these are different depending on where you live):
England
- If you receive universal credit, you can earn up to £7,400/yr (in total earnings).
- If you receive child tax credit (but not working tax credit), you can earn up to £16,190/yr.
Scotland
- If you receive universal credit, you can earn up to £610/mth.
- If you receive child tax credit (but not working tax credit), you can earn up to £16,105/yr.
- If you receive BOTH working tax credit and child tax credit, you can earn up to £7,330/yr.
Northern Ireland
- If you receive universal credit, you can earn up to £14,000/yr.
- If you receive child tax credit or working tax credit, you can earn up to £16,190/yr.
Wales
- If you receive universal credit, you can earn up to £7,400/yr.
- If you receive child tax credit (but not working tax credit), you can earn up to £16,190/yr.
How to apply
Free school meals are run by the Department for Education and administered via councils. You need to register via your council, then you and your child's school will be notified of your application.
For people in England there is a free checker, which should link through to your council's free school meals registration page. We tested this and often were only sent to the council's main homepage – if this is the case, search 'free school meals' in your council's search bar.
You will need:
- Your name, date of birth and home address
- Details about your qualifying benefit claim – you'll be told what evidence you need to submit
- Your child's/children's details and school name(s)
Here's how to apply in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
New to universal credit? You must wait until you've had your first payment before applying for free school meals.
Struggling over winter? You might also be able to get extra help with food and bills under the new Covid Winter Grant Scheme. It's run by councils, with many offering extra help for families who get free school meals. Check with your council to see what you could get.
Grieving the loss of a loved one? Here's the state help you could get
The death of a loved one is undoubtedly one of the most stressful and emotional times you can experience. And for some of us, it can also bring extra financial worry. But there is help available with funeral costs and financial support for up to 18 months after your bereavement.
Below you'll find the main areas of support available, who's eligible and what you could get. For more detailed information, go to our What to do when someone dies guide.
1. Help with funeral costs
If you're on certain benefits, such as universal credit, child tax credit or pension credit, you could receive what's called the funeral expenses payment. There are two elements to this support.
The first element is to help shoulder some of the more expensive, essential aspects of a funeral, such as:
- Cremation fees, including the fee for the doctor's certificate
- Travel arrangements to the funeral
- The cost of moving the body within the UK (more than 50 miles)
- Burial fees for a particular plot
- Death certificates or other documents
The second element is for help with other smaller costs such as funeral directors' fees, the coffin or flowers etc. To claim, you can keep your receipts and apply for reimbursement of up to £1,000 – an amount increased from £700 on 8 April 2020. So if your loved one died before this date, the previous lower rate applies.
How much help can I get for essential costs?
There is no limit to the amount of money you can get for the first element covering essential costs, rather like universal credit. But the amount you get depends on what the costs are, your circumstances and those of the deceased.
It's important to note that this part of the payment is not strictly a grant – if the deceased person had assets, such as savings or property, the state will claw back the payment from that. For example, if they owned a flat, the state will claim money back from the sale of that. However, if there aren't any assets, you will not be asked to repay it from your own money.
How and when to apply
You must apply within six months of the funeral, even if you're waiting for a decision on whether you'll receive a benefit that would qualify you for the funeral expenses payment. You can make a claim before the funeral if you've got an invoice or signed contract from the funeral director.
You'll need to fill in a claim form, which you can download from the Gov.uk website.
If approved, the funeral expenses payment is paid into your bank, building society or credit union account if you've already paid for the funeral.
The money will be paid directly to the organiser of the funeral (for example, the funeral director) if you haven't paid yet.
2. Bereavement support
If your husband, wife or civil partner died on or after 6 April 2017, you could be entitled to a benefit known as the bereavement support payment. The payment is normally a lump sum, followed by 18 monthly payments. You don't have to be claiming benefits to receive it.
Below you'll find the key points about the payment, who's eligible and what you could get. For more detailed information, visit our What to do when someone dies guide.
Who is eligible?
You'll be eligible for this benefit if you were:
- Under state pension age when your partner died
- Over state pension age and your partner wasn't entitled to a state pension based on their own national insurance contributions
- Living in the UK, or a country that pays bereavement benefits
Or if your husband, wife or civil partner:
- Paid at least 25 weeks of national insurance
- Died because of an accident at work or disease caused by work
How much help can I get?
The amount you're entitled to depends on whether you're receiving child benefit and when you put the claim in:
- Receiving child benefit or are entitled to it? The first payment is £3,500, followed by 18 monthly payments of £350. This includes if you're pregnant when your partner died.
- DON'T receive child benefit? The first payment is £1,500, followed by 18 monthly payments of £100.
How to apply
You must claim within three months of your partner's death to receive the full amount. You can claim up to 21 months after, but the amount will be less.
The bereavement support payment won't affect your other benefits for a year after your first payment. If after a year you're still receiving the payment, this could affect the other benefits you're eligible for.
You can apply by filling in a form or ringing the bereavement service helpline on 0800 731 0469. See Gov.uk for more on how to claim.
What help can I get if I'm not a UK national and don't have a 'right to reside'?
Even if you don't have permission to live permanently in the UK, you might still be able to access help and support.
For example, if you need medical treatment in the UK, you won't have to pay for diagnosis or treatment of Covid-19. This includes if you're tested and the result is negative. Your immigration status won't be checked if you seek a test or treatment for coronavirus.
For more information about what help you could get, see the Gov.uk website.
NHS and social care staff to get free car parking
NHS and social care staff working in hospitals will get free onsite car parking for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak.
NHS trusts are responsible for setting hospitals' car parking charges, but the Government says it's committed to providing the financial backing so they can abolish parking charges for their staff.
The Government also says that some hospitals may require additional car parking capacity and that under new measures, some key workers will be able to use council parking bays without time restrictions or charges.
The changes will apply to all on-street parking and open, council-run car parks, including pay and display, and will see charges suspended for health workers, social care workers and NHS volunteers. The way that people provide evidence for their jobs will be decided by individual councils.
The National Car Parks group has also confirmed that it will provide free parking for NHS staff at all 150 of its car parks in England.
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