Children's handbook Scotland Children’s Handbook Scotland Non-means-tested benefit rates 2019/20  Claimant£pwAttendan...

Footnote

This chapter covers:

1. Introduction (below)

2. Attendance allowance ()

3. Best Start grant ()

4. Carer's allowance ()

5. Child benefit ()

6. Council tax reduction ()

7. Disability living allowance ()

8. Employment and support allowance ()

9. Funeral support payment ()

10. Guardian's allowance ()

11. Health benefits ()

12. Housing benefit ()

13. Income support ()

14. Jobseeker's allowance ()

15. Pension credit ()

16. Personal independence payment ()

17. The Scottish Welfare Fund ()

18. Statutory adoption pay ()

19. Tax credits ()

20. Universal credit ()

This chapter gives an outline of the basic conditions of entitlement for the main benefits and tax credits which may be relevant to the situations covered in this Handbook. Other chapters look at how benefits and tax credits are affected when a child comes to live with you, goes to live elsewhere or leaves local authority care.

To check your entitlement, first use the chapter covering the circumstances that apply to you. This explains the specific rules that apply to benefits and tax credits in your circumstances. Then use this chapter for an outline of the general conditions of entitlement that apply to everyone. If you need more details, see CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook. Chapter 2 explains how to claim benefits and tax credits, how to challenge a decision if you disagree with it and how to make a complaint.

Future changes

The rules for some benefits are changing in Scotland as certain benefits are devolved to the Scottish parliament. For example, the Best Start grant and carer's allowance supplement have already been introduced and disability benefits (such as personal independence payment and disability living allowance) and carer's allowance will start to be changed from summer 2020.

There is a 'cap' on the total amount of benefits and tax credits you can receive, although some claimants are exempt. If the total amount of your benefit is capped, the cap is applied by either reducing the amount of your universal credit (UC) or by reducing the amount of your housing benefit (HB). The cap does not apply to you if you have reached pension age (see )  and there are a number of other situations in which it does not apply – eg, if you or someone in your household gets a disability benefit, or if you or your partner get carer's allowance or guardian's allowance.

If you are getting UC, the cap is set at £1,116.67 (£1,284.17 if in Greater London) a month for single people with no children and £1,666.67 (£1,916.67 if in Greater London) a month for couples and lone parents.

If you are getting HB, the cap is set at £257.69 (£296.35 if in Greater London) a week for single people with no dependent children and £384.62 (£442.31 if in Greater London) a week for couples and lone parents.

Attendance allowance (AA) is a benefit for people who have reached pension age and who have care needs because of a disability. AA is not means tested and you do not have to have paid any national insurance contributions to get it.

The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for the administration of AA.

You qualify for AA if you:

have reached pension age when you first claim. People aged between 16 and pension age may be able to claim personal independence payment (see ) and children aged under 16 may be able to claim disability living allowance (DLA) (see ); and

satisfy certain UK residence and presence conditions and are not a 'person subject to immigration control'. See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook for details; and

satisfy the disability test (see ); and

have satisfied the disability test for the last six months (unless you are terminally ill).

You get either a lower or a higher rate of AA. The disability conditions for the lower rate are the same as for the middle rate care component of DLA (see ). The conditions for the higher rate are the same as for the highest rate care component of DLA (see ).

The Best Start grant is made up of three different payments:

the pregnancy and baby payment of £600 or £300;

the early learning payment of £250;

You must usually reside in Scotland to get the Best Start grant and satisfy some other residence conditions (see CPAG's Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook for more details).

The Best Start grant is adminstered by Social Security Scotland.

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