UK benefits A–Z

Short, structured guides. Each page links to the official government source. Use the eligibility check for a personalised report, or start from what benefits can I claim.

By nation: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland. By type: Income and work, Disability and health, Carers, Pension age, Children and pregnancy, Housing and bills.

Scotland
Adult Disability Payment
A Scottish benefit that replaced Personal Independence Payment for most adults living in Scotland. It helps with extra costs of disability or a long-term health condition.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Attendance Allowance
A benefit for people of State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision because of a disability or health condition. It is not means-tested.
UK-wide
Bereavement Support Payment
A contribution-based payment if your spouse or civil partner has died and they paid enough National Insurance. It is paid as an initial lump sum plus monthly payments for a limited period.
Scotland
Best Start Foods
A Scottish prepaid card to help with the cost of milk, infant formula, fruit and vegetables during pregnancy and for children under 3, if you get certain benefits.
Scotland
Best Start Grant
Three Scottish one-off payments around pregnancy and a child’s early years if you get a qualifying benefit: Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment, and School Age Payment. Separate from Best Start Foods.
UK-wide
Blue Badge
A parking badge that helps people with disabilities or health conditions that affect walking park closer to where they need to go. Councils issue it. It is not a DWP cash benefit.
Scotland
Carer Support Payment
A Scottish benefit replacing Carer's Allowance for people living in Scotland who care for someone getting a qualifying disability benefit.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Carer's Allowance
A payment if you spend a lot of time caring for someone who gets certain disability benefits. Scotland has Carer Support Payment instead for most new claims.
UK-wide
Child Benefit
A regular payment to help with the cost of bringing up a child. It is usually paid if you are responsible for a child under 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training.
Scotland
Child Disability Payment
A Scottish benefit replacing Disability Living Allowance for children who live in Scotland.
UK-wide
Child Tax Credit
Child Tax Credit has ended for new claims. It was an HMRC payment for people responsible for children. Universal Credit and Child Benefit are the usual current routes.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Cold Weather Payment
A payment when the temperature in your postcode area is, or is forecast to be, at or below a set threshold for 7 days in a row, if you get a qualifying benefit. It is usually paid automatically.
England, Scotland and Wales
Council Tax Reduction
Help from your local council if you are on a low income and need to pay council tax. Each council runs its own scheme, so the rules and amounts vary.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Disability Living Allowance for children
A benefit for children under 16 who need extra looking after or have walking difficulties because of a disability or health condition. Scotland uses Child Disability Payment.
UK-wide
Discretionary Housing Payment
Extra, limited help from your council toward a rent shortfall if you already get Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit. It is discretionary, not an entitlement, and budgets run out.
UK-wide
Free school meals
A school-age meal at no cost if you get certain benefits, with extra automatic provision for some infant year groups. Each UK nation sets its own rules and how you apply.
UK-wide
Funded childcare hours
Government-funded hours with an approved childcare provider. In England this includes age-based offers sometimes described as 15 or 30 hours. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run their own funded-hours schemes.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Funeral Expenses Payment
A payment toward a funeral if you get certain income-related benefits and you are the person arranging it. Scotland has Funeral Support Payment instead. It often does not cover the full cost.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Healthy Start
Help to buy milk, fruit, vegetables and vitamins if you are pregnant or have a child under 4 and you get certain benefits. Scotland has Best Start Foods instead.
England
Household Support Fund
A time-limited fund paid through English councils (with separate cost-of-living schemes in the other nations) to help with essentials such as food and energy. It is local crisis support, not a weekly national benefit.
UK-wide
Housing Benefit
Help towards rent if you are on a low income. Most working-age people now claim housing costs through Universal Credit instead. Housing Benefit still applies in some situations, including many people of State Pension age.
UK-wide
Income Support
Income Support is closed to most new claims. It was an income-related DWP benefit for some people who could not be required to look for work. Universal Credit replaced it for most working-age people.
UK-wide
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance has ended for new claims. It was the means-tested version of JSA. Universal Credit replaced it. New Style JSA is different — that is contribution-based and still exists.
UK-wide
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income-related ESA has ended for most new claims. It was the means-tested version of ESA. Universal Credit replaced it. New Style ESA is different — that is contribution-based and still exists.
UK-wide
Marriage Allowance
An HMRC tax allowance that lets a spouse or civil partner who earns less than the personal allowance transfer a portion of it to a basic-rate taxpayer. It is not a DWP benefit.
UK-wide
Maternity Allowance
A payment for 39 weeks if you are employed or self-employed but cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay from an employer.
England, Scotland and Wales
New Style Employment and Support Allowance
A contribution-based benefit if you have a disability or health condition that affects how much you can work, and you have paid enough National Insurance.
England, Scotland and Wales
New Style Jobseeker's Allowance
A contribution-based benefit if you are unemployed or working 16 hours a week or less and you have paid enough National Insurance. You can get it on its own or with Universal Credit.
Scotland
Pension Age Disability Payment
A Social Security Scotland payment for people of State Pension age who need help with personal care because of a disability or health condition. It replaced Attendance Allowance for people living in Scotland.
UK-wide
Pension Credit
An income-related benefit for people who have reached State Pension age and have a low income. It can also help with housing costs, council tax and other support.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Personal Independence Payment
A benefit to help with extra costs if you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and you have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around.
Northern Ireland
Rate Relief
Help with domestic rates in Northern Ireland if you are on a low income. This is the Northern Ireland equivalent of Council Tax Reduction. Working-age people on Universal Credit usually claim Rate Rebate; Housing Benefit and Rate Relief still apply for many people of State Pension age.
Scotland
Scottish Child Payment
A weekly payment from Social Security Scotland for families looking after a child under 16, if they already get certain qualifying benefits.
UK-wide
Statutory Maternity Pay
A legal payment from your employer for up to 39 weeks if you are an employee and you meet continuity of employment and average-earnings tests. It is not claimed from DWP.
UK-wide
Statutory Sick Pay
A legal minimum your employer pays if you are an employee, you earn enough, and you are too ill to work for 4 or more days in a row. There is no public application form.
UK-wide
Support for Mortgage Interest
A loan to help with interest on your mortgage if you get certain income-related benefits. It is not a grant and usually has to be repaid.
UK-wide
Tax-Free Childcare
An HMRC scheme where you pay into an online account for registered childcare and the government adds a contribution, up to a yearly cap. It is not a DWP benefit and usually cannot be combined with Universal Credit childcare costs for the same costs.
UK-wide
Universal Credit
A monthly payment to help with living costs if you are on a low income, out of work, or cannot work. It can include amounts for housing, children, disability, and caring.
England and Wales
Warm Home Discount
A one-off discount on your electricity bill if you get Pension Credit or meet your supplier's low-income criteria. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different schemes.
UK-wide
Winter Fuel Payment
A yearly tax-free payment to help older people with heating costs. Eligibility has changed in recent years, so always check the current GOV.UK rules before assuming you will get it.
Scotland
Winter Heating Payment
A Social Security Scotland payment to help with heating costs if you get a qualifying Scottish or UK benefit. It replaced Cold Weather Payment in Scotland and is not the same as Winter Fuel Payment.
UK-wide
Working Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit has ended for new claims. It was an HMRC payment for people on a low income who were working. Universal Credit replaced it for most working-age people.