Benefits

Once a young disabled person reaches 16 years old, they can claim income maintenance benefits in their own right, even though they may still be at school.

If someone acted as an agent or appointee for benefits such as Disability Living Allowance (DLA) previously, the need for an appointee will be reviewed once the young person reaches 16 years of age.

Incapacity Benefit in Youth (IBY)

Who can claim?

This is a benefit paid to people aged 16 years or over who cannot work because of a mental or physical disability. The rules are that they have to:

• be aged 16 but under 20 years;
• have satisfied the disability conditions for six months and be likely to satisfy conditions for a further six months;
• be present and resident in Great Britain and
• if they are in relevant education and under 19, they must study less than 21 hours a week or if they study over 21 hours a week, the course must be one that a person of their age without their disability would not do.

How is it paid?

• This benefit is paid at three stages, currently £59.20 when first claimed rising to £95 after a year.
• Initially, the basic rate may be topped up with Income Support to bring you to the correct amount the law states you can live on and a claim for both IBY and Income Support should be made at the same time. However, as you graduate to the higher rates, Income Support will cease.

How do you claim?

To claim, telephone the Jobcentre Plus claim line on 0800 055 6688.

Income Support

Who can claim?

• Disabled young people aged between 16 and 19 years old who are still at school or college can get Income Support if they are unlikely to get a job within a year because of their disability. It does not matter whether they live with their family or independently.
• If the person has left school, they will have to show that they are incapable of work and are assessed in a slightly different way.
• In both cases, their income and savings have to be below certain levels to claim. The capital limit is £16,000.
• Most types of income (including Incapacity Benefit) are taken into account when working out how much Income Support may be paid. DLA is not counted as income.
• The amount will depend on the young person’s circumstances and whether they qualify for a disability premium or if they are getting the Highest Rate Care Component of DLA, an enhanced disability premium. Once the allowances have been added together, any income received (except DLA) will be taken off that amount and the balance paid by Income Support.

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Passported Benefits if on Income Support

Should the young person be living independently, they may be able to get help:

• with paying their rent by claiming Housing Benefit;
• from the Social Fund;
• free school meals;
• health benefits.

How do you claim?

Telephone the Jobcentre Plus claim line on 0800 055 6688.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

Who can claim?

• This is a benefit for people under the age of 65 years who have a mental or physical disability. The Care Component can be paid from the age of three months and the Mobility Component from the age of three years.
• If the young person was awarded DLA before they were 16 years old, the claim would be looked again as they approach 16. This is because slightly different rules apply.
• To meet the criteria for this benefit from the age of 16, a person must:
  
  
  • reasonably require help with personal care, such as walking, sitting, sleeping, washing, dressing, eating, hearing, seeing, breathing, communicating or need supervision with these things; or
  • need help to plan, prepare and cook a main meal for themselves; and/or
  • need guidance and supervision while walking out of doors or be unable to walk or virtually unable to walk (this is determined by considering the speed, distance, manner of walking and time taken when walking a set distance).

How do you claim?

To claim DLA for the first time, telephone the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00.

To see if you are entitled to a Higher Rate than was previously paid due to a change in circumstances, telephone 08457 123456.

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Other help

Disabled Students Allowance (DSA)

DSA is a non-means-tested grant to cover any additional disability related costs of study, such as:

• specialist equipment;
• non-medical helpers;
• general expenditure;
• extra travel costs incurred as a result of disability (not normally for every day travel costs).

To receive this, the young person will require a needs assessment.

The student's local authority will advise the process for this.

An award of DSA will not affect entitlement to other benefits.

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)

EMA is a weekly payment worth up to £30 for students who are aged 16 years and planning to continue in further education. The money is intended to help with the day-to-day costs when they stay on at school or college.

The amount is based on the young person’s household income, up to £30,810 a year. It is paid directly into the bank and will not affect any other benefits the family or young person may be claiming.

For more advice ring 080 810 16219.

The effect on the young person’s parents' benefits

Child Benefit

If the young person is aged 16 to 19 years and gets IBY or Income Support, any entitlement to Child Benefit ceases and any benefit owing to the young person will be reduced by the amount of Child Benefit already paid to the parents for the same period.

Income Support

If parents are getting Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance themselves, it is important to check how this is affected before claiming benefits for the young person. Parents' benefits will be reduced once the young person starts to claim benefits and they may lose more than the young person gains. Seek further advice.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit

If parents are getting Income Support or Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance as well as Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and continue to receive this after the young person claims benefits in their own right, there will be no change until that young person reaches 18 years old. However, they may have a reduction once the young person is over this age. Seek further advice.

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