LATEST NEWS FOR 2016
You may be aware from recent Budgets that some Benefits are changing. Here are some of the changes. It is important to note that some of these changes may be subject to further change. If you wish to know more about how these changes will affect you, you can contact our Income Maximisation Team on 01744 675615.
Benefit Cap – Great news for Carers!
From Autumn 2016, the government will introduce exemptions for people getting Guardians Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and the carers element of Universal Credit from the household benefit cap which caps the amount of benefits out-of-work working-age families can receive. From autumn 2016 the cap is planned to be reduced to £20,000, and at £23,000 in Greater London.
Benefit and Tax Credit rates frozen
The main rates of working age benefits and tax credits will be frozen in cash terms for 4 years from April 2016. Pensioner benefits are excluded from the benefit freeze and will be protected by the ‘triple lock’.
Disability benefits, the disability-related elements of tax credits and statutory payments including Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance (Support Group only), Maternity Allowance, Statutory Maternity/Paternity Pay and Statutory Sick Pay, will be uprated in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). The CPI was announced to have fallen in the year to September 2015 so this means that the benefits mentioned above will not be increased from April 2016.
HMRC has launched a new digital service for people claiming tax credits.
If you claim tax credits, you can now check your payment details online. You will be able to check who’s included in your claim, how much your next payment is and when you will be paid.
Control & Click to follow the weblink here: https://www.gov.uk/manage-your-tax-credits or enter the details into your search engine.
HMRC will be updating the service in the coming months to allow you to report any change in your circumstances online. This means you will no longer need to call the tax credit office, as you’ll be able to log in online and report any change that could affect the amount of tax credits you get.
New National Living Wage
From April 2016 a new National Living Wage is to be introduced. For workers aged 25 or over the new hourly wage will be £7.20.
Pension Credit Assessed Income Periods to be removed
From April 2016, people on Pension Credit will now have to report changes in their circumstances that will affect their benefit. Those over 75 with an assessed income period will not be affected by these changes and only affected under the current rules.
Housing Benefit and Pension Credit – temporary absence abroad
Currently if you are in receipt of Housing benefit/Pension Credit your benefit can continue for up to 13 weeks while you go abroad. From May 2016, after 4 weeks abroad (with no gap), payments of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit will cease.
Terminally Ill and in receipt of Disability Living Allowance
If you have been diagnosed as terminally ill and are moved from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payment, if you are granted a greater award under PIP you will get that higher award from the date of the decision, rather than remaining on their DLA award for the standard four week waiting period
The information contained in this pack has been obtained from the organisations listed, on the date given at the bottom of the page. St Helens Carers Centre is not responsible for updating or validating this information
Last edit date: 16th March 2016