Latest news with #IncomeSupport
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
Warning for thousands of parents to claim code for free childcare support before key deadline in weeks
Plus, we've explained how to check if you're missing out on extra cash CHILD'S PAY Warning for thousands of parents to claim code for free childcare support before key deadline in weeks Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PARENTS should be aware of fast-approaching deadline to apply for free child care support. If you want to keep or start receiving up to 30 hours of free childcare a week for children aged nine months to four years, you must apply or renew your childcare code by August 31. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 To apply or check eligibility visit Credit: Getty This applies to working parents in England who use registered childcare providers such as nurseries, playschemes, or wrap-around care. You'll need to set up a childcare account online and apply via or the HMRC app. Once approved, you'll get an 11-digit code to give your childcare provider as proof of eligibility. If your child turns nine months old between April 1 and August 31, you must apply by August 31 to get free childcare starting in September. If you already receive 15 hours for your child under two, you'll automatically get 30 hours from September, but you still need to confirm your details and provide the code to your provider. Some childcare providers ask for codes before the August 31 deadline so it's best to apply as soon as possible. Once you have your code, you'll need to reconfirm your details every three months to keep your place, although some providers may offer a short grace period. If you're starting a new job, returning from parental leave, or changing circumstances, deadlines vary - but August 31 is the key date for many parents wanting free childcare starting this autumn. To apply or check eligibility visit Who's eligible for free childcare hours? YOU could get up to 30 hours of free childcare per week through the Free Childcare for Working Parents scheme if you meet these conditions: Child's age : Your child must be between 9 months and 4 years old and live in England. : Your child must be between 9 months and 4 years old and live in England. From September 2025 : All children aged 9 months to 2 years will qualify for 30 free hours per week. : All children aged 9 months to 2 years will qualify for 30 free hours per week. Income: Each parent must earn at least £166 per week (equal to working 16 hours at minimum wage) and no more than £100,000 per year. If you're not eligible for the 30-hour scheme, you can still get 15 free hours per week for all 3 and 4-year-olds, starting from the term after their third birthday until they begin school. This is available to everyone, regardless of income or benefits. Your 2-year-old can also get free childcare if you live in England and meet any of these conditions: You receive benefits like Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), or Universal Credit (with a household income of £15,400 or less after tax, not including benefit payments). You get the guaranteed element of Pension Credit. Your child is also eligible if they: Are in the care of a local authority. Have an education, health, and care (EHC) plan. Receive Disability Living Allowance. Have been adopted or are under a special guardianship or child arrangements order. Taking up the 15 free hours for 2-year-olds won't affect your benefits. Freebies for parents worth £2,900 What other childcare help is available? Child benefit Every parent in the UK can apply for child benefit to help with the costs of raising their child. You can get it if you're responsible for bringing up a child who is under 16 or under 20 and in approved education or training. The benefit is worth £26.05 a week for your eldest child, and then £17.25 a week for any subsequent children. For a family with two children who qualify, this adds up to £2251.60 a year. For just one child, you get £1354.60 a year. While child benefit is available for all to apply, there is a caveat for higher earners. If one parent in the household earns over £60,000 per year, a portion of the benefit must be repaid, this triggers the so-called high income child benefit charge. This means a portion of the benefit must be repaid. Once an individual's income exceeds £80,000, the entire benefit must be repaid. You can apply by visiting Universal Credit childcare element If you're on Universal Credit and working, you can get up to 85% of your childcare costs covered. This can be up to £1,031.88 per month for one child or £1,768.94 per month for two or more children. It doesn't matter how many hours you work, but if you have a partner, both of you must be working to qualify. Normally, you'll need to pay for childcare upfront and then claim the costs back. However, if you're starting a new job or increasing your hours, you can ask for the money to be paid in advance. In some cases, if you can't afford to pay upfront, you may be able to get extra help with the initial costs. To find out more visit:
Daily Mirror
24-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
State pension error - what it is and how you can check if you're owed money
Thousands are people are feared to have missed out on an old version of National Insurance credits, known as Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) A major state pension error could mean you're owed tens of thousands of pounds back from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). How much state pension you get in later life is dependent on your National Insurance record. For example, with the new state pension, most people need 35 years of National Insurance contributions to get the full amount. If you're out of work, you may be entitled to National Insurance credits and these essentially fill any gaps in your National Insurance record. But thousands are people are feared to have missed out on an old version of National Insurance credits, known as Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP). HRP reduced the number of qualifying years you need on your National Insurance record to claim the state pension. It was replaced by National Insurance credits in 2010. Who is affected by this error? HRP should have been applied automatically to those claiming Child Benefit - but Child Benefit forms submitted before 2000 did not include a National Insurance number. This led to HRP not being correctly applied to National Insurance records. It also impacted those claiming Income Support while they were caring for a person with a disability or long-term illness. If you didn't have the correct level of HRP applied to your National Insurance record, then you may have been underpaid the state pension and are owed money back. You may be affected if you took time off work to look after a child, or a family member with a long-term disability or illness, between 1978 and 2010. It is thought the main group of people who are affected are women in their 60s or 70s. Latest figures from HMRC shows 370,000 women have been contacted regarding potential underpayments, with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Of those who responded to the letters, HMRC identified 5,344 cases of underpayments between January 8 and September 30, 2024, totalling approximately £42million in arrears. How much could I get back? It all depends on how much you were underpaid by, and for how long. The latest figures from the DWP show the average payout per person is £7,859. But for some people, the money back has been in the tens of thousands of pounds. For example, one person called Cilla wrote in to to explain how to reclaimed more than £31,000 in backpay. She said: "I've just received 15yrs' back pay from HMRC of £31,674 for underpayment of my pension. Thank you." How do I know if I've been underpaid? If you are not receiving the full state pension, you should first check your state pension forecast or statement. The full new state pension is worth £230.25 per week, while the old basic state pension is £176.45 per week. If it looks like you are missing gaps, the next step is to check your National Insurance record. The Government has also created an online checker tool on You can make a claim for missing HRP by using the online service on or by filling out this form and posting it back to HMRC. It is believed 43,000 people who are due money back are now deceased, but their families can claim on their behalf.
Daily Mirror
23-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Universal Credit cash rule change means benefit payments won't be stopped
Under the current rules, benefit claimants who have received compensation after a criminal conviction may find themselves ineligible for some means-tested benefits Victims of miscarriages of justice will no longer have their compensation taken into account when claiming benefits such as Universal Credit. Under the current rules, benefit claimants who have received compensation after a criminal conviction may find themselves ineligible for some means-tested benefits, which are issued to people depending on their income and how much money they have in savings. For example, you are not eligible for Universal Credit if you have more than £16,000 in savings or investments. But moving forward, a rule that meant compensation payments were included as part of your capital has now been scrapped. This applies to six means-tested benefits including: Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and Pension Credit. It comes after the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) increased the maximum amount miscarriage of justice victims can receive through the Miscarriage of Justice Compensation Scheme from £1million to £1.3million. Sir Stephen Timms MP, minister for social security and disability, said: "Rebuilding trust in our systems begins by restoring trust with those the system has failed. "We can't return the years lost by miscarriage of justice victims — but we can, and must, ensure they have every opportunity to restart their lives so they can make the most of the years ahead." Alex Davies-Jones, minister for victims and violence against women and girls, added: "Miscarriages of justice steal irreplaceable time and devastate lives. "Better benefit support combined with the uplift of the compensation cap will make a real difference, providing not just financial redress but rightfully deserved recognition to individuals affected." If you claim Universal Credit and you have over £6,000 in money, savings and investments, your benefit is normally be reduced by £4.35 for every £250 you have between £6,000 and £16,000. If the amount you have saved doesn't add up exactly to £250, but is over the threshold, another £4.35 is deducted from your Universal Credit. For example, if you have £6,300 in savings, the first £6,000 would not be subject to any deductions, but the other £300 would see your payments deducted by £8.70. This would be £4.35 deduced for the first £250, then another £4.35 for the remaining £50 that makes up the £300. These figures apply if you're a single claimant, or claiming as part of a couple. You are normally not eligible for Universal Credit if you have more than £16,000 in savings. If you claim Tax Credits and you've been asked to move to Universal Credit, you may still be able to get Universal Credit for up to a year if you have more than £16,000.
Daily Mirror
22-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Housing Benefit change to make more people eligible
People who are awarded certain compensations won't have it held against them when trying to get benefits From July 22, a change in the law will allow compensation for miscarriages of justice to be excluded from benefit assessments. These compensations are awarded to people who have been wrongfully convicted and can amount to substantial figures. In the past, such compensation was considered part of a person's savings or income, impacting their eligibility for benefits. For instance, receiving over £16,000 in compensation would automatically rule out eligibility for Universal Credit, regardless if they meet the other qualifying factors. The updated legislation will now ensure that these payouts are disregarded during the assessment process, potentially allowing access to various means-tested benefits, including income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Pension Credit, and Universal Credit. Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Social Security and Disability, commented: 'Rebuilding trust in our systems begins by restoring trust with those the system has failed. We can't return the years lost by miscarriage of justice victims, but we can, and must, ensure they have every opportunity to restart their lives so they can make the most of the years ahead. 'That's why we're bringing in this milestone legislation, and I encourage anyone who has received a miscarriage of justice compensation payment to come forward, so we can ensure they receive the help they are entitled to.' Those who believe they may be impacted by this alteration but are already receiving means-tested benefits will need to declare a change in circumstances to ensure they're getting the proper amount following this legal change. People who might be affected but aren't currently claiming benefits are urged to verify their benefit eligibility online. In both situations, you'll be required to provide a copy of your compensation award during the application or change of circumstances procedure. Further details about the modification can be found on the website. This benefit law change comes after an uplift to the maximum compensation sum that can be granted to a miscarriage of justice victim. This now stands at a ceiling of £1.3million for those who have been wrongfully jailed for over ten years. Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, declared: 'Miscarriages of justice steal irreplaceable time and devastate lives. 'Better benefit support combined with the uplift of the compensation cap will make a real difference, providing not just financial redress but rightfully deserved recognition to individuals affected. We can't turn back the clock, but I hope these changes go some way in making the future brighter than the past for those who have already lost so much.' Campaigners had been urging for reforms like this, including Andrew Malkinson, as reported by the Independent. Malkinson, who was falsely accused of rape and spent 17 years behind bars before clearing his name, has spoken out about the law changes. The campaigner described the benefit update as "ends a stark injustice" but highlighted that further action is needed, labelling the £1.3 million cap as "insulting". Earlier this month, he told the publication: "I remain determined to challenge the completely unfair cap on compensation for the wrongfully convicted – and the ridiculous requirement that a person in my position be required to prove their innocence a second time to get compensated."
Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
DWP claimants issued with letter in post after major cut in payments
The DWP is in the process of replacing six legacy benefits with Universal Credit, but there have been concerns about the migration process, with claimants reporting payment cuts Benefit claimants undergoing a significant transition have been affected by payment reductions due to delays in verifying their ID and financial details. The Department for Work and Pensions has stated that it has made improvements to rectify the issues, which resulted in some individuals reporting considerable payment decreases. As part of its 'managed migration,' thousands are receiving letters informing them that their current benefits will cease and they need to apply for Universal Credit instead. In total, six legacy benefits are being replaced by Universal Credit. These include Income Support, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Both forms of tax credits have already been abolished as of April 2025, after everyone was requested to transition before that date. Those who still need to make the switch are primarily people on income-related ESA, reports Birmingham Live. The DWP anticipates having sent all 'migration notice' letters to ESA claimants by December, enabling them to be successfully transferred to Universal Credit before the current financial year concludes on April 5, 2026. Many of those receiving income-related ESA belong to a support group where they cannot work due to health conditions and disabilities. Their physical and mental vulnerabilities mean they are likely to require assistance with the transfer process to ensure they switch before their previous benefits are cut off and receive the correct amount of Universal Credit rather than facing a payment reduction. ESA claimants in the support group should be automatically transferred into Universal Credit's equivalent category for those with long-term sickness or disability. However, concerns have been raised after some claimants received the wrong amount of Universal Credit following the changeover. Benefits advice workers believe this occurred because some people's ID and details were not verified immediately, so an individual's first Universal Credit payment may have been reduced as it only reflected what had been confirmed at that time. The DWP says it is tackling these issues and has enhanced the ID verification process. Sir Stephen Timms, minister for social security and disability, said: "Adequate resourcing for the transition is an important priority for the department. "The department has identified a small number of cases where the payments due have not all been paid in full in the first assessment period, due to delays in the process. "The problem has been addressed by introducing additional automation, and increasing the resources to deal with these cases. DWP has also enhanced the identity verification process, reducing the requirement for customers to attend the office or receive a home visit. "We have robust plans in place to support the safe migration of cases onto UC. We will continue to monitor the position on these cases carefully through to the end of the migration activity, responding quickly if difficulties arise." Sir Stephen was answering a query from Dr Beccy Cooper, Labour MP for Worthing West. She enquired what evaluation the DWP had conducted regarding "the adequacy of administrative capacity to manage the volume of transitions from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit. "What steps [were being taken] to ensure that vulnerable claimants do not experience prolonged delays or shortfalls in payment due to outstanding actions as a result of these transitions."
