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>Incapacity Benefit
It is dealt with by Job Centre Plus - you can find your local office here
What is Incapacity Benefit?
• This benefit is paid if Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) has ended, or you cannot get SSP
• It is not paid if you were over state pension age when you became sick
Can you apply?
• If you have paid NI contributions
and
• You have been incapable of work because of sickness or disability for at least 4 days in a row including weekends and public holidays
Then you should claim Incapacity Benefit.
Alternatively
• If you are incapable of work and have been for at least 28 weeks without a break
and
• You are aged 16 or over but under 20 (25 if you have been in education or training at least 3 months immediately before the age of 20)
and
• The period for which you were incapable of work began before the age of 20 (25 if you were in education or training at least 3 months immediately before age 20)
Then you should claim Incapacity Benefit.
How much is it?
Incapacity Benefit may be paid at 3 different rates:
Short-term Incapacity Benefit at the lower rate
Paid if you do not get SSP and have been sick for at least four days in a row including weekends and public holidays, or if you qualify under the special rules for young people. Remember, you will only get Incapacity Benefit under the rules for young people if you have been incapable of work for 28 weeks without a break.
Weekly amount - £61.35 if you are under state pension age
Weekly amount - £78.05 if you are over state pension age
Short-term Incapacity Benefit at the higher rate
Paid if you have been sick for more than 28 weeks and less than 52 weeks. If you qualify under the rules for young people, you must have been getting Incapacity Benefit for 28 weeks.
Weekly amount - £72.55 if you are under state pension age
Weekly amount - £81.35 if you are over state pension age
Long-term Incapacity Benefit
Paid if you have been sick for over 52 weeks. If you qualify under the special rules for young people, you must have been getting Incapacity Benefit for 52 weeks.
Weekly amount - £81.35
Incapacity Age Addition
You may be able to get the Incapacity Age Addition if you get long-term Incapacity Benefit and were aged under 45 on the day you became unable to work. This includes days when you got Statutory Sick Pay.
Weekly amount - £8.55 lower rate
Weekly amount - £17.10 higher rate
How to claim
Claim straight away. If you delay you may lose benefit. Contact your social security office for a claim form, or download one here.
What happens if you go into hospital?
If you go into hospital your benefit will not usually reduce straightaway. You should let your social security office know anyway.
if you go into hospital from a local council residential care home, your Incapacity Benefit will usually reduce straight away.
If you get extra money for someone who looks after your children for you, and that person goes into hospital, the extra money may stop straightaway.
After 52 weeks in hospital
Your benefit will usually reduce.
Your benefit may reduce by less if someone depends on you.
If you get extra money for your husband or wife and they are in hospital, the extra money you get for them will usually be reduced.
New permitted work rules from 8 April 2002
These rules relate to people who want to try some paid work while getting Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, National Insurance Credits or Income Support because of illness or disability.
The new rules are called the permitted work rules and the work is called permitted work. If you were already doing therapeutic work when the rules changed, you may be able to carry on doing it until April 2003.After that you can consider doing permitted work straight away under the new rules.
The new arrangements allow you to try some paid work without the need for prior approval from a doctor.
You should tell the office that pays your benefit before you start work though.
You can work:
• for earnings of up to and including £20.00 a week for an unlimited
period
or
• for less than 16 hours a week, on average, with earnings up to
and including £66.00 a week for a 26 week period.
This period can be extended for another 26 weeks if a Job Broker, Personal
Adviser or Disability Employment Adviser agrees that it will help you
towards work of 16 or more hours a week. There is no limit to the number
of times you can do permitted work in this category while you are getting
an incapacity benefit, but there must be a gap of at least 52 weeks between
periods. These subsequent periods are for 52 weeks and a Job Broker, Personal
Adviser or Disability Employment Adviser must support the work from the
outset.
or
• you can work in supported permitted work for earnings of up to
and including £66.00 a week for an unlimited period.
Supported permitted work is work done with ongoing support or supervision from a professional caseworker (employed or engaged by a public body or voluntary organization). This could be work done in the community or in a sheltered workshop. It also includes work done under medical supervision as part of a hospital treatment programme. You do not have to undergo a medical test just because you are doing permitted work. However, if a medical test is due it will go ahead as planned.
You can carry on getting Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance while doing permitted work without it affecting your benefit.
If you get Income Support, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit your benefit will be reduced if your average earnings are more than your earnings disregard.
You should contact your social security office if you want more information about how these changes could affect you, or find out more here in pdf format.