Claiming Your Benefits
Benefits are administered from a number of different offices:
the Department for Work and Pensions has overall responsibility for
the administration of benefits and tax credits. At the operational
end of the system, four different agencies are involved in paying
out the money.
Job Centre Plus
This is the agency for those of working age. Claimants for all
basic income benefits will have to attend a Personal Adviser
interview before they can make a claim. This will apply to
Incapacity Benefit, Carers Allowance, Income Support etc. The
interview will focus on employment options, training, in-work
benefits etc. Claimants will not however be required to be
available for work.
Pensions Service
Deals with benefits in retirement mainly – Retirement Pension
and Pension Credit. This is a centralised administration with Neath
Port Talbot and most of West Wales dealt with from Llansamlet.
There is a limited local service for home visits etc.
Disability Benefits
Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance continue to
be administered centrally from Cardiff and Blackpool. Those making
a claim for Disability Living Allowance will not have a Job Centre
Plus interview unless also claiming an income maintenance benefit
at the same time.
Tax Credits
Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit are dealt
with by the Inland Revenue. This in theory brings all help for
children together in one place, payments in respect of children
within Income Support are likely to be phased out altogether in
2005/6.
- Housing and Council Tax Benefits sections deal with all HB/CTB
claims. People starting an Income Support or Income-based JSA claim
can claim HB and CTB through the DWP, although they may have to
complete further forms from the Council and will have to renew
their claim at least once a year through the Council.
- Housing or Environmental Health Departments are responsible for
Housing Renovation Grants.
- Education Departments administer education benefits such as
school uniform grants, Educational Maintenance Allowance and
student grants.
- Social Services Departments administer help with residential
care costs and services and benefits in kind. There are also
limited funds to make cash grants.
How to Claim
All claims have to be made in writing, usually on the
appropriate claim form, although asking for a form in writing can
be treated as making a claim. Telephoning the DWP will not usually
start a claim (except for certain benefits such as DLA and AA and
now Income Support). Claims for JSA have to be made in person at
the Job Centre.
The Date of the Claim
The “date of claim” is important - it is the day on which a
claim is treated as being made and from which benefit is payable.
This is usually the day a claim form is received at the relevant
Benefits Agency office. However, if you write in asking for a form,
your “date of claim” can be taken as the date of the letter, rather
than the return of the form. This does not usually apply to
telephone requests for claim forms - except for dated forms for
DLA, AA and Income Support - so always request forms in writing!
For Income Support and Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, a claim
is only treated as having been made once a correctly completed
claim form and any supporting documentation is received. If
documentation is not immediately available, then let the Department
for Works & Pension know. Local office claims will only start
from the day the form is returned.