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Benefits and payments homepage
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Overview
Take a look at the range of benefits and payments we have available.
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Not working
Redundancy, health condition or disability or another reason you can’t work
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Living expenses
Food, school costs, power, accommodation or other living expenses you need help with
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Relationship changes
You’ve had a relationship break-up, family breakdown or violent relationship end
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Health and Disability
Counselling, prescription and GP costs, medical alarms and other costs we can help with
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Seniors
Travelling overseas, how to apply, payment rates and dates, overseas pensions, income and other info for Seniors
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Caring
Caring for someone else’s child or someone with a health condition, injury or disability
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Urgent or unexpected costs
Dental, glasses, car repairs, fridge, washing machine, funeral or other urgent costs you need help with
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Children
Childcare, school uniforms, stationery, having a baby and other costs if you have children
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Payment issues
Fixing issues with Accommodation Supplement, Special Benefit and other payments we’ve made
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16-19 year olds
Education, training, work and benefit help for 16-19 year olds
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Benefits and forms
A-Z list of benefits, forms, benefit rates
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Work homepage
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Overview
Find out what services we can offer to help you find work and when you start a new job.
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Looking for work
We have jobs available now in various industries and you can search on our job websites.
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Help with your job search
From advice on making a plan, to tips on where to look and following up leads.
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Training and experience
Our programmes can help you get ready for work with training and work experience.
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Apprenticeship Support Programme
Get help to retain and bring on new apprentices.
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CVs and cover letters
We’ve got great templates and advice for writing your CV or cover letter, and filling out job applications.
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Help with work costs
Get help to pay for the things you need to start work
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Job support and advice
Get all the support and advice you need to stay in work.
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Health and disability
If you want to work, we can support you to find the right job for you.
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Start your own business
We can help you get your business up and running.
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Job interviews
Get advice about how to prepare for and deliver a great interview.
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Help for 16-19 year olds
We’ve got extra support for young people to get ready for work and find a job.
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On a benefit homepage
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Overview
Check out what you need to do when you're getting a benefit or other payment from us.
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Something's changed
Address, contact details, overseas travel, childcare, relationship or anything else that’s changed.
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Income
Declare income, wages deduction calculator and tables
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Childcare
Change in your childcare situation, continue childcare payments, cohort entry schools and other childcare information
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Re-apply
Re-apply for Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support, Temporary Additional Support and more
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Payments
Check or stop your payments, payment cards and other information
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Debt
Check your debt, repayments and other debt information
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Rights and responsibilities
Our commitment to you, obligations, complaints, benefit fraud and more
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Housing homepage
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Overview
Find out how we can help you with housing.
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Nowhere to stay
Get help if you have nowhere to stay right now.
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Find a house
Find out where to look for private housing, or apply for public (social) housing.
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Living in your home
Get help with accommodation costs, and advice on any housing issues and public housing tenancies.
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Move house
Find out how we can help if you’re moving house.
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Having someone act on your behalf
You can choose to have someone else act on your behalf in your dealings with us. We call them an agent. You can choose what you want your agent to do for you.
In most cases, we'll only let someone represent you if you agree to it.
Why have an agent
You can have an agent for any reason. This may be because:
- you're overseas
- you have difficulty communicating
- you have mobility issues that makes it physically hard to go to our offices
- you're sick or unwell
- you're living in residential care or an institution
- you want help or advice with a decision we've made
- you've been served a trespass notice which says you cannot enter our offices.
Who can be your agent
Your agent can be a person or an organisation.
Depending on what you want your agent to do, the most appropriate person may be either:
- a family member
- someone you trust
- a person or an organisation that cares for you, but not your Youth Service provider if you have one
- an advocate
- a lawyer.
You can have more than one agent. They may represent you for different things. For example, you may have a family member who fills in forms for you and an advocate who represents you in a dispute with us.
Who cannot be your agent
We can choose not to work with an agent you appointed if we have a good reason, for example:
- they're under 18 and not your partner
- they cannot enter our offices because of a trespass notice.
What your agent can do
You're responsible for deciding what your agent can and cannot do.
You can allow your agent to do things like:
- get personal information we hold about you
- tell us information on your behalf, eg change of address or income
- get your mail from us
- complete and sign application forms on your behalf
- have authority over your affairs, as granted by a current Power of Attorney
- be paid part or all of your benefit on your behalf if there's a good reason, eg:
- you're sick or unwell and cannot physically withdraw money or manage your finances
- you're living in residential care or an institution
- you're misusing your benefit payment and the wellbeing of your family is put at risk.
You can still talk to us and act for yourself when you have an agent. You can choose to remove your agent or change what they're allowed to do at any time.
Court order or Power of Attorney
If your agent has been appointed by a court order, the court determines what they can and cannot do on your behalf. The court can also cancel or change this at any time.
If your agent holds an Enduring Power of Attorney, they will have authority over your affairs. They are also able to cancel or change this at any time.
How to appoint an agent
You can verbally agree for someone to act on your behalf when you meet with us or call us, which will only last for that meeting.
If you want someone to be your agent for longer, you'll need to fill out an 'Appointment of Agent' form. You can use the form below or you can have one sent to you by calling 0800 559 009. This will:
- name you and your agent
- show exactly what rights and responsibilities you want your agent to have
- be signed by both you and your agent.
Your agent will also need to show us proof of their identity.
Appointment of an Agent form (PDF 204.64KB)
Please complete this form if you would like an agent to act on your behalf.
Paying your benefit to an agent
If you want your payments to go to your agent, you'll also need to fill in a 'Redirection of benefit payment' form with them.
- why you need your payments to go to your agent
- what other ways you've tried to organise your payments
- how much of your payments you want to go to your agent.
Your agent will need to show us proof of their bank account details, eg a bank statement or a deposit slip.
Redirection of benefit payment form (PDF 213.91KB)
Complete this form if you want part or all of your payments to be paid to another person or organisation. Or you can ask for a form to be sent to you by calling 0800 559 009.
When an agent is appointed for you
Someone appointed by a court
In some cases a court may appoint someone to help make decisions for you, eg if you cannot act for yourself. The court order will state what rights and responsibilities they have.
If the court has appointed someone to help you, you cannot change or cancel their authorisation. Only the court can do that.
Power of attorney
If someone has your power of attorney, or enduring power of attorney, they can act as your agent.
You can change or cancel someone's power of attorney but not someone's enduring power of attorney.
Agent appointed without your agreement
In exceptional circumstances, we may allow someone to act as your agent without any legal document. This might be if you're in a coma and need help from us and there isn't time to get a court order.
We would normally need proof that you cannot act for yourself temporarily, eg a medical certificate.
In these cases we'll always act in the best interests of our clients.
Change or remove an agent
If you want to change or remove your agent, you can contact us and let us know. You should also tell your agent what changes you've made.
Find an agent or advocate to help you
You may want support but do not have someone to be your agent, or may want someone with more experience to help you.
There are advocate groups who may be able to help you with an independent advocate who has experience in dealing with us.
A good advocate can:
- help you if you don't understand or disagree with a decision we made
- work with us to make sure you get all the support you're entitled to
- help explain your situation in meetings with us or in a review or appeal process.
You can find an advocate through a Citizens Advice Bureau or Community Law.
Citizens Advice Bureau websiteCitizens Advice Bureau is an independent community organisation that can help you find an agent or an advocate. They provide information, independent advice and support to individuals. Their services are free, impartial and confidential.
Community Law websiteCommunity Law have a range of community legal services including free legal advice, legal assistance and representation, legal information, legal education and law reform activities.
Asking for a review of decisionWhat you can do if you disagree with a decision we've made.