Benefits and Support

An Access to Work grant can pay for practical support if you have a disability, health or mental health condition to help you: start working stay in work move into self-employment or start a business. The grant is not for business start-up costs. How much you get depends on your circumstances. The money doesn’t have to be paid back and will not affect your other benefits.

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You could get a bursary to help with education-related costs if you’re aged 16 to 19 and: studying at school or college (not university) in England or on a training course, including unpaid work experience.

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Blind Person’s Allowance is an extra amount of tax-free allowance. It means you can earn more before you start paying Income Tax.

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Carer’s Allowance is a means tested benefit for anyone: that spends at least 35 hours a week looking after someone with an illness or disability but is not paid to do so, and whose child gets Disability Living Allowance for personal care at the middle or high rate, and that is earning less than £100 per week after expenses such as income tax and national insurance contributions have been taken into account.

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Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a tax free, social security benefit for children and young people up to 16 with an illness or disability. It is not dependent on your household income but only on your child’s needs. To get DLA, your child must need significantly more help or looking after than another child of the same age who doesn’t have any special needs.

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You could get a grant from your council if you’re disabled and need to make changes to your home, for example to: widen doors and install ramps, improve access to rooms and facilities – eg stairlifts or a downstairs bathroom, provide a heating system suitable for your needs and adapt heating or lighting controls to make them easier to use.

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The Disabled Persons Railcard is for people with a disability that makes travelling by train difficult.

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As a higher education student living in England, you can apply for a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) if you have a disability, including a long-term health condition, mental health condition, specific learning difficulty.

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If you’re ill or disabled, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) offers you: financial support if you’re unable to work, personalised help so that you can work if you’re able to. You can apply for ESA if you’re employed, self-employed or unemployed.

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Family Fund are the UK’s largest provider of grants to low-income families raising disabled and seriously ill children and young people. We help ease the additional pressures families face. We can help with essential items such as washing machines, fridges and clothing but can also consider grants for sensory toys, computers and much needed family breaks together.

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You may be able to get Income Support if you meet all the specific conditions including: you and your partner have no income or a low income, you’re working less than 16 hours a week and you haven’t signed on as unemployed. The actual amount you get depends on your circumstances, but if you qualify and have no income you’ll get at least £57.90 a week.

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Personal Independence Payment (PIP) helps with some of the extra costs caused by long-term ill-health or a disability if you’re aged 16 to 64

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Portsmouth City Council, benefits and support information

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