The Department for Work and Pensions offers extra money to certain existing benefit claims to help those living with a disability – here’s everything you need to know
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides additional funds to certain existing benefit claims to assist those with disabilities. In some instances, these disability premiums can amount to over £900 a month.
Disability premiums are extra sums of money automatically added to benefit payments, so typically, you don’t need to apply for them. For adult claimants, there are three distinct types of disability premiums depending on the severity of your disability, and it’s possible to receive more than one premium simultaneously.
The three types of disability premiums for adults are the disability premium, the enhanced disability premium, and the severe disability premium. It comes after a state pension warning for millions of Brits who are between two specific ages.
READ MORE: Parents who have children with autism or ADHD can claim up to £16,157 from DWPREAD MORE: ‘I asked boss why pay was 2 weeks late – her 4-word response left me gobsmacked’
Here’s the full list of eligibility and DWP payments available, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.
Eligibility
The benefits that qualify for supplementary disability premium payments are:.
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Housing Benefit
Disability premium
To be eligible for the disability premium, either you or your partner must be under pension credit age and either registered blind or receiving:.
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)
- Working Tax Credit with a disability element
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- War Pensioners Mobility Supplement
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
If you do not meet these criteria, you may still receive the premium if you’ve been unable to work for at least a year. If you receive income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), you cannot receive the disability premium, but you may still qualify for the severe and enhanced premiums.
Severe disability premium
To be eligible for the severe disability premium, you must receive the disability premium or income-related ESA, along with one of the qualifying benefits:.
- PIP daily living component
- AFIP
- DLA care component at the middle or highest rate
- Adult Disability Payment – daily living component at the standard or enhanced rate
- Attendance Allowance (or Constant Attendance Allowance paid with Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or War Pension)
Typically, you cannot have anyone aged 18 or over living with you, unless they fall into one of these situations:
- they get a qualifying benefit
- they’re registered blind
- they’re a boarder or subtenant (but not a close relative)
- they make separate payments to the landlord
You are not eligible for the severe disability premium if someone is receiving one of the following for caring for you:.
- Carer’s Allowance
- the carers element of Universal Credit
- Carer Support Payment
If you’re part of a couple:
If both you and your partner qualify, you’ll receive the higher amount of severe disability premium.
You can get the lower amount if:
- someone gets Carer’s Allowance, the carers element of Universal Credit or Carer Support Payment for looking after only one of you
- only one of you meets the eligibility criteria and the other is registered blind
Enhanced disability premium
To qualify for this, you must be under pension credit age. You must receive the disability premium or income-related ESA, and one of the following:
- PIP daily living component at the higher (‘enhanced’) rate
- AFIP
- DLA care component at the highest rate
- Adult Disability Payment – daily living component at the enhanced rate
You’ll also qualify if you’re in the support group for income-related ESA.
How much will I receive?
Disability premium
You’ll get:
- £43.20 a week for a single person
- £61.65 a week for a couple
Severe disability premium
You’ll get:
- £82.90 a week for a single person
- £165.80 a week for a couple if you’re both eligible
Some couples may qualify for the lower amount of £81.50 per week instead.
Enhanced disability premium
You’ll get:
- £21.20 a week for a single person
- £30.25 a week for a couple if at least one of you is eligible
You can receive the disability premium on its own, but if you meet the criteria, you might also qualify for the severe or enhanced disability premium. This means that if you’re in a couple and you receive both the disability premium and the severe disability premium, you will receive £909.80 per month.
How am I paid?
The DWP automatically pays all benefits, pensions, and allowances into an account, such as your bank account.
READ MORE: TK Maxx shoppers are in a frenzy after spotting Le Creuset products for wild price