Incapacity benefit
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This is a United Kingdom state benefit intended for those below the State Pension age who cannot work because of illness or disability. The benefit is administered by Jobcentre Plus (an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions).
[edit] Eligibility
In order to be eligible for Incapacity Benefit, an individual must:
- Have exhausted an entitlement to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), or are not entitled to it, or have been getting Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and have not gone back to work due to incapacity;
- Be self-employed or employed;
- Have been under the State Pension age when the incapacity started.
Individuals must also have been:
- Paying the appropriate National Insurance Contributions (NICs);
- Unable to work due to sickness or disability for at least four days in a row;
- Getting special medical treatment and unable to work for two or more days out of seven consecutive days,
or must:
- Be aged between 16 and 20 (or under 25 in some cases), and
- Have been too ill to work because of sickness or disability for at least 28 weeks, and
- Have been too ill to work before you turned 20 (or 25 in some cases))
It is also possible for Incapacity Benefit claimants to receive a 'top-up' of Income Support payments. These conditions are complicated and advice should be sought from Jobcentreplus, Citizens Advice Bureau or a Welfare Rights Organisation.
