Welfare Benefits for people living with a lung condition

This information is a basic guide to benefits for people living with a lung condition in the United KingdomIt contains an outline of the benefits that you may be entitled to if you:

• cannot work, or thinking of giving up work because of your lung condition, or
• have care and mobility needs because of your lung condition, or
• are caring for someone with a lung condition.

This is only a general guide. If you call the BLF helpline, 03000 030 555, we will be able to advise you on what you may be entitled to in more detail.

You claim benefits by completing the relevant forms and sending them to the appropriate Benefits Agency Office. If you are unable to fill in claim forms yourself you can get someone to do it for you.

Disability Living Allowance
Attendance Allowance
Carer's Allowance
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
Employment and Support Allowance
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
Pension Credit
Winter Fuel Payments
Income Support, Housing Benefit, and Council Tax Benefit

Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a benefit for people under 65 who have personal care needs or problems with mobility. It has a care component and a mobility component.

• The care component is paid at three rates; higher, middle and lower. This depends on how often and how much you need care.
• The mobility component is paid at two rates; higher and lower. This depends on how much difficulty you have with walking.

You must have had these needs for at least three months before you can claim any Disability Living Allowance, and you must be likely to continue to need help for the next six months. You must inform the Benefits Agency Office if your condition gets better or worse.

[TOP]

Attendance Allowance

Attendance Allowance is a non-means-tested, non-contributory benefit. This means it is not dependent on any other income you have or national insurance contributions you have made. It is paid to people aged 65 years and over who have care needs because of a mental or physical disability. It is tax-free.

• You must have had care needs for at least six months. Attendance Allowance is paid at one of two rates, higher or lower. The amount a person gets depends on the level of the person’s care needs.

[TOP]

Carer's Allowance
Carer’s allowance is a weekly benefit for someone over the age of 16 caring for a person who is severely disabled for more than 35 hours a week.

• You do not have to live together or be related. The person cared for must get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) care component (at the highest or middle rate) or Attendance Allowance or Constant Attendance Allowance (CAA) which is paid with Disablement Benefit.

[TOP]

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
SSP is paid to employees who are unable to work because of sickness. SSP is paid by your employer for up to a maximum of 28 weeks.

• SSP is not paid for specific illness or treatment but to all employees who are unable to work and satisfy the conditions for payment.
• You must have worked for your employer under a contract of service.
• You must have been earning at least £90 a week (before tax and national insurance) before you took sick leave.

[TOP]

Employment and Support Allowance
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is a new benefit paid to people whose ability to work is limited by ill health or disability. From October 2008 it replaced Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Income Support (paid on the grounds of incapacity). ESA has two elements:

• Contributory ESA which will depend on National Insurance contributions (this may not be necessary in certain circumstances.)
• Income related ESA which is the means tested element. It replaces Income Support paid on the grounds of incapacity.

When a person claims ESA they enter a 13 week assessment phase. This applies to all new ESA claimants with the exception of those who are terminally ill. During the assessment phase there is a work capability assessment which will determine entitlement to ESA.

[TOP]

Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, and Income Support (Incapacity grounds)
Anyone already in receipt of Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance or Income Support paid on the grounds of incapacity before 27.10.2008 will continue to receive those benefits rather than ESA. Existing claimants will be reassessed in 2009.

[TOP]

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (diseases and deafness)
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (diseases and deafness) is a benefit for people who are ill or disabled as a result of a disease or who have deafness caused by work.

• You must have done certain types of work that qualify for the benefit
• This benefit is not paid if you were self-employed in the work that caused your disease or deafness.
• The amount you can get depends on how serious your disability is. You may also be able to get Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit if you are disabled as a result of an accident at work.
• People with certain diseases, such as mesothelioma, pneumoconiosis (which includes silicosis, asbestosis, kaolinosis), diffuse pleural thickening, primary carcinoma of the lung (only if accompanied by asbestosis or diffuse pleural thickening) and byssinosis, may also be able to get a payment under the pneumoconiosis (Workers Compensation) Act 1979.

You may be entitled to this benefit if you are affected by:

• a disease caused by working with asbestos
• asthma
• COPD/chronic bronchitis
• deafness
• pneumoconiosis (including silicosis and asbestosis)
• tenosynovitis (inflammation of the tendons)
• vibration white finger
• other illnesses that may be covered by the Industrial Injuries Scheme, e.g. diffuse mesothelioma, diffuse pleural thickening and lung cancer, diseases caused by radiation or exposure to certain dangerous chemicalscertain biological agents such as animals, plants and other organisms, carpal tunnel syndrome caused by hand-held powered tools with internal vibrating parts and dermatitis.

[TOP]

Pension Credit
Pension Credit is a benefit for people aged 60 and over based on income. It has two parts: guarantee credit and savings credit.

• The guarantee credit of Pension Credit tops up your weekly income to a guaranteed level.
• The savings credit is for people who have a small amount of their own income or savings. It is a weekly amount paid as a reward for having income from other earnings, savings or pensions.
• You may be entitled to the guarantee credit or the savings credit, or both.
• You can claim Pension Credit whether or not you are still working.
• You do not need to have paid any National Insurance contributions.

[TOP]

Winter Fuel Payments
A Winter Fuel Payment is a tax-free payment for people of 60 and over. It is paid every year during the winter months to help with your fuel costs. However, it does not matter how you use the money.

• Winter Fuel Payments do not depend on how cold the weather gets.

There are other payments that are only paid when the weather reaches a certain temperature, called Cold Weather Payments. These are made to people on some income-related benefits. If you are getting extra money on Income Support or Income-based Jobseekers Allowance because you are 60 or over, or you have a child under five, or you are long-term sick or disabled, or responsible for a disabled child, or on Pension Credit you will automatically receive Cold Weather Payments.

[TOP]

Income Support, Housing Benefit, and Council Tax Benefit
These are means-tested benefits which help to top up your income if it falls below a certain level.

This information sheet is only intended to be an introduction to the range of benefits that you may be able to claim. If you need more information or explanations of how any of the benefits work please contact:

[TOP]

The British Lung Foundation Helpline: 03000 030 555 Advice and support for anyone affected by a lung condition, Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm

Last reviewed: November 2008