What are benefits?

Leaflet GL19

Most benefits are paid by your local Job Centre Plus or Social Security office. Others are paid by local councils. Get a copy of Leaflet GL19, the Young Peoples Guide to Social Security from your Social Security office or a Grapevine information point in your local youth centre.

Benefits fall into three main groups:

• Contributory Benefits you can only receive if you have paid enough national insurance contributions, e.g. Contributory Jobseekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit.
• Non-Contributory Benefits you claim because you are in a specific group of people entitled to them, e.g. Disability Benefits, Child Benefit.
• Income related or means tested benefits which can be claimed if you have no income or your income is below a certain level. The amount depends on your financial resources such as your earnings and savings, e.g. income based Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing Benefit.

Can I get Benefit while I'm still at School?

If you are living at home, your parents can normally get Child Benefit for you. But you might get Income Support if you are 16 or over, still at school or in the holiday after leaving school, and are:

• A lone parent.
• Disabled.
• With no living parent or anyone acting as a parent.
• Living away from your family because you are estranged or in physical or moral danger, or there is a serious risk to your physical or mental health.
• Separated from parents who are very sick or disabled and cannot support you, or are abroad and not allowed in the country.
• Living independently and have just left care.