Financial Aid

Attendance Allowance helps with extra costs if you have a disability severe enough that you need someone to help look after you. The other benefits you get can increase if you get Attendance Allowance. Attendance Allowance can be backdated to the date of your claim. This is usually the date your form is received.

Attendance Allowance is not means-tested. It is paid at 2 different rates and how much you get depends on the level of care that you need because of your disability.

You could get £76.70 or £114.60 a week to help with personal support if you are physically or mentally disabled. It does not cover mobility needs.

You can apply for AA online or by post.

If you are an appointee or have power of attorney, you cannot apply online.

Post applications are free of charge; the recipient pays the postage.

Mailing address: Freepost DWP Attendance Allowance (AA)

To apply, you'll need:

After submitting your application, you will receive a text message or letter within three weeks informing you when you will receive the decision. You will be notified of the outcome by letter. If the application fails, the reasons will be explained, and you will have an opportunity to request a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR). If the reconsideration also fails, you can appeal and provide new evidence.

Your circumstances can affect how much Attendance Allowance you get.

You must contact the Attendance Allowance helpline 0800 731 0122 straight away if:

DLA for children may help with the extra costs of looking after a child who:

DLA for children is a tax-free benefit made up of 2 components (parts). The child might qualify for one or both components.

Payments are made every four weeks, are not subject to means-tested, you can apply even if you have a job.

The rate the child gets depends on the level of looking after they need, for example:

The rate the child gets depends on the level of help they need getting about, for example:

To claim DLA for a child you need to be their parent or look after them as if you're their parent. This includes step-parents, guardians, grandparents, foster-parents or older brothers or sisters.

you can apply by either:

Approximately two weeks after posting your application, you will receive a letter informing you that your application has been received and on what date. The processing time is around four to six months from the date of receipt of the application. During the processing period, you can contact the DLA helpline if you have any enquiries: 0800 121 4600 Follow the voice instructions to select the appropriate option; otherwise, you will be asked to hang up and call again.

The processing time is lengthy, and you may receive another letter during this time requesting you to submit proof of identity to verify your eligibility for benefits and the length of your stay in the UK. If your stay expires, the Home Office will suspend the DLA payment until your stay is successfully renewed, at which point you can call to request the resumption of the DLA payment.

You need to tell DWP straight away if there is a change in your personal circumstances or how your condition affects you.

You must contact the DLA enquiry line on 0800 121 4600 if:

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help you with some of the extra costs if you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability. You can get PIP whether you are working or not. You need to live in UK when you apply and have lived here for at least 2 of the last 3 years.

PIP is tax free, the amount you get is not affected by your income or savings. PIP is usually paid every 4 weeks.

You will need an assessment to work out how much you will get. Your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support.

The amount you get depends on how your condition affects you, not the condition itself.

Your carer could get Carer's Allowance if you have substantial caring needs.

You might be able to get PIP if you are a refugee or asylum seeker.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is made up of 2 parts - a daily living part and a mobility part. Whether you get one or both of these and how much you will get depends on how severely your condition affects you.

You may get the daily living part of PIP if you need help more than half of the time with things like:

You may get the mobility part of PIP if you need help going out or moving around.

The weekly rate for the mobility part of PIP is either £30.30 or £80.

Call DWP to make a new PIP claim on 0800 917 2222. DWP will speak to you using a telephone interpreter if needed. Otherwise, you can ask a friend to call on your behalf, but you will need to be present when they call.

Before you call, you will need:

After submitting your application, you should receive a letter within one month informing you of the next steps. Most often, you will be invited for a phone or in-person meeting to further discuss how your health condition affects your daily life and mobility.

The health assessor will score you based on your answers, indicating the difficulty you face in completing each task. For example, if you can go to the toilet without assistance, you score 0 points; if you need someone to remind you to take medications, you score 2 points; if you forget to turn off the hob while cooking and need supervision, you score 4 points.

A total score of 8 to 11 points in the daily life and/or mobility section will receive the standard amount, 12 points or more will receive a higher amount, and a total score below 8 points will not receive anything.

You need to tell DWP straight away if there is a change in your personal circumstances or how your condition affects you.

You must contact the PIP enquiry line on 0800 121 4433 if:

Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help with your living costs.

Your monthly payment is based on your circumstances, for example your health condition or disability, income and housing costs.

You might get an extra amount of Universal Credit if you have a health condition or disability that limits how much work you can do. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) refers to this as your 'capability to work'.

You may be able to get Universal Credit if:

Apply for Universal Credit online.

You have to apply as a couple if you and your partner live together. You do not need to be married.

The Universal Credit team might phone you after you have sent your application if they need more information or if you cannot verify your identity online.

You cannot claim Universal Credit and tax credits at the same time. If you get tax credits, they will stop when you or your partner applies for Universal Credit.

You will need:

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will make an appointment to talk to you, either over the phone or face-to-face.

If you have a disability or illness that affects your work, you may need a Work Capability Assessment to see how your disability or health condition affects your ability to work. (known as the WCA50 form)

You will make an agreement called a 'Claimant Commitment' with your work coach. If you are claiming with your partner, you will each have a Claimant Commitment and set of responsibilities.

What you need to do depends on your situation.

If you are a single parent or the lead carer in a couple, your responsibilities will change as your youngest child gets older and will be tailored to your personal circumstances.

You need to report changes to your circumstances, so you keep getting the right amount each month. You can report a change of circumstances by signing in to your Universal Credit account.

Changes can include:

When you apply for Universal Credit, you can report if you have a health condition or disability that affects your 'capability to work'.

This could mean that you:

You must get a fit note (also known as a 'sick note') if your health condition or disability affects your capability to work for longer than 7 days.

If your health condition or disability affects your capability to work for longer than 28 days, you may need to have a Work Capability Assessment. You must continue to get fit notes until you've been sent a decision about your assessment.

If your health still affects your capability to work you must get a new fit note when it expires.

You'll get a reminder before your fit note expires. The reminder will include the date you need to report a new one by.

You'll need to update the details with your new fit note in your account. If you do not, you may need to attend an appointment with your work coach to discuss your claimant commitment.

If you do not get a new fit note you may be expected to work or look for work.

The Work Capability Assessment is to help decide how much your health condition or disability limits your capability to work.

You might not get an assessment if you earn over £881 a month.

If you need an assessment, you'll get a letter telling you what you need to do.

Before your assessment, you'll need to complete a 'Capability for Work' (WCA50) health questionnaire. You'll be able to send copies of other medical information with this, such as treatment plans or test results.

The assessment can be in person, by video call or on the phone.

You can have someone else with you, for example a friend or support worker.

After you've reported your health condition or disability or a change in circumstances, you may need to have a Work Capability Assessment.

You might not get a Work Capability Assessment if you earn over £881 a month.

If you have a Work Capability Assessment, you'll be sent a decision afterwards that says if you:

You'll need to agree to look for work that is suitable for your health condition.

You'll get the standard allowance of Universal Credit based on your circumstances.

You will not need to get another fit note unless your ability to work is restricted by either:

You need to prepare to work in the future, but have limited capability for work now. You can work if you feel able to do so.

Your work coach will discuss your situation and agree steps to help you start preparing for work. For example, by writing a CV.

You do not need to get any new fit notes.

You do not need to look for work or prepare for work. You do not need to get any new fit notes.

You can work if you feel able to do so.

You may get extra money as well as your standard allowance. The amount depends on how severe your health condition or disability is.

You'll need to agree to do certain things to keep getting Universal Credit. This is known as your 'claimant commitment'.

Your commitment is based on your situation and may be affected by the decision after your Work Capability Assessment.

You'll get a letter if you need another assessment in the future.

If you start working, you will not need to have another assessment unless your health condition changes.

Other councils have their own rules; check with your local council.

https://www.swansea.gov.uk/benefitforms (Accessed August 2026)

If you are on a low income, you may be able to apply for Housing Benefit to help with rent costs and/ or Council Tax Reduction to help with council tax costs.

You can use an online benefits calculator to work out an estimate of whether you are likely to qualify for a reduction in council tax.

You can only make a new claim for Housing Benefit if one of the following apply:

If you want to make a claim for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction, you need to fill in an online application form.

Make a claim for Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction using our online benefits form

If you have been placed in bed and breakfast accommodation (B&B) by our Housing Options team, you can make a telephone claim for Housing Benefit for that accommodation through your caseworker on 01792 533100.

You will usually need to provide proof of: