Types of benefits

Your entitlement to benefits will depend on factors such as whether you have paid Nation Insurance (NI), and the amount of money, or capital, that you have, or your age or circumstances for example.

Means-tested benefits

Means-tested benefits make an assessment of your needs in relation to your income.

If your income is over the set threshold for benefits allocated in this way you will not qualify for the benefit, even if you meet all of the other requirements - each benefit is different with different threshold limits.

Allowances may be made for set circumstances such as if you have dependents or other special circumstances such as health requirements or caring duties.

  • Income support
  • Housing benefit
  • Council tax benefit
  • Income-based job seekers allowance.

Non-means tested benefits

Benefits that are not means-tested are those where the amount of income or capital do not dictate whether someone can receive the benefit or not.

In these cases if you meet the eligibility criteria, it does not matter how much, or how little income, capital or savings you may have.

Contributory & non-contributory benefits

Non-means tested benefits - those that are available to those who meet the eligibility criteria, are further divided by those that are contributory, and those which are non-contributory.

Contributory benefits
 Entitlement to these benefits is based on someone meeting the eligibility criteria for the benefit, but also on whether the person has made enough National Insurance (NI) contributions to qualify.

  • Income-based job seekers allowance
  • Incapacity benefit.

Non-contributory benefits
These are universal benefits that are available to those that have met the conditions needed for the benefit, regardless of the amount of NI contributions someone may, or may not have made. These types of benefits include those to help people with special needs, such as those with dependent children, or who have caring responsibilities.

  • Child benefit
  • Attendance allowance
  • Disability living allowance.