Benefits letters
Why are certain amounts disregarded?
Depending on the type of income or benefits you are getting, some of the money can be ignored when your benefit is worked out. For example, the following are disregarded in the benefit calculation if you are working:
- £5 per week of a single person's earnings
- £10 per week of a couple's earnings (if at least one works)
- £20 per week if you receive a disabled or carer's premium, or the support component of ESA, or are a member of an occupation such as part time firefighter, territorial army or lifeboat worker
- £25 per week for a working lone parent
Some of your working tax credit or earnings will also be disregarded if you work more than 30 hours per week (for example, £17.10 per week is disregarded in the calculation).
Child maintenance is fully disregarded from the benefit calculation (this has been the case since 27 October 2008).
Any disability living allowance and attendance allowance that you receive is also disregarded.
If you are a single parent or you are a couple and both work 16 hours or more, or you are a couple and one of you works and the other meets disabled conditions and pay for childcare, we will take that into account when calculating your income. (For example, if you have one child under 15 we will disregard up to £175 from your overall income, and if you have two or more children we will disregard up to £300 from your overall income.) Please note that childcare is disregarded from earned income up until the first Monday in September following your child's 15th birthday or 16th birthday if they are disabled.
From 2 November 2009 child benefit is no longer taken into account in the housing and council tax benefit calculation.
Last updated: 21/04/2022, 10:34
