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Changes to benefits if you're ill or have a disability

Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Income Support paid because of illness or disability are being phased out. If you get one of these benefits your claim will be reviewed to see if you're capable of work or can get other benefits. Find out how your claim will be reviewed.

What is changing

The following benefits are being phased out:

  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Income Support paid because of an illness or disability
  • Severe Disablement Allowance

If you are getting any of these benefits, your claim will be reviewed to see if you can get Employment and Support Allowance instead.

If you live abroad

You will also have your claim reviewed if you live abroad and are getting either:

  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Severe Disablement Allowance

Find out how your claim will be reviewed if you live abroad using the following link.

  • Review of your incapacity benefits if you live abroad

Who is not affected

This change will not affect you if:

  • you claim Employment and Support Allowance already
  • you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2014
  • Calculating your State Pension age

What you need to do

The Department for Communities will write to you when your benefit claim is going to be reviewed. Not everyone will be contacted at the same time.

There is no need to contact the Department for Communities.

The Department for Communities will phone to check you have received the letter telling you that your claim is going to be reviewed.

This will give you a chance to:

  • ask any questions you might have about the review
  • tell the Department if you need any extra help

Until your claim is reviewed you will continue to get your current benefit, as long as you still meet the conditions for that benefit.

How your claim will be reviewed

Questionnaire

The Department for Communities will send you a questionnaire to complete. This will ask about how your long term health condition or disability affects your ability to complete everyday tasks.

You must complete this questionnaire with as much detail as possible and return it by the date requested. If you do not, your benefit may be affected.

Work Capability Assessment

The information you give will help to decide if you need to go to a face-to-face assessment. This assessment will help find out:

  • what you are able to do
  • whether you might be capable of work

If you are asked to go to an assessment, you must go and take part fully. If you do not, your benefit may be affected.

  • Work Capability Assessment

After your claim has been reviewed

If you are able to work

If you are found capable of work, the Department for Communities will call you to discuss what your benefit options are. They will also write to you.

You may be able to claim:

  • Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Income Support for other reasons
  • Pension Credit

If you are entitled to Employment and Support Allowance

If you are entitled to Employment and Support Allowance, the Department for Communities will call you to let you know. They will also write to you.

Your benefit will be transferred automatically and there will be no break in the payments you receive. If your existing incapacity benefits are more than the current rate of Employment and Support Allowance, you will receive a top-up payment.

Depending on how severe your disability or health condition is, you will be placed in one of two groups:

  • Work Related Activity Group
  • Support Group

Work Related Activity Group

If you are placed in the Work Related Activity Group, you will get support to help you prepare for suitable work.

Your benefit may be affected if you do not take part in the work-related support.

Support Group

If you have a severe disability or the most severe health conditions you will be placed in the Support Group. You will not be expected to look for work and will get the extra support you need.

You will not have to take up any work-related support unless you want to.

Effect on tax and tax credits

If you start getting contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance it is taxable, so the Department for Communities will let HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) know. Depending on your circumstances, HMRC may send you a new tax code.

If you get tax credits

Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance is also counted as income for tax credits purposes. You need to tell the Tax Credit Office if you start getting contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance and either of the following apply:

  • you claimed Invalidity Benefit before 1995, and have been getting Incapacity Benefit ever since
  • you were getting Severe Disablement Allowance

You can contact the Tax Credit Office by telephoning the Tax credit helpline.

  • Tax Credits Helpline and Tax Credit Office
  • Contacting 08 and 03 numbers
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Ill or injured

  • Attending a face-to-face health assessment safely during COVID-19
  • Benefits if you are nearing the end of life
  • Changes to benefits if you're ill or have a disability
  • Claim New Style Employment and Support Allowance
  • Claim New Style Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Compensation recovery
  • Employment and Support Allowance
  • Help with health costs
  • Hospital Travel Costs Scheme
  • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
  • Infected Blood Payment Scheme
  • Permitted work
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Reduced Earnings Allowance
  • Review of your incapacity benefits if you live abroad
  • Statutory Sick Pay
  • Universal Credit if you have a health condition or disability

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What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

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If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

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    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
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If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

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For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

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