Money, Benefits & Your Young Adult
Your young adult can start claiming benefit in their own right from the age of 16 even if they are still at school. If you are claiming child benefit and child tax credit these payments would stop. If you spend more than 35 hours a week caring for your young adult and they receive middle or high rate disability living allowance with the care component you will be eligible for Carers allowance. Carers allowance is not means tested and does not depend on national insurance contributions, so it is advised to get a ‘better off’ calculation, as you may be worse off financially. You can get help with this calculation from your local Welfare Rights team.
Welfare rights involve the legal rights of people within the field of social welfare. This includes entitlement to Social Security benefits, housing benefits and services, local authority benefits and services and health benefits. Welfare Rights Officers can advise someone on all benefits, whereas other agencies may advise only on the particular benefit they administer. Advice will be offered at every stage of the claim and on how to appeal against a decision.
The expertise of the Welfare Rights Officer allows him/her to look at all the options. They consider all the circumstances rather than simply answer basic questions presented by the client. By keeping up to date with new legislation and regulations that constantly change, they can advise on the complex issues that affect people.
Please find below contact details for your local Welfare Rights Teams.
South Ayrshire
Welfare Rights and Enquiry Information Team, Social Work, 67 Kyle Street, Ayr
KA7 1RS
Tel: 01292 268119
Please click here for more information on Welfare Rights Enquiry & Information Team
North Ayrshire
Welfare Rights Social Services North Ayrshire Council Cunninghame House Irvine
KA12 8EE
Tel: 01294-317700
Email: contactus@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
Please click here for more information on Welfare Rights in North Ayrshire
East Ayrshire
East Ayrshire Citizens Advice Bureau, 3 John Dickie Street, Kilmarnock, KA1 1HW
Tel: 01563 544744
Email: bureau@east-ayrshire.fsnet.co.uk
Citizens Advice Scotland has loads of useful information as well as a listing of all your local Citizens Advice Bureaux
Types of Benefits
Carer's Allowance is a taxable benefit for you to help you look after your young adult.
Disability Living Allowance DLA is a benefit paid to people with a disability if they need help looking after themselves (care) or help getting around (mobility). It does not matter if they are working or at school or college – it’s their care and mobility needs that matter.
Employment and Support Allowance can help your young adult move into work. For new claims, it has replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income support paid because of a disability. If they already receive Incapacity Benefit, they will continue to receive it.
The Independent Living Fund ILF makes payments to people with disabilities to help them lead a more independent life. They can use payments from the fund to pay a care agency or to employ someone to give them personal and domestic care in their own home.
There is a useful guide to financial support online to help you understand the different types of benefits available.
How are benefits paid?
Direct Payment is the normal way benefits are paid. It is a safe, convenient and straight forward method of payment. When benefits are paid by Direct Payment they are paid directly into a bank or building society account.
Benefits can also be accessed through a Post Office card account and if necessary can still be received in the way of a cheque.
Other Information
Direct payments (these are different from Direct Payment of benefits) are payments from local council if your young adult has been assessed as needing help from social services, and they would like to arrange and pay for their own care and support services instead of receiving them directly from the local council.
They must be able to give their consent to receiving direct payments and be able to manage them even if they need help to do this on a day-to-day basis.
Useful Links:
Benefit Enquiry line contact details
