Benefit help for the ill or disabled

There is financial help available if you can not work People who can not work due to ill-health or disability can be in line for help with living costs. The most commonly claimed benefits are Incapacity Benefit and Statutory Sick Pay. There are also a range of less claimed benefits available to smaller groups, such as those who can not work because of industrial injury.

Here is a guide to what is on offer and how to claim it.

INCAPACITY BENEFIT

This is a major benefit claimed by hundreds of thousands of people in the UK.

It is meant for people who can not work because of illness or disability.

You may be able to receive Incapacity Benefit if:

you are getting special medical treatment that stops you from working for two or more days out of seven

you have been too ill to work because of sickness or disability for 28 weeks or more

your right to receive Statutory Sick Pay has come to an end.

Claimants are expected to have made some National Insurance contributions (NICs) in order to qualify for incapacity benefits, although people who are under 20 can be exempt from this requirement.

The benefit can be claimed at a local Jobcentre Plus office or online at the Department for Work and Pensions website.

STATUTORY SICK PAY

Employees who are off sick for more than four days in a row and earn at least £87 a week may be able to claim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).

However, workers who are on strike or in legal custody can not claim SSP.

SSP is paid from the fourth day of any period of sickness and lasts for a maximum 28 weeks.

SSP is paid by the employer - not by the state - on your normal payday.

Any payment is subject to tax and NICs. However, it is unlikely to be high enough to trigger either.

Women who are off work because of pregnancy-related illness can swap to Statutory Maternity Pay up to four weeks before the baby is due. Remember, whatever the reason for your absence from work, if you are sick for more than seven days, your employer will be entitled to ask for a doctor's sick note.

LESS CLAIMED BENEFITS

There are a host of other benefits relating to particular injuries or illnesses all meant to support those with specific needs. They may not be claimed as frequently as Incapacity Benefit or SSP. Nevertheless, they can be crucial for the recipient.

Benefits include:

Industrial Injuries Disablement - for people who can not work because of illness or injury sustained at work

Reduced Earnings Allowance - for people who find that they can not earn as much as they normally do, because of a work-related accident or illness

War Disablement Pensions - for people who have been injured or disabled during a war or while serving in the armed forces.

Further details on these benefits can be found in the benefits section of the government's Directgov website, www.direct.gov.uk.