Incapacity Benefit

Incapacity benefit is in place to provide financial help to those who can’t work because of disability or illness.

In order to claim Incapacity Benefit you must meet the eligibility criteria. The amount you receive depends on how long you have been ill.

Eligibility for Incapacity Benefit

You must be under State Pension age to be eligible for Incapacity Benefit. There are number of other criteria in place to which are used to assess who is eligible.

You must be unable to work and ineligible for Statutory Sick Pay from your employer. If you have mental health problems you may be eligible for Incapacity Benefit on those grounds. You may also be able to claim Incapacity Benefit if you are self-employed or unemployed in some cases.

You must also have paid a set level of National Insurance Contributions to be able to claim Incapacity Benefit. If you are aged under 20 (25 for those who have been studying) it is understandable that you may not have paid enough National Insurance. In this case though you may still be able to claim Incapacity Benefit if you have been ill for over 28 weeks.

Personal Capability Assessment

In order to be considered for Incapacity Benefit, applicants usually undergo a medical examination called a Personal Capability Assessment. The assessment will take place as soon as you apply if you have been of work for at least 8 of the preceding 21 weeks. Otherwise, it will take place after you have been unable to work for 28 weeks.

A specialist will look at Incapacity Benefit claim forms. They may also request medical information from your doctor. If they still can’t make a decision they will recommend a Personal Capability Assessment. This doesn’t mean you are being accused of lying on your application or anything like that. It just means that more medical information is needed to assess what you are entitled to.

Payment of Incapacity Benefit

Incapacity benefit is paid weekly and there are three different rates:

• For the first 28 weeks Incapacity Benefit is paid at the short-term lower rate of £61.35.
• After the 28th week, the benefit is paid at the short-term higher rate of £72.55. This will be paid up to the 52nd week of claiming.
• After 52 weeks (a year) Incapacity Benefit is paid at the long-term rate of £81.35 per week.

These rates will change slightly each year.

If you were aged under 35 when you became ill and you are in receipt of the long-term rate of Incapacity Benefit you may be eligible to receive ‘Incapacity Age Addition’ which will mean you get more Incapacity Benefit. If you were under 45 when you became ill you may still be eligible for ‘Incapacity Age Addition’ but at a slightly lower rate.

Incapacity Benefit can be paid directly into your bank account. You can also arrange for another allocated person to collect it for you if you prefer.

How to Claim Incapacity Benefit

You can apply for Incapacity Benefit by post or by filling in an application form online. You can get a form from your local Jobcentre Plus or from the Department for Work and Pensions website.