BENEFITS
The benefit system is there to provide help for people who need it the most. For example, benefits exist to help with parenthood and childcare, housing, sickness, disability, those with little or no money, those who are trying to find work, and those who are unable to work at all.
What follows is only a general guide, as the benefits system is very complicated. The best advice we can give is that if you need money to live on, get help from someone who will be able to look at your circumstances and tell you what you are entitled to.
The advice is divided into headings covering most situations where you may need to claim benefits to live on. Read through all the main headings first, in case more than one applies. Where rates are given these are for 2008/09 and normally increased each April.