Benefits Information
Losing your job is a difficult time for anyone, however there may be money (benefits) you can claim to help your situation. You may not have claimed any benefits before, or it may have been some time since you did so. The information in this section of the site will give you an overview of some of the main benefits you might be able to claim.
Remember that everyone’s circumstances are different. If you would like detailed information about what you can claim, please contact our Welfare Rights Advice Line on 0121 569 3158, or you can email us at welfarerights_team@sandwell.gov.uk.
In this section we cover:
- Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support (IS)
- Pension Credit (PC)
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit
- Tax Credits (Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit)
If you are made redundant and make a claim for benefits, the final payments you receive from your employer may affect when you receive your first payment of benefits and and how much you receive. This brief guide to how benefit payments are made following a redundancy, may be helpful to you.
If you have found a job after being on benefits, this information from Directgov may help you: Benefits and help when going back to work.
Employment rights
If you wish to seek advice about:
- your employment rights;
- redundancy payments; or
- why you were selected for redundancy
please contact Citizens Advice or ACAS (Arbitration and Conciliation Service).
Citizens Advice
Tel: 0121 552 2022 www.citizensadvice.org.uk
ACAS
Tel: 01284 774500 www.acas.org.uk .