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8. CALCULATING MEANS-TESTED BENEFITS
Income Support (IS), income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Benefit (CTB) are means-tested benefits that depend on your income. This table gives you the various amounts you need to add up to calculate your applicable amount from which your benefit entitlement will be decided. The rates shown are for the year from 6 April 2013. To calculate your applicable amount, add the weekly personal allowance for you, your partner (if you have one) and any children, plus any premiums payable in respect of you and your family.
From September 2013 a limit will be put on the total amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to 64 can get. This is called the Benefit Cap. The level of the cap will be:
• £500 a week for couples (with or without children living with them);
• £500 a week for single parents whose children live with them; and
• £350 a week for single adults who don’t have children, or whose children don’t live with them.
Weekly personal allowances
| Single person — IS, ESA, JSA and CTB | |
| aged 25 or over | £71.70 |
| aged 18-24 | £56.80 |
| Single person — HB | |
| aged 25 or over | £71.70 |
| under 25 | £56.80 |
| Lone parent — IS, JSA & CTB | |
| aged 18 or over | £71.70 |
| aged under 18: (IS and JSA only) | £56.80 |
| Lone parent — HB, ESA | |
| aged 18 or over | £71.70 |
| aged under 18 | £56.80 |
| Couple — HB & CTB | |
| at least one aged 18 or over | £112.55 |
| both under 18 (HB only) | £85.80 |
| Couple — IS, ESA & JSA | |
| both aged 18 or over | £112.55 |
| one under 18, one 25 or over | £71.70 |
| one under 18, one under 25 | £56.80 |
| both under 18 | £56.80 |
| Pensioners — CTB & HB | |
| single and attained qualifying age for Pension Credit but under 65 | £145.40 |
| couple one or both attained qualifying age for Pension Credit but under 65 | £222.05 |
| single 65 and over | £163.50 |
| couple one or both 65 or over | £244.95 |
Weekly premiums to be added
| Family | |
| for people with at least one child | £17.40 |
| lone parent rate (for IS & JSA) | £17.40 |
| Pensioner | |
| single | £73.70 |
| couple | £109.50 |
| Disability (or sick for a continuous period of 364 days or 196 days if terminally ill) | |
| single | £31.00 |
| couple | £44.20 |
| Enhanced disability | |
| single | £15.15 |
| couple | £21.75 |
| disabled child | £23.45 |
| Severe disability | |
| single | £59.50 |
| couple (one qualifies) | £59.50 |
| couple (both qualify) | £119.50 |
| disabled child | £57.89 |
| carer | £33.30 |