3. Help if you are sick, injured at work or disabled

There are a number of benefits that you may be able to claim if you are sick, injured at work or disabled. What you get depends on whether you are in work when the sickness or injury occurs, your National Insurance Contributions (NICs), your age and the length of time that you are sick. The range of benefits includes:

• Universal Credit (see Chapter 1);

• Statutory Sick Pay – if you are off work for up to 28 weeks;

• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – this replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid because of an illness or disability for new claimants in October 2008. If you were already receiving Incapacity Benefit before this date, you will continue to receive it (see box on page 43 for current rates);

• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit – if you are sick or injured as a result of a workplace accident or disease or have become deaf through work;

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) began to replace Disability Living Allowance in April 2013 – for disabled people aged under the state pension age, whether in or out of work (see page 50); and

• Attendance Allowance – for disabled people aged over the state pension age (see page 52).

People providing full-time care (at least 35 hours) to a disabled person may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance (see page 52).

If you have an illness or disability and are working, you may be entitled to Working Tax Credit (see Chapter 2). If you are sick or disabled and on a low income, you may be able to get help with housing costs through Housing Benefit (see Chapter 6).