Need help... ???

emma_89

If you are receiving Income Supprt or any other income-based benefits can you get help towards payments of bills such as:
Water and TV licence

I was told a few months back something about TV licence discounted or something but not sure...???

Can anyone help??

Thankyou in advance

Jowo_2

Receipt of income support alone is not sufficient to automatically trigger discounts on TV and water bills, there's usually significant other criteria, too.

TV licence discounts are for the blind, care home residents and those over the age of 74

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/tv-licence-types-and-costs-top2/

Water discounts

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/cut-water-bills
http://www.disabilityalliance.org/f58.htm

• main council tax benefit
• housing benefit
• income support
• working tax credit
• income-based job-seeker's allowance
• child tax credit (except families in receipt of the family element only)
• pension credit
• income related employment and support allowance

(b) be entitled to receive child benefit for three or more children under the age of nineteen who reside in the premises or



(c) diagnosed as suffering from, or has a child under nineteen who resides in the premises diagnosed as suffering from one or more of the following -

• Desquamation (flaky skin disease)
• Incontinence
• Abdominal stoma
• Eczema, psoriasis or varicose ulceration (weeping skin disease)
• Crohn's disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Renal failure requiring dialysis at home, unless a contribution to the cost of water consumed in the process of dialysis during the billing period is made by the health authority
• any other medical condition which requires the use of significant additional water and can be supported with a doctor's certificate

EDIT: I originally only referred to 'income support' as a qualifying benefit for the water related benefit above because the OP is applying for it but it also applies to other benefits, too, so I have edited by original post to list these.

emma_89

I have just put in a claim for IS and I have a 7 month old daughter...does this mean I will qualify??

How would I find out abut this if I am entitled to IS??

Sorry to be a pain I dont understand never claimed benefits before...

MrsManda

emma_89 wrote: »

I have just put in a claim for IS and I have a 7 month old daughter...does this mean I will qualify??
How would I find out abut this if I am entitled to IS??
Sorry to be a pain I dont understand never claimed benefits before...

I don't have any experience with this but from the information Jowo posted and the information you have given, you won't be eligible for help with water bills and TV licencing as you don't fit any of the criteria.

katiesmummy

Jowo wrote: »

Receipt of income support alone is not sufficient to automatically trigger discounts on TV and water bills, there's usually significant other criteria, too.

TV licence discounts are for the blind, care home residents and those over the age of 74

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/tv-licence-types-and-costs-top2/

Water discounts

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/cut-water-bills
http://www.disabilityalliance.org/f58.htm

Income support plus

(b) be entitled to receive child benefit for three or more children under the age of nineteen who reside in the premises or

(c) diagnosed as suffering from, or has a child under nineteen who resides in the premises diagnosed as suffering from one or more of the following -

• Desquamation (flaky skin disease)
• Incontinence
• Abdominal stoma
• Eczema, psoriasis or varicose ulceration (weeping skin disease)
• Crohn's disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Renal failure requiring dialysis at home, unless a contribution to the cost of water consumed in the process of dialysis during the billing period is made by the health authority
• any other medical condition which requires the use of significant additional water and can be supported with a doctor's certificate

Wow, thanks for this info Jowo- my dd and I both suffer with psoriasis (her minor me major) and I never knew I could get a discount on my water rates. I'll look into this one

AimeesMum_2

Are you claiming any other benefit?

Are you a single parent?

emma_89

Hi yes I am a single parent (as of about a week ago)

I receive housing and council tax benefit, Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit at the moment. ( We already had HB and CTB due to low income...)

AimeesMum_2

Then yes you will qualify for income support then x

emma_89

Im sure that before if you received IS then you got discount off tv licence...maybe this has changed...???

katiesmummy

emma_89 wrote: »

Im sure that before if you received IS then you got discount off tv licence...maybe this has changed...???

I was on income support in 2004/05 for a while and I never heard of any tv license discounts.

If you're on a low income you can get a payment card to make weekly payments at a paypoint- maybe that's what you were thinking of?

emma_89

katiesmummy wrote: »

I was on income support in 2004/05 for a while and I never heard of any tv license discounts.

If you're on a low income you can get a payment card to make weekly payments at a paypoint- maybe that's what you were thinking of?

Thanks for reply...no it wasnt a payment card as I have one of those anyway...I dont know maybe I dreamt it lol