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Displaying 1957 - 1968 of 2003
7. Savings and other capital
There are limits on the amount of savings and other capital you can have and still claim health benefits.
You cannot get health benefits if your savings and other capital are above £16,000.
If your capital is £6,000 or less, it does not affect your claim at all. If your capital is between £6,000.01 and £16,000, you are treated as though you have an income from this capital of £1 a week for every £250 (or part of £250) between these amounts. This is referred to as ‘tariff income’. For example, if you have savings of £6,525, your tariff income is £3 a week.
Basic facts
- Council tax is a local tax on residential dwellings.
- You do not pay council tax if you are under 18.
- Students sharing accommodation solely with other students do not pay council tax.
- Students sharing accommodation with non-students usually do not pay council tax.
- Students who own the home in which they live are liable, but they may be exempt or get a discount or second adult rebate.
- Part-time students can apply for a council tax reduction. A full-time student liable to pay council tax can apply for a council tax reduction in some circumstances.
1. What is council tax
Council tax is a tax on residential dwellings paid to the local authority. It includes an amount for water and sewerage. There is one amount to pay and one bill for each dwelling unless it is exempt from council tax. A dwelling includes a self-contained flat.
Each dwelling is allocated a valuation band from A to H based on property values in 1991. Council tax is lowest for those in Band A.
Some dwellings are exempt from council tax. If the dwelling is exempt, there is no council tax to pay for anyone who lives there or for a non-resident owner. There are exemptions specifically for students.
Although non-student flat/house sharers are normally jointly liable for the bill, full-time students are not usually liable to pay council tax unless they own the property. Those liable for council tax may get a discount or exemption if they live alone or if they share with students. The amount to pay may be further reduced if the person is eligible for council tax reduction or second adult rebate (see here and here).
3. Amount of benefit
Weekly rate from April 2026
| Payment | Duration | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory maternity pay (SMP) | for the first six weeks | 90% of average weekly earnings |
| for the following 33 weeks | £194.32 (or 90% of earnings if less) | |
| Statutory paternity pay | for two weeks | £194.32 (or 90% of earnings if less) |
| Statutory adoption pay (SAP) | for 39 weeks | £194.32 (or 90% of earnings if less) |
| Statutory shared parental pay (SSPP) | for 37 weeks | £194.32 (or 90% of earnings if less) |
| Statutory parental bereavement pay | for two weeks | £194.32 (or 90% of earnings if less) |
| Statutory neonatal care pay | for up to 12 weeks | £194.32 (or 90% of earnings if less) |
| Maternity allowance (MA) | for 39 weeks | £194.32 (or 90% of earnings if less) |
You can end your SMP, SAP or MA early and your partner can take parental leave instead of you and be paid SSPP. Or you can end your SMP, SAP or MA early and get SSPP yourself, as it gives you more flexibility in when you take your paid leave. See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits Handbook for more details.
4. Claiming maternity, paternity and other parental benefits
You claim statutory maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental, parental bereavement and neonatal care pay from your employer. You can get a form for maternity allowance from gov.uk/maternity-allowance/how-to-claim or by phoning Jobcentre Plus on 0800 055 6688.
5. Challenging a decision
If you think a decision about your maternity allowance is wrong, you can ask the DWP to look at it again. This process is known as a ‘mandatory reconsideration’. Provided you ask within the time limit (usually one month), the DWP notifies you of the decision in a ‘mandatory reconsideration notice’. If you are still not happy when you get this notice, you can appeal to the independent First-tier Tribunal. If it was not possible to ask the DWP to reconsider the decision within a month, you can ask for a late revision (within 13 months), explaining why it is late. You can also ask the DWP to look at a decision again at any time if certain grounds are met – eg, if there has been an official error.
If you disagree with your employer’s decision on your entitlement to statutory maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental, parental bereavement or neonatal care pay, or your employer fails to make a decision, you can ask HMRC to make a formal decision on your entitlement.
6. Other benefits
There are a number of other benefits you may get when you have a baby, such as:
- child benefit when the baby is born;
- universal credit;
- a Best Start grant, if you are under 18 or get a qualifying benefit (see here);
- Best Start foods, if you are under 18 or get a qualifying benefit (see here);
- Scottish child payment, if you get a qualifying benefit (see here).
Maternity allowance is taken into account when calculating whether the benefit cap applies (see here and here). Statutory maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental, parental bereavement and neonatal care pay are not taken into account.
Basic facts
- Universal credit is a means-tested benefit for people of working age.
- Full-time students can qualify if they are a parent or have a non-student partner and in some other circumstances.
- Part-time students who are able to meet their work-related requirements can qualify.
- It can include amounts for adults, children, illness, caring responsibilities, rent and childcare costs.
- You claim with your partner, and you are usually paid monthly in arrears in a single household payment.
- The amount you get is usually affected by any student grant, loan or other income you have.