1. Overview Of The Main State Benefits
In the United Kingdom these days, both the government and the local authority play a vital role in
providing assistance to people in need of assistance. The well being state has had many critics over
the years since it was introduced and especially in more recent years however it still remains the envy
of many other nations. Much of its current criticism has been due to the fact that it is increasingly
expensive to run.
The group of rules put on many state benefits are incredibly complex and also at times, very difficult
to understand. The federal government has the struggle of supplying such advantages to people
when your in trouble whilst at the same time ensuring that these individuals in such the situation is not
monetarily better off from claiming as opposed to going out to work. Unfortunately this isn't always
accomplished and the intricacy of the advantage structure can lead to the existence of the actual
‘benefit trap’ – exactly where certain people are indeed even worse off if these people return to
function.
State benefits will also be funded by the tax payer on a pay-as-you-go basis. Which means that
current advantages are financed by current taxes as well as National insurance coverage
contributions. This means that a constant balancing act must be carried out by federal government to
ensure that the actual books balance out. The situation is made worse in times of economic
uncertainty as there are less individuals working and more people declaring benefits.
The resulting factor is the fact that many benefits tend to be small within amount and can do little
more than prevent individuals from suffering extreme poverty. Aside from the primary eligibility
criteria, certain benefits are means tested. This means that the amount of benefit is reduced if the
individual’s (or sometimes the family’s) income or even savings surpass specified amounts – this kind
of levels may be determined according of a individuals age as well as whether they are in retirement.
Each various type of advantage has a various type of purpose. For example, the below list includes
three of the most claimed benefits:
• Income Support – an advantage designed for the individuals with a low income or even no income
at all. Income support is also known as a gateway benefit which means that entitlement for this may
open up a person’s entitlement with other benefits.
• Jobseekers allowance – Similar to income support, this benefit is for people who are on a low
earnings or absolutely no income at all. It is a advantage for people who aren't working, or who are
working less than 16 hours per week. Claimants have to provide proof however that they're actively
seeking work.
• Child benefit – This is a benefit available to just about all parents or even individuals responsible
for looking after a child. Child benefit is a tax-free benefit that is not indicates tested and it does not
depend on an individual getting paid nationwide Insurance contributions. Neither could it be affected
by every other benefits an individual may receive. It is made available for every child younger than
16 many may even carry on up until the kid is eighteen provided that they're in full time education.

2. As mentioned, the above list just contains a few available benefits. This checklist would continue with
other benefits such as statutory maternity pay, Statutory paternity pay, maternity allowance, working
and child tax credits, Statutory ill pay, incapacity benefit, attendance allowance, disability living
allocation, carer’s allowance, Industrial injuries disablement benefit.
child support