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Disability Premium Income Support Rates

This guide clarifies exactly what is a Disability Premium and how to get it. Check the list for all current Disability Premiums rates in 2018.

DISABILITY PREMIUMS: They are extra and automatic payments. In most cases they get added on top of certain means-tested benefits.

The disablement allowances are for claimants with severe disabilities and entitlement eligibility.

To qualify for the basic Disability Premium you must first be under Pension Credit age. But, you may also qualify as a registered blind person or if you already get specific disability benefits.

There are two basic qualifying benefits to get the basic Disability Premium. They are Income Support and the income-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

Several different Disability Premium rates apply for those who qualify. How much you can get depends on your eligibility for the higher payments. It might include Severe Disability Premium (SDP benefits) and the Enhanced Disability Premium (EDP).

The basic Disability Premium is not available for claimants of income-related ESA. But in some cases you could still qualify to receive the severe and enhanced premiums.

Disability Premium Payment
The entitlement and money is usually added by automatic process to your Income Support payments. That means there should be no need to apply for disability premiums in benefits.

Disability Premium Rates 2018

How much is Disability Premium entitlement? The basic Disability Premium is:

Severe Disability Premium Rates 2018 (SDP Premium)

The extra amount available if you qualify for the Severe Disability benefit is:

Those who qualify for the Enhanced Disability Premium will get:

Like most means tested benefits and allowances, your money gets paid straight into a secure account. This can be your bank or building society account.

You can use a benefits calculator to work out how much Disability Premium you can get. Remember there is a benefit cap or upper limit entitlement. It restricts the total amount people aged 16 to 64 will receive.

Disability Premium Eligibility Criteria

There is an eligibility criteria to claim Disability Premium. It is not paid to every recipient of Income Support or income-based JSA. First of all, either you or your partner must be below pension credit age.

Then, the claimant must be getting one of these benefits (unless registered as a blind person):

Note: Those who have been unable to work for at least one year may also qualify for income support premiums.

Severe Disablement Premium

Claiming basic Disability Premium means you may also qualify for Severe Disability Premium entitlement. The same benefit rights apply to those getting the higher pensioner premium.

Being placed in the support group of income-related ESA means you may qualify for SDP rates too. This applies to those in the support group and the work-related activity group.

There are two different Severe Disability Premium rates 2018. The determining factor is whether you have a partner who also qualifies for the benefit.

Severe Disability Benefit Eligibility

You will get the extra amount if only you qualify and you meet these 3 circumstances:

  1. You live alone.
  2. You receive the middle or highest care component of the Disability Living Allowance.
  3. No-one receives the Severe Disability Premium Carers Allowance for taking care of you.

You may also qualify if you meet these three conditions:

  1. You have a partner and no one else lives with you or your partner.
  2. The Carers Premium gets paid to only one of you.
  3. As a couple, you both get the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment, AFIP or Attendance Allowance (or the middle or highest rates of the care component of DLA).

If you meet all these 4 conditions you may still qualify to get the Severe Disability Premium entitlement:

  1. You have a partner and he or she is a registered blind person.
  2. No one else is living with you and your partner.
  3. You are getting the middle or highest rate of DLA care component or the daily living component of PIP or AFIP.
  4. No-one is getting the Carers Premium for taking care of you.

Severe Disability Premium Eligibility (if both qualify)

You will get the extra amount if you and your partner both qualify. But, that is providing no-one gets Carer's Allowance for looking after either of you, and you both get one of the following benefits:

Enhanced Disability Premium

You must be under Pension Credit age to qualify for the Enhanced Disability Premium. You must also receive the Disability Premium or income-related ESA amount.

On top of that, you only qualify if you get at least one of the following:

Note: It is also available to those placed in the support group for income-related ESA.

How to Claim Disability Premium

As a rule there is no need to make a claim for Disability Premiums benefit. So, there is no Severe Disability Premium form to fill in. They get added on top of Income Support or your benefits entitlement if you qualify.

Note: Contact your local Jobcentre Plus if you do not see the extra payment in your account.

Appeal a Decision or make a Complaint

If you disagree with a decision you can appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. But, there have been some procedural changes. You must now ask for mandatory reconsideration before you can make the appeal.

Complain to the Department for Work and Pensions if you are unhappy with the service they have given to you.

Disability Premium Income Support Rates and Eligibility Criteria