These premiums can boost payments by hundreds of pounds. The “top-up” to their sum could be useful in providing additional support to those with a health condition or disability.
Many new and existing benefit claimants may not be aware that they could also be eligible for additional support on top of certain benefits through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and qualify for a disability premium.
PIP claimants could be eligible to get the Severe Disability Premium if they fit certain criteria, which is an extra £69.40 per week for each person who qualifies, or £138.80 a week for a couple if they’re both eligible.
The DWP guidance states that Disability Premiums are extra amounts of money added to an individuals:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Housing Benefit
Any money people get is added to their benefit payments automatically so they usually do not have to apply for a Disability Premium.
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There are three types of disability premium available for adults which include Disability Premium, Enhanced Disability Premium and Severe Disability Premium.
Claimants can get more than one premium at a time.
To be eligible for a disability premium, a person or their partner must be under Pension Credit age and either registered blind or getting:
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP)
- Working Tax Credit with a disability element
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- War Pensioners Mobility Supplement
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
If people do not qualify, they may still get the premium if they’ve been unable to work for at least a year.
How much can people get?
Disability Premium
- £36.20 a week for a single person
- £51.60 a week for a couple
Severe Disability Premium
- £69.40 a week for a single person
- £138.80 a week for a couple if you’re both eligible
Some couples will be eligible for the lower amount of £69.40 a week instead.
Enhanced Disability Premium
- £17.75 a week for a single person
- £25.35 a week for a couple if at least one of them is eligible
All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account such as one’s bank account.
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Britons can get the Disability Premium on its own. They might get the Severe or Enhanced Disability Premium as well if they’re eligible for them.
If one gets income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), they cannot get the Disability Premium, but they may still qualify for the Severe and Enhanced Premiums.
Britons usually need to be eligible for the Disability Premium to qualify for the Severe or Enhanced premiums.
If someone is eligible for a Disability Premium and the Severe Disability Premium, that is an extra £105.60 each week to be claimed.
People usually cannot have anyone aged 18 or over living with them, unless they get a qualifying benefit, they’re registered blind, they’re a boarder or subtenant (but not a close relative) to they make separate payments to the landlord.
Indoviaulds do not have to claim Disability Premium. If they’re eligible, it’s automatically added to their, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or housing benefit.
People should contact their local Jobcentre Plus if it has not been paid.
If someone disagrees with a decision they can challenge it and ask for a mandatory reconsideration.
For more guidance on who is eligible, people should visit the Government website.
