Don’t miss out on income
If you need help claiming benefits
Universal Credit
If your benefits stop
Financial help if you’re disabled
Free food parcels
Help for Households
Use an online benefit calculator to quickly and easily understand what benefits you might be entitled to, how to claim and what how much you might receive.
You can find more information on benefits from:
The local organisations below can provide you with free and confidential support to make and maintain a claim for benefits:
Citizens Advice Reading provide Help to Claim service on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. They can help you if you struggle to use a computer or verify your identity and support you to complete the actions on your online journal and understand what Universal Credit will mean for you.
They also have specialist benefits advisers. They can help people apply for benefits or appealing decisions, including preparation for tribunals. They also support people and families living with cancer to claim appropriate benefits.
Communicare can help complete benefit applications and forms in general, they are also able to make referrals to other support agencies for you.
Welfare Rights can help with benefit claims and specialise in help with Personal Independence Payment claims and any benefit mandatory reconsiderations or appeals.
When making a new claim that is not directly related to a disability or health condition, you will need to claim Universal Credit. There is more information on our Universal Credit page and the Department for Work and Pensions website.
If your benefits reduce or stop unexpectedly, it’s important to find out why as soon as you can. If you claim:
Get help and advice if you disagree with the reason your benefits have reduced or stopped.
Further help:
If you have a disability or long term health condition you can find out about help available to you on Gov.uk.
If you are struggling to afford to pay your adult social care charges – such as Personal Budget invoices from the Council, or Direct Payments contributions, check the financial assessment of your contribution for care and support is up-to-date.
Your financial assessment may need to be updated if there has been a change to your expenses, for example:
When you submit updated housing costs and/or disability-related expenses information, your financial assessment will be reviewed to consider those extra costs and you will be informed of your new assessed maximum weekly contribution.
Entitlement to additional income through welfare benefits will be checked, and you will be offered advice and support on how to apply.
If your assessed maximum weekly contribution is more than your weekly personal budget amount for care and support, you will be charged the lower personal budget amount. If you have any questions about your financial assessment, contact the Financial Assessments and Benefits Team on 0118 937 3724, email fab.team@reading.gov.uk or use our contact form.
if your assessment is up to date and correct, but you are still struggling to afford to pay your care and support invoices due to financial hardship, contact your social care worker or call Adult Care Services on 0118 937 3747.
If you are struggling with paying for food, you can be referred to Reading’s food bank Readifood by a professional organisation or charity, like Reading Borough Council, Citizens Advice Reading or Communicare. Please speak to any professional you are working with for a referral, or contact one of the local advice agencies who can work with you to make a referral.
If you are struggling for food currently, please contact the Debt Advice Team. They will be able to provide you with details of where you can go to get a food handout as soon as possible.
The government have set up a Help for Households website with lots of useful information on: