Benefits

If you or someone you care for is living with a bleeding disorder, managing daily life can involve extra costs and considerations. While we cannot provide welfare rights advice or personal medical reports, we do have resources to help with your application and can signpost you to further sources of support. Your haemophilia centre is also there to help you with your benefit application forms.

Here is a summary of the main benefit categories available in 2026, including the latest changes to support you and your family.

Financial Support for Families

• Universal Credit (UC): This is the main benefit for people of working age who are on a low income or out of work. It is a monthly payment that replaces several older benefits, including Income Support and Tax Credits. By the end of summer 2026, almost everyone still on these older “legacy” benefits will have been moved over to UC.
• Child Benefit: This is a tax-free payment for the main carer of children under 16 (or under 20 if they stay in approved education). Only one person can get Child Benefit for a child. Payments are tax-free as long as neither parent or carer earns more than £60,000 a year.

Support for People with Disabilities

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP): This helps with the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or disability. If you have a bleeding disorder that affects your mobility or your ability to manage daily tasks (such as administering treatment), you may be eligible.
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA): This remains the primary benefit for children under 16 who need more care or supervision than other children their age.
• Attendance Allowance (AA): This is for people aged over State Pension age who need help with personal care or supervision due to a disability.
• Adult Disability Payment (ADP) and Child Disability Payment (CDP): These are the Scottish replacements for PIP and DLA. They are managed by Social Security Scotland and offer similar support for residents there.
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA): “New Style” ESA is available if you have a health condition that limits your ability to work and you have paid enough National Insurance contributions.
  • Important Change: For new claims made after 6 April 2026, the “health element” top-up for those with limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) has been adjusted. If you already received this before April 2026, your payments should remain at the higher rate.

Support for Carers

• Carer’s Allowance (CA): You can claim this if you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone who receives a qualifying disability benefit (like PIP or DLA).
• Carer Support Payment (CSP): In Scotland, this has fully replaced Carer’s Allowance. As of March 2026, it includes a “Carer Additional Person Payment” if you look after more than one person, and the Scottish Carer Supplement is now added to your regular payments rather than being paid as a lump sum.

Support for Renters

• Local Housing Allowance (LHA): If you rent from a private landlord, LHA determines the maximum support you can get toward your rent. The rates are based on the area you live in and the number of bedrooms your household needs.

Support for Older People

• State Pension: This is a regular payment you can claim when you reach State Pension age. In April 2026, rates increased by 4.8% under the triple lock guarantee.
• Pension Credit: This provides extra money for people over State Pension age who are on a low income. It can also help you access other support, like help with housing costs or heating bills.

Other Benefits

• Council Tax Reduction: You may get a discount on your council tax bill if you are on a low income or claim certain benefits.
• Winter Fuel Payment: In 2026, this payment of up to £300 is available to most people over State Pension age, provided your annual taxable income is £35,000 or less.
• Incapacity Benefit: This benefit is now closed to new claims. Anyone still receiving it is being moved onto Universal Credit.

To find out exactly what you are entitled to, you can use a benefits calculator on the government website or speak with your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general guidance only and is based on current GOV.UK sources and is subject to change. Because benefit eligibility depends on how the bleeding disorder affects you or your child personally, we cannot assist with individual applications. We recommend speaking to your haemophilia centre nursing team, who can often provide the necessary medical evidence, or a qualified advisor at Citizens Advice.