Money and benefits

On this page you will find what are benefits and social security, documents you need to apply for benefits and what benefits you can apply for.

What are benefits and social security?

Getting leave to remain means you can now apply for benefits

Benefits are payments from the government to help people with low or no income. Some benefits are for meeting specific needs, for example if you are unemployed and looking for work, have children, are pregnant, are disabled or not fit to work. In Scotland some benefits are called social security.

You should

apply for benefits as soon as you are granted leave to remain

You can also apply for benefits before getting a bank account. If you can’t open a bank account you can request the department that pays your benefit to provide you cash payments, for example via PayPoint outlets in local shops and newsagents.

You should not

wait until your ASPEN card payments stop as it takes at least 5 weeks for the benefit payments to start
wait for your BRP card to arrive

Depending on the type of benefit you are applying for you will have to talk to different government agencies. Different agencies deal with different benefits. You can ask for an interpreter.

Documents you need to apply for benefits

When you apply for benefits, you will need to show you have the right to claim them.

You will need to show:

Asylum decision letter confirming your leave to remain
Biometric residence permit (BRP) if you have it

If you have not received your BRP yet you can use these instead:

Application registration card (ARC) or
Bail 201 form with your photo printed as a form of identification

You don’t need to wait for your BRP card to apply for benefits. You can apply if you have your asylum decision letter confirming your leave to remain.

National Insurance (NI) number

A National Insurance (NI) number is a unique number linked to you and it is used as a reference number by benefit departments and your employer.

You will need this number to work, claim benefits, apply for student loans and pay National Insurance contributions. If you were already working when you were in the asylum process you will usually have a NI number.

you don’t need a NI number when you are first applying for benefits
the Jobcentre will create a NI number during the benefit application process if you don’t have one already. The Jobcentre may not always know they can take your benefit application without a NI number
if you have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), your NI number will usually be printed on the back of your BRP.

You can start work without a NI number if you can prove you have the right to work using the online government right to work tool. You can apply for a NI number after you start working.

Social security benefits you can apply for

Which benefits you can apply for depends on your personal and family situation.

You may be able to get different types of benefits:

if you are out of work and looking for work
if your income is low
if you reached retirement age (over 66 years old in the UK)
if you have children
if you are pregnant
if you are caring for someone who has a disability or long-term health condition
if you are disabled
if you can’t work because of illness or a health condition

More information on benefits:

If you are working age

If you are not working the main benefit you can apply for is called Universal Credit. If you are working but on low income you may also be able to get this payment. You will receive this payment once a month and you don’t have to pay it back. If you are studying full-time you may not be eligible for universal credit. Speak to a benefit adviser to find out if you are eligible.

The amount you will receive depends on a few things, such as your age, if you are single, a couple or have children. In return for this monthly payment you will be expected to attend Jobcentre appointments. You are entitled to an interpreter at these appointments. You will also sign up to a claimant commitment. The claimant commitment is an agreement between you and the Jobcentre. This is a record of tasks you agreed to do to get you closer to work such as tasks that help you prepare or look for work.

To apply for Universal Credit you need to fill out an online form. If you can do this yourself online or you can go to your local Jobcentre or library to use the computer there.

If you need help with the online application call Citizens Advice Scotland’s Help to Claim helpline number: 0800 023 2581. You can ask for an interpreter on this number. You will need internet access, a web-enabled device (smartphone or computer) and be able to follow online instructions in English to fill out the form.

After you apply you will have to attend an appointment at the nearest Jobcentre. It can take 5-6 weeks for the first payment to arrive. It is important that you apply as soon as possible.

After your claim is accepted, you will have to use your online account to check your tasks, keep a journal and meet your work coach at the Jobcentre regularly. You will need internet access, a web-enabled device (smartphone or computer) and be able to use websites that are in English. You may use a translating app to help you understand the information on your online account.

Find out about:

If you reached retirement age

If you are over 66 years old you are no longer considered working age in the UK. In this case you can’t apply for Universal Credit. Instead, you can apply for Pension Credit.

Pension Credit is a payment to help with living costs when people are on low income and over state pension age. If you are a couple, both of you must be retirement age to qualify for pension credit.

If one of you is working age, then you must apply for Universal credit. Find out about Pension Credit: How to claim - GOV.UK.

If your ASPEN card payment stopped but benefit payment has not started yet

If you have no money to support yourself while waiting for your benefit payments to start:

you can apply for Crisis Grants if you need help with food and living costs in an emergency when you have no money at all and your benefit payment has not started yet. This is a one-off payment. You don’t need to pay it back. Make sure you budget carefully and only spend this money on food and essentials.
you can request a Universal Credit advance payment if you need the money urgently. You will need to pay this advance back when your benefit payment starts. The advance payment is like a loan and will be taken off your future Universal Credit payments

You can also request an advance payment for other types of benefits you have applied for: Get an advance on your first benefit payment.

If you have children

There are two types of child benefits and you can apply for both:

Apply for the UK government child benefit. Find out more on Claim Child Benefit: How to claim - GOV.UK. If you have refugee status you can get Child Benefit payment backdated from the date of your asylum claim. To get the backdated payment you must apply within 3 months from the date you were granted refugee status. If you have other types of leave to remain you can still apply for Child Benefit but you won’t get the backdated payment
Apply for Scottish Child Payment if you have a child under 16 years. You will only get Scottish Child Payment if you are getting Universal Credit or are on low income. Find out more on how to apply: How to apply - mygov.scot. You can’t get backdated payments for Scottish Child Payment so you should apply as soon as you can.

There are other benefits and support you can get. For example, you can get Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods payments to help towards the costs of being pregnant or looking after a child. Find out more about the types of help you can get if you have a child: Get help with money if you have a child - mygov.scot

If you have a disability

If you have a disability or long-term health condition that affects your everyday life you can apply for:

If you need help with the application or need an independent advocate, you can call VoiceAbility: 0300 303 1660. Find out how the independent advocate can help.

Social Security Scotland can also help you with the application over the phone or in-person with an interpreter. Call their number: 0800 182 2222.

You may be able to get some extra payments if you have extra costs for your care or if you are caring for someone.

apply for Attendance Allowance if you are aged over 66 and have a mental or physical disability to help you with extra costs of your care
apply for Carer’s Allowance if you care for someone for at least 35 hours a week. The person you care for must be receiving certain disability benefits

Ask for help from a benefits adviser

If you find it hard to understand which benefits to apply for, Citizens Advice Scotland has information on different types of benefits. If you prefer to speak to a benefit adviser face-to-face find your local Citizens Advice office and book an appointment.

Ask for help from a benefits adviser if you find it hard to understand which benefits to apply for, Citizens Advice Scotland has information on different types of benefits. If you prefer to speak to a benefit adviser face-to-face find your local Citizens Advice office and book an appointment.

Apply for a refugee integration loan

You can apply for the integration loan from the Home Office if you have been granted refugee status and humanitarian protection, or are a dependent of a person with either leave.

You have to pay back this money but the loan is interest-free. The money will be taken off your benefit payment. To apply you will need your BRP card details and a bank account. It can help you pay for training, employment, rent, work equipment or household items. Find out more about the refugee integration loan.

Need more help?

Call our free, confidential, helpline for an appointment with one of our experienced advisers. You can ask for an interpreter.

Money and benefits