All National Insurance benefits

Sickness Benefit

A weekly payment if you cannot work because you are ill or injured (and the illness is not caused by your job).

You may qualify if:

• you are employed or a registered self-employed contributor
• you have paid enough National Insurance contributions
• a doctor certifies that you are unfit for work

What you need to apply: a medical certificate from your doctor, your National Registration card and your bank details.

Maternity Benefit and Maternity Grant

A payment to support you around the birth of your child.

You may qualify for Maternity Benefit if:

• you are over 16 and under pensionable age
• you have been insured for at least 26 weeks
• you have at least 16 contributions in the relevant quarters
• you are at least 25 weeks into your pregnancy

Maternity Grant: a one-off payment for mothers who do not meet the conditions for Maternity Benefit.

What you need to apply: a medical certificate confirming the expected or actual date of birth, your National Registration card and your bank details.

Paternity Benefit

A payment for fathers to take time off work after their child is born.

You may qualify if: you meet the same contribution conditions as Maternity Benefit and you claim within 6 months of the birth.

What you need to apply: the child’s birth certificate, your National Registration card and your bank details.

Unemployment Benefit

A weekly payment if you lose your job, or your working hours and earnings are cut.

You may qualify if:

• you have lost your job through no fault of your own, or
• your earnings have been reduced by more than half (short-time working)
• you have paid enough National Insurance contributions

What you need to apply: a letter from your employer confirming you have stopped work or had your hours cut, your National Registration card and your bank details.

Employment Injury Benefit

A payment if you cannot work because of an accident at work or a disease caused by your job.

You may qualify if: you were an employed contributor and the injury or illness arose out of your work. There is no minimum contribution requirement.

Medical and travelling expenses can also be paid, but only where an employment injury has been established.

What you need to apply: a medical certificate, your employer’s accident report, your National Registration card and your bank details.

Disablement Benefit

A payment if a work accident or disease leaves you with a lasting loss of physical or mental ability, assessed at 1% or more.

You may qualify if: an employment injury has been established and a medical board assesses your degree of disablement at 1% or more.

What you need to apply: medical assessment reports and your National Registration card.

Invalidity Benefit and Invalidity Grant

Support if you are permanently unable to work because of illness or disability that is not caused by your job.

You may qualify for Invalidity Benefit if: you are under pensionable age, permanently incapable of work, and have paid at least 150 contributions.

Invalidity Grant is a one-off payment if you have at least 50 contributions but not enough for the benefit.

What you need to apply: a medical report confirming permanent incapacity, your National Registration card and your bank details.

Old Age Contributory Pension

A pension when you reach pensionable age, based on the contributions you have paid over your working life.

You may qualify if: you have reached pensionable age and have paid at least 500 contributions.

How it is worked out: the calculation uses up to 590 paid and credited contributions (at least 250 paid), your best 8 years of earnings, and an adjustment of 0.667% for each month you claim before or after age 67.

What you need to apply: your National Registration card, proof of date of birth and your bank details.

Non-Contributory Benefit

A weekly payment for people living with certain conditions, even if they have not paid National Insurance contributions.

You may qualify if you are living with one of:

• Down Syndrome
• advanced Multiple Sclerosis
• Cerebral Palsy
• Autism
• blindness
• deafness
• being unable to speak (mute)

What you need to apply: a medical report confirming the condition, your National Registration card and your bank details.

Survivors’ Benefit

A payment to the widow, widower or children of someone who was insured and has died.

For a widow or widower married for at least 3 years:

• aged 50 or over — 50% of the pension, for life
• aged 45 to 49 — 33.3% of the pension, for life
• under 45 — 50% of the pension, for one year only

Payments to a widow or widower stop on remarriage or cohabitation.

For children: 16.6% each up to age 16 (or 25 if in full-time education); up to 33.3% for an orphan; and 33.3% for life for an invalid child.

What you need to apply: the death certificate, the marriage and birth certificates as relevant, and your bank details.

Funeral Grant

A one-off payment to help with the cost of a funeral.

You may qualify if: you paid for the funeral of an insured person, or of the spouse or child of an insured person.

What you need to apply: the death certificate, the funeral receipt or invoice, and your National Registration card.