If you have never applied for benefits or helped someone apply for benefits, the UK’s social welfare system can seem daunting. Not to worry though, we have created a number of resources that will help guide you through the process of working with a Jobcentre, calculating benefits and applying for benefits.
If you are a Community Sponsorship Group based in Scotland, do read our Benefits in Scotland guidance.
You can find the Jobcentre Plus closest to the family’s accommodation or around the area you expect them to live here.
Registering for benefits is an essential part of ensuring the family you support are financially secure. We recommend contacting the Jobcentre Plus in your area to discuss your plans and find out how the registration process works, and if it is possible to pre-book a registration appointment.
We recommend that for the first appointment, you do provide an interpreter for the registration appointment, but rely on DWP interpreting services thereafter. If needed, you could consider asking a volunteer to accompany the family to this visit who may be able to occupy any children.
We recommend using the Turn2us benefits calculator to calculate available benefits for a family and you can find example families who could be welcomed through the UKRS programme in our calculating benefits resource. Always specify how many people you have calculated for when presenting the information. You will need to revise these numbers once you have been approved and allocated a family, but this will provide a baseline for you.
In addition to calculating how much the family is likely to receive, you should also include the current benefit cap for your area to illustrate your understanding that even if the family qualify for more money, there is a limit to what they can claim. The benefit cap is set for inside Greater London and everywhere else outside Greater London. You can find more information about the current benefit cap for your area on the government’s website or Turn2us. Your Local Authority’s website may list the benefit cap for your area as well.
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