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The benefits system provides practical help and financial support if you are unemployed and looking for work. It also provides you with additional income when your earnings are low, if you are bringing up children, are retired, care for someone, are ill or have a disability. 

For full details, see: Benefits, debt and money advice 

How the benefit system works

The benefits system gives money to people when they do not have enough money for housing or food. People with children and some people in low paid work can also get extra money. The Government want to help people to get a job and to do well in that job.

The basic benefit in the UK

This replaces these six existing means-tested benefits: Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit.

UK benefit rates

Benefits in the UK are comparatively low by international standards with one of the lowest benefit rates relative to earnings. The basic rate of Universal Credit is worth around a sixth of average weekly pay. 

Who pays benefits in the UK

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK's biggest public service department it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.

To find out what you may be entitled to, see: 

Useful links

Find out more: 

Find out more about the various funding routes for additional financial support and activities for people living in ´óÐãÊÓƵ.

Education

Find out more:

• Nursery Education Funding (NEF)
• Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme
• Inclusion Pupil Premium

Housing

Find out more:

• Household Support Fund

District Links

Find out more:

Council Tax

Find out more:

Discretionary Housing Support

Find out more:

Water Rates

Find out more:

Debt Management Advice

Find out more:

´óÐãÊÓƵ has a wide network of GPs which provide primary health care. Details of local clinics can be found here: 

You can also find resources, information and support on our Health and Wellbeing pages.

Free health services

The following health services are free to everyone:

• GP advice and treatment
• services that are provided as part of the NHS 111 telephone advice line
• accident and emergency services provided at an A&E department, walk-in centre, minor injuries unit or urgent care centre
• diagnosis and treatment of some infectious and sexually transmitted diseases
• NHS services provided for COVID-19 investigation, diagnosis, treatment and vaccination
• family planning services (contraception)
• treatment for a physical or mental condition caused by torture, female genital mutilation, domestic violence or sexual violence

Mental health and wellbeing

We work with many services here to support the mental health needs of adults and children. Find out more here:

• Mental health and emotional wellbeing

If you need to talk to someone about your mental health or wellbeing, free support is available 24/7:

• immediate risk to life - call 999 or go straight to A&E
• urgent advice - call 111

MIND

Confidential, emotional support for residents across ´óÐãÊÓƵ is available through MIND in ´óÐãÊÓƵ:

Access requirements including interpretation can be discussed with the providers of the service upon referral or self-referral. 

More useful links

Find out more:

• Emotional Wellbeing toolkit (PDF)

Children and Young People

Find out more:

• - Beacon House has some great resources for talking to children about War and Conflict

UK vaccination programmes

If you want more information related to the vaccines offered in the UK and when to have them, see:

• Immunisations and vaccinations

It is important for everyone living in the UK to know some English to help with speaking to people and enjoying life in the community.

In the UK, learning English for non-native speakers is called ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). There are different levels of ESOL from Beginner to Advanced.

For full details see: 

• English as an additional language support package 

Where to learn English

In ´óÐãÊÓƵ, ESOL is available through:

• community classes
• colleges
• online courses
• libraries and adult/family learning programmes
• personalised learning plans (at home or library)
• voluntary support (group or one-on-one)

ESOL provision is funded by the following:

• Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)
• Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
• UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS)

More support

You can also find out more on our Skills 4 ´óÐãÊÓƵ website.

´óÐãÊÓƵ Libraries also offers ESOL courses: 

• Library events and activities

Support for Ukranian Guests: 

• 16+ Education for Hosts and Guests from Learning Services ´óÐãÊÓƵ (PDF)

Test your English

You can test your English by using the:

The education system in the UK is divided into four main parts, primary education, secondary education, further education and higher education.

The education system in the UK is also split into "key stages" which breaks down as follows:

• key Stage 1: 5 to 7 years old
• key Stage 2: 7 to 11 years old
• key Stage 3: 11 to 14 years old
• key Stage 4: 14 to 16 years old

All education below the further education level is compulsory in the UK.

You can find all the information you need about schools and school tier systems in ´óÐãÊÓƵ here: 

• Schools, education and learning
• School tier systems

Further education

Please be aware that a learner can only be enrolled on one mainstream, accredited course (qualification available). 

This means they cannot register for classes with both Adult and Community Learning and a college. and they cannot register at 2 different colleges. 

This restriction does not apply to community provision, so they can attend a college and community classes.

The following colleges offer further education courses: 

Adult and community learning

Find out more:

• Learning Services ´óÐãÊÓƵ
• Adult Learning Courses in libraries

Online courses

Find out more:

Case Studies

Case Study 1:

A Syrian woman attended community classes when she arrived. She then went to college and improved from beginner to Entry Level 2. She completed online Food Hygiene courses (levels 1 and 2) and now volunteers in a school kitchen, which she enjoys.

Case Study 2:

A disabled Syrian man attended community classes, learned online, then went to college, improving from beginner level. He learns English daily, has passed his driving test, and now drives his family around. He is also looking for a job.

Case Study 3:

A young Afghan woman, a doctor in Afghanistan, attended college and progressed to Level 2 English. She joined a WhatsApp group for medical workers to improve her technical English and learn about the UK medical industry. She volunteers with St. John’s Ambulance for experience and is preparing for medical exams to work in the UK.