There are special rules about benefits for people aged under 18.

Most people under 18 can’t claim benefits but there are some exceptions. 

This guide is for people aged 16-18 who want to find out if they can get benefits. 

If you are under 16, you can’t claim any benefits apart from Child Benefit.

If someone is getting Child Benefit for you, you can’t get most benefits in your own right. If you are still in education up to A level standard, someone might carry on getting Child Benefit for you up to the age of 20.

If someone is claiming Child Benefit for you but you want to be able to make benefit claims in your own name, you should speak to an adviser about how this will affect your household’s income.

If you have spent time in care, special rules might apply to you. Read our guide on Care Leavers and Benefits to check.

Reviewed: April 2022
 

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit

It is no longer possible to make new claims for Employment and Support Allowance.

Ill and disabled young people may be able to claim Universal Credit.

You will need to have a fit note saying that you can’t work. You will also have to have an assessment to decide if you have limited capability for work. 

You cannot usually get Universal Credit while you are studying unless you have limited capability for work and receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment Scotland, Child Disability Payment Scotland or Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment

From your 16th birthday, you may be able to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for yourself (instead of a parent/guardian claiming for you) if you have care and/or mobility needs. It can be paid on top of any other benefits you receive.

If you live in Scotland and are already getting Child Disability Payment before you are 16, from 16 you can start receiving the payment in your own name. If you live in Scotland and are not already getting Child Disability Payment, you can claim Personal Independence Payment.

Reviewed: May 2022

If you are aged 16+ and are caring at least 35 hours a week for a person who is ill or has disabilities, you may qualify for Carer’s Allowance and/or Universal Credit. There are certain other conditions you must fulfil, such as not being in full-time work or education, so you should check the rules of entitlement for each benefit to see if you qualify. You may also be eligible for other forms of help as well – see our Carers section.

Young Carers who live in Scotland may be able to get a Young Carers Grant, even if they can't claim Carer's Allowance.

Reviewed: April 2022

Advanced education

If you are attending a course of advanced education , see our Studying (aged 16+) section for information about the rules relating to benefits while studying.

Relevant education

Most young people who are in  relevant education  (this is non-advanced education) cannot claim benefits. However, you may be able to claim Universal Credit if your income is low enough and you:

• Have a child for whom you receive Child Benefit

• Are an orphan and have no-one acting for you in place of your parents

• You have left local authority care and live away from your parents or any person acting in their place

(but see the special rules for care leavers)

• You have to live away from your parents and any person acting in their place and either:

  • you are estranged from them or would be in danger if you lived with them

  • they cannot support you because they are in prison or unable to come to the UK

  • they are sick or have disabilities.

If you cannot claim benefits for yourself while you are in relevant education because you do not fall into one of the groups described above, your parents/guardian may be able to continue getting benefits for you as their child.

In some limited situations, you may have entitlement to benefits in your own right and your parent/guardian may also have entitlement to benefits such as Child Benefit for you at the same time. What you claim can have an effect on the benefits that your parent/guardian can claim.

For example, Maria claims Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit for her daughter Louise, who is aged 16 and in relevant education . Louise gives birth to a son, Charlie. If Louise claims Child Benefit and Universal Credit for Charlie, Maria would lose her entitlement to Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit for Louise.

If you are in this situation, you should seek advice about what would be the best choice from a local benefits adviser. You can use our Find an Adviser tool to find a local one.

Updated: April 2022

If you are a young person and working, you might be able to claim Universal Credit if:

• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has decided you have limited capability for work, and you are earning less than £793.17 per month, or the DWP has decided you have limited capability for work and you receive Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Child Disability Payment Scotland, Adult Disability Payment Scotland or Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
• You are earning less than £793.17 per month (or are earning any amount and get PIP, Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment or DLA) and have a sick note saying you are not fit for work.
• You are receiving Carer's Allowance or you would be entitled to Carer’s Allowance but your earnings are too high, or
• You or your partner are responsible for a child
• You are an orphan and have no one acting for you in place of your parents
• You have left local authority care and live away from your parents or any person acting in their place (but see the special rules for care leavers)
• You have to live away from your parents and any person acting in their place and either:
  • you are estranged from them or would be in danger if you lived with them
  • they cannot support you because they are in prison or unable to come to the UK
  • they are sick or have disabilities.

If you are unemployed, you may be able to get Universal Credit. You will need to show you are available for work and are looking for work. You will also need to be in one of these groups:

• You or your partner are responsible for a child
• You are an orphan and have no-one acting for you in place of your parents
• You have left local authority care and live away from your parents or any person acting in their place (but see the special rules for care leavers)
• You have to live away from your parents and any person acting in their place and either:
  • you are estranged from them or would be in danger if you lived with them
  • they cannot support you because they are in prison or unable to come to the UK
  • they are sick or have disabilities.

It is no longer possible to make new claims for Jobseeker's Allowance but if you are already getting it you may be able to carry on getting it as long as you carry on meeting the conditions of entitlement.

Reviewed: April 2022

You should qualify for Child Benefit as there is no minimum age limit to claim this. 

You may be able to get Universal Credit if you are aged at least 16 and are responsible for a child. You may be able to claim Universal Credit if you are at least 29 weeks pregnant (but not if you are a care leaver). You may be able to claim Universal Credit if you had a baby or your baby was stillborn in the past 15 weeks (but not if you are a care leaver).

If you live with your family, it would be a good idea to speak to an adviser before making any claims for benefits for your child.

There are a range of other benefits and assistance available for people with children which you may qualify for depending on your circumstances – see our Expecting a Child section and our Bringing up a Child section for more information.

Reviewed: April 2022

Rent

You may be able to get help to pay your rent through Universal Credit.

You must be paying rent under a commercial agreement. You cannot get Housing Benefit or the housing Element of Universal Credit if you live with your landlord and they are a close relative, e.g. your parents.

Universal Credit and Housing Benefit are means-tested benefits so whether you qualify will depend on your income and circumstances. You can still claim even if you are working full time.

If you are renting from a private landlord you will probably find that your Housing Benefit or the housing element of your Universal Credit is restricted to the cost of living in accommodation with shared facilities.

Remember that if you are a care leaver, you may not qualify for  Housing Benefit or Universal Credit at all, even if you would otherwise meet all entitlement rules.

Council Tax

If you are on a low income and liable to pay Council Tax, you may be able to claim help with your Council Tax through Council Tax Support. However, if you are aged under 18 you will not be liable for Council Tax.

If you are a full-time student in advanced education , you may not be able to claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support unless you fall within a certain category – see our Studying (aged 16+) section. There are no rules preventing you from claiming Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support if you are in relevant education or if you are under 21 and studying on a course below degree level which you started before you were 19.

Reviewed: April 2022