Benefits eligibility

We are committed to tackling poverty, encouraging benefit take-up and helping you maximise your income entitlement to benefits.

Are you eligible for benefits?

The benefits system is complex and we recognise that people may have difficulty in accessing relevant information or have difficulty with the process of claiming. Significant numbers of people fail to claim the financial support to which they would be entitled and many billions of pounds worth of benefits remain unclaimed each year.

It is always better to take some time and make the effort to find out, rather than to do nothing and risk being one of the people who continue to miss out. For further information and advice please contact:

• Our Revenues Processing team: Telephone 01563 554400 (option 3)
• East Ayrshire Money (EA Money): Telephone 0800 389 7750 or email financialinclusionteam@east-ayrshire.gov.uk
• The Pension Service: Telephone 0800 731 7898 (for a form) or 0800 731 0469 (for changes)
• Pension Credit: Telephone 0800 99 1234 (for new claims) or 0800 731 0469 (for change of circumstances)
• East Ayrshire Carers Centre: Telephone 01563 571533
• Citizens Advice Scotland: Telephone 01563 553479 (Kilmarnock) or 01290 429500 (Cumnock).

Types of benefits

Find out about the different types of benefits:

• Education benefits
• Council Tax reduction
• Housing benefit
• Disability benefits

Other discounts and payments

Find out about other discounts and exemptions:

• Council Tax discounts
• Council Tax exemptions
• Council Tax disabled person's band reduction
• Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) 

Benefit cap rules

The cap on the maximum amount of weekly benefit which can be paid to working age claimants is currently £257.69 for single claimants and £384.62 for couples and lone parents.

From 1 April 2023 the benefit cap will be set at £283.71 per week if you are a single person and £423.46 per week if you are a couple or have children.

Benefits included in the calculation

All benefits including child benefit and housing benefit are included. Disability benefits and anyone entitled to Working Tax Credit are not included in the calculation.

If your benefit entitlement exceeds the cap figure

If your benefit entitlement exceeds the cap figure the Housing Benefit element of your payment will be reduced and you will receive the reduced amount of benefits.

Scottish Government are committed to mitigating the benefit cap by awarding a Discretionary Housing Payment to cover the capped amount.

If you are subject to the benefit cap restrictions, please contact the Revenues and Processing Section to apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment telephone application.

If you are successful the payment will be made every four weeks by Bacs transfer therefore we will also require your bank details.