It is now much harder to find advice and help with your children’s benefits than it used to be. You should expect that you will have to do most of the work yourself (or with help from your friends – don’t worry, this site will show you what to do, and how to do it). But if you can get a bit of advice to make sure you know what rate you should be getting, it will be really helpful. This information applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

You might have come across some of the terms below - if you have, it's good to be sure what they mean. The information in this guide applies to people who have applied for Personal Independence Payment in England, Wales and Scotland.

If someone has asked you to go with them to the hearing to give them support, there are several things that you could do that would be very useful. This information applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

If someone has asked you to go with them to the ESA or Universal Credit appeal hearing to give them support, there are several things that you could do that would be very useful. This information applies to the UK.

Get guidance on what you should do - whether you got 0 points, were told you were well enough to work, or were put in the work-related activity group when you think you should have been put in the support group. This information applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

If you have a legal problem, you may be able to get help to pay for legal advice. See what help you may be able to get if you have a case going to a tribunal – that’s a problem to do with things like your benefits, council tax reductions, and unlawful discrimination by your employer or your child’s special educational needs. Understand what legal aid is, when it is available and who can get it. This information is about the law in England and Wales only.

If you (or someone who is helping you) are OK with writing, you should think about writing a statement for the tribunal. These can be very useful as they set out all your points, which means that you don't have to remember everything to say on the day. They also give the appeal panel time to think about what you have said and why your child should be getting a higher award before they meet you. This information applied to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

We have teamed up with Resolution to provide a panel of family law solicitors that can help our users at the most important points of their family case for a reduced, fixed fee. This section tells you about the topics the family law solicitor can help you with as part of this service. It is really important to work your way carefully through the relevant guide so that you are well prepared to get the most out of your advice session. The way we can offer a reduced fee through this service is by you being well informed and prepared. This saves the solicitor and you time in your meeting. To help

This short film is based on a real case but we have used actors to protect the identity of the family. The film is narrated by Romanian Roma community members in Romanes. Created: June 2023 Reviewed: September 2024