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Extra payments if you have a disability

To qualify for disability element, you have to meet all of these conditions:

• you must be working for 16 hours or more a week
• you must have a disability that makes it difficult for you to get a job
• you must be receiving, or have recently received, a qualifying sickness or disability-related benefit - or in certain circumstances National Insurance credits

If you're not sure if you qualify, you can:

• check the 'Disability Helpsheet' by following the link below - this explains all the conditions you need to meet to qualify for the disability element
• call the Tax Credit Helpline

• Download 'Disability Helpsheet' (PDF, 151K) Opens new window

• Contact details for the Tax Credit Helpline

• Help with PDF files

If you have a severe disability

You might get one of the following:

• the Highest Rate Care Component of Disability Living Allowance
• the Higher Rate of Attendance Allowance

If so, you may qualify for a further amount of Working Tax Credit because of your severe disability. This is called the 'severe disability element'.

You won’t be able to get the severe disability element unless you qualify for Working Tax Credit. This means that you or your partner will need to be working a certain number of hours. This depends on your circumstances, but if you're disabled you'll normally have to work at least 16 hours a week.

If you're in a couple, the person with the severe disability doesn't have to be working. But one of you will still need to be working the minimum number of hours to qualify for Working Tax Credit.

• What counts as work for Working Tax Credit?

• Disability Living Allowance - rates and how to claim (disabled people section)

• Attendance Allowance - rates and how to claim (disabled people section)

How much will you get?

This tax year - 6 April 2023 to 5 April 2023 - on top of your basic Working Tax Credit you could get:

• £2,790 a year, that is around £54 a week, if you qualify for extra payments because you have a disability
• £1,190 a year, that is around £23 a week, if you qualify for extra payments because you have a severe disability
• £3,980 a year, that is around £77 a week, if you qualify for both lots of extra payments

If you claim as a couple and both you and your partner have a severe disability, you can qualify for two extra payments of £1,190.

The amount you get also depends on other money you have coming in:

• Disability Living Allowance doesn't count as income when your tax credits are worked out
• other benefits like Carer's Allowance do count as income, and can reduce your tax credit payments

To find out more about how much you may get, you can use an online calculator or call the Tax Credit Helpline.

• Tax credits calculator - find out how much you can get Opens new window

• Contact details for the Tax Credit Helpline

How to claim

If you're not currently getting tax credits

If you now think you qualify for extra tax credits because of a disability, you should make a claim as soon as possible.

You should make a claim within one month of finding out you are entitled to a qualifying disability or sickness benefit. This is to make sure that you get your payments backdated to the earliest possible date.

To claim, fill in a claim form. You can only get a claim form by calling the Tax Credit Helpline.

• Contact details for the Tax Credit Helpline

If you already get tax credits

If you now want to claim extra tax credits because of a disability, ring the Tax Credit Helpline. You should do this as soon as you know you're entitled to a qualifying sickness or disability related benefit. Contact the helpline within one month of finding out, to make sure that you get your payments backdated to the earliest possible date.

• When your tax credits claim can be backdated

• Contact details for the Tax Credit Helpline

More useful links

• How to claim tax credits

• Financial support for disabled people (disabled people section)