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About benefits

Short of cash? Worried about the cost of leaving home or starting college? Confused about how to claim benefits?

The benefits system is complicated and can be confusing. There are loads of different benefits given out by many different organisations, and you're only ever able to get a few of them.

Because of this, many people miss out on benefits they should be getting. It's up to you to find out what you can get, and to make sure you get it. A Connexions Personal Adviser can help you with this – click Personal Advisers to find out more.

There are 3 kinds of benefit:

• Means tested
  To get these benefits, the money you earn each month (and any money you've got saved) must be less than a certain amount.
• Contribution based
  To get these benefits, you must have paid a certain amount of National Insurance (a kind of tax that comes out of your pay at work). Sometimes you can be credited with National Insurance, which means you get the same rights as someone who's been paying National Insurance even though you haven't yet.
• Non-contributory
  To get these benefits you must have special circumstances, such as if you're disabled or you have a child.
  

You might be able to get benefits from all 3 groups at once. Talk to a Personal Adviser to find out what benefits you should apply for.

This information was written by Norwich & District Citizen's Advice Bureau – to find out more visit their young people's website AskCAB.