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Social Work vocabulary · Welfare and Benefits

Benefits

Meaning in social work, with examples

/ˈbenɪfɪts/nounCore term

In social work, benefits means: Money or other support paid by the state to people who are unemployed, ill, disabled, caring for someone or on a low income.

In Turkish: sosyal yardımlar, yardım ödemeleri, ödenekler

How it is used

Usually plural in this sense, especially in British English: claim benefits, be on benefits, apply for benefits. Social workers often help clients check which benefits they are entitled to and fill in claim forms.

Example sentences

  1. She has been on benefits since she lost her job last year.

  2. We helped the family apply for the disability benefits they were entitled to.

Common collocations

  • claim benefits
  • be on benefits
  • benefit claim
  • means-tested benefits
  • disability benefits
  • welfareA person's health, safety and wellbeing; also the system of public support, such as payments and services, for people in need.
  • allowanceA regular sum of money paid by the state or an organisation for a particular purpose, such as caring, disability or education.
  • claimantA person who applies for or receives a state benefit; in law, also a person who brings a claim against someone in court.
  • entitlementSomething, such as a payment or service, that a person has a legal right to receive if they meet the conditions.
  • means testA check of a person's or household's income and savings to decide whether they can receive financial help, and how much.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Welfare and Benefits

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