Okuzeka
Social Work vocabulary · Welfare and Benefits

Means test

Meaning in social work, with examples

nounCommon term

In social work, means test means: A check of a person's or household's income and savings to decide whether they can receive financial help, and how much.

In Turkish: gelir testi, muhtaçlık tespiti, gelir ve mal varlığı değerlendirmesi

How it is used

The adjective means-tested is very common: means-tested benefits are paid only to people below an income limit, while universal benefits go to everyone in a group. Means always ends in -s in this sense.

Example sentences

  1. Help with care costs is subject to a means test.

  2. The means test looks at savings as well as monthly income.

Common collocations

  • means-tested benefits
  • pass the means test
  • subject to a means test
  • means-testing
  • eligibilityMeeting the conditions, such as age, income, need or residence, that are required to receive a service or payment.
  • benefitsMoney or other support paid by the state to people who are unemployed, ill, disabled, caring for someone or on a low income.
  • social assistanceCash or in-kind support funded from taxes and given to people on low incomes, without any need for previous contributions.
  • entitlementSomething, such as a payment or service, that a person has a legal right to receive if they meet the conditions.

More terms: Welfare and Benefits

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