Welfare benefits
Advice and guidance on changes to your benefits, and your rights to dispute a decision
There may be circumstances when your benefit entitlement changes or stops. This could be due to a new benefit decision, a change in law, because your circumstances have changed, or an official error.
The RCN's Welfare Service is here to help you understand decisions about your benefits, and offer advice if you need to challenge them.
Important update about benefit assessments
From 29 June 2026 all face-to-face and telephone benefit assessments for disability and sickness benefits will be audio recorded to improve transparency and confidence in the assessment process. For more information
Challenging a benefits decision
Advice on challenging and/or appealing a decision made about your benefits.
Students and benefits
If you're a student nurse who is eligible for benefits, see our Student Money Guide, information about claiming Universal Credit or how to book an appointment with the RCN's Benefit Advice Clinic.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
Guidance on claiming Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit from a work related disease or an accident (including long COVID).
Applying for benefits
Our Financial Wellbeing pages include information on benefits, with easy to use calculators to check your entitlement.
Are you working and claiming Universal Credit?
Due to the way Universal Credit is calculated, some RCN members who are working whilst claiming Universal Credit may find their benefits incorrectly reduced. Read our advice on how to challenge decisions where this happened.
