If you already get Income Support

You will continue to get Income Support if all of the following still apply to you (and your partner, if you have one): you have no income or a low income, and no more than £16,000 in savings you’re not in full-time paid work (you can work less than 16 hours a week, and your partner can work less than 24 hours a week) you’re between 16 and Pension Credit qualifying age you live in England, Scotland or Wales - there are different rules for Northern Ireland You must also be at least one of the following: pregnant a lone parent (including a lone adoptive parent) with a child under 5 a lone foster parent with a child under 16 a single person looking after a child under 16 before they’re adopted a carer on maternity, paternity or parental leave unable to work and you receive Statutory Sick Pay, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance in full-time education (not university), aged between 16 and 20, and a parent in full-time education (not university), aged between 16 and 20, and not living with a parent or someone acting as a parent a refugee learning English - your course needs to be at least 15 hours a week, and you must have started it within 12 months of entering the UK in custody or due to attend court or a tribunal You do not need a permanent address - for example, you can continue to claim if you: sleep rough live in a hostel or care home You must continue to report any changes to your circumstances . You do not need to do anything else unless you are contacted by the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ). If you’re moving to Universal Credit If your Income Support claim is ending because you’re making a new claim for Universal Credit , you’ll automatically continue to get the amount of Income Support you currently receive, as long as you’re still eligible. You’ll normally get this for 2 weeks, starting from the date of your new claim. DWP will write to you telling you how this works. You do not need to pay this money back, and it will not affect the amount of Universal Credit you get. If you disagree with a decision You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.

Report a change of circumstances

You need to report changes to your circumstances so you keep getting the right amount of Income Support. Your claim might be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change straight away. If you get more than one benefit, you’ll need to report your change to each benefit office. You may be prosecuted or have to pay a £50 penalty if you give wrong or incomplete information, or do not report changes straight away. What you need to report This list does not cover every change you must report. Call Jobcentre Plus if you’re not sure whether you need to report a change. Changes to personal details You must report if: you change your bank account details you change your telephone number anybody starts or stops living with you your partner or someone you live with dies you or someone included on your claim changes their immigration status you or anyone who lives with you leaves Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) for any period of time You must report if you, your partner, or anyone who lives with you: changes name changes address gets married or forms a civil partnership gets divorced or ends a civil partnership has a baby or gets pregnant goes into prison or legal custody Changes to a medical condition or disability You need to report if you or someone included on your claim: has any changes to a medical condition or disability goes into hospital, a care home or sheltered accommodation starts or stops caring for someone You should also report if anyone starts or stops getting Carer’s Allowance, Carer Support Payment or an extra amount of Universal Credit for caring for you. Changes to work and education Report if you, your partner, or anyone who lives with you: starts or stops education, training or an apprenticeship finds or finishes a job, or starts working different hours is involved in a trade dispute, or unable to work because of a trade dispute (for example, if there’s a strike) Changes to income and benefits You need to report if your household income goes up or down. Report it if you or anyone who lives with you: has a change to earnings gets paid back-pay (sometimes called ‘arrears’) for earnings from work gets a different amount of benefit has a change to the amount of pension they get has a change to the amount of any other money coming in (for example student loans or grants, sick pay or money from a charity) Changes to savings or assets You need to report if the total savings and assets in your household is more than £6,000. Report it if you or anyone who lives with you: has a change to the amount of savings or investments they own becomes the owner of any land, buildings or premises sells any land, buildings or premises gets a one-off payment such as inheritance or a lump sum payment How to report You can report a change of circumstances by: calling the Jobcentre Plus helpline for existing benefit claims writing to the Jobcentre Plus office that pays your Income Support - the address is on the letters you get about your Income Support If your partner or someone you live with has died, you can tell Jobcentre Plus and other government organisations in one go using the Tell Us Once service . Jobcentre Plus - existing benefit claims Telephone: 0800 169 0310 Textphone: 0800 169 0314 British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet Welsh Language: 0800 328 1744 Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm Find out about call charges If you’ve been paid too much If you do not report a change straight away or give wrong or incomplete information, you might be paid too much. If you are, you might have to pay some of the money back .

You can no longer make a new claim for Income Support. If you’re on a low income and need help to cover your costs, you can apply for Universal Credit instead. Income Support includes: a basic payment (personal allowance) extra payments (premiums) Your income and any savings (over £5,999) can affect how much you get. Personal allowance Your situation Weekly payment Single - age 16 to 24 £71.70 Single - age 25 or over £90.50 Lone parent - age 16 to 17 £71.70 Lone parent - age 18 or over £90.50 Couples - both under 18 £71.70 Couples - both under 18 getting ‘higher rate’ £108.30 Couples - one under 18, the other 18 to 24 £71.70 Couples - one under 18, the other 25 or over £90.50 Couples - one under 18, one over getting ‘higher rate’ £142.25 Couples - both 18 or over £142.25 Higher rate The higher rate applies if either of you is responsible for a child, or if each of you would be eligible for one of the following if you were not a couple: Employment and Support Allowance Income Support Jobseeker’s Allowance Premiums An Income Support ‘premium’ is extra money based on your circumstances, for example if: your partner is a pensioner you’re disabled or a carer The benefit cap The benefit cap limits the total amount of benefit you can get. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age . Some individual benefits are not affected, but it may affect the total amount of benefit you get. How you’re paid Payments are usually made every 2 weeks. All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into your bank, building society or credit union account .

Income Support

Overview

You can no longer make a new claim for Income Support. If you’re on a low income and need help to cover your living costs, you can apply for Universal Credit instead.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

View a printable version of the whole guide

Help us improve GOV.UK

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab).

Cookies on GOV.UK

Income Support

Overview

Related content

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK