Income Support

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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.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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