Can I get Income Support?
You could get Income Support if you, and your partner if you have one, are not in full time employment (this is 16 or more hours per week for you and 24 or more hours for your partner).
You must also fall into a category of people who do not have to look for work. This includes:
• single parents if their youngest or only child is under five years old (seven in Northern Ireland)
• lone foster parents fostering a child up to age 16 under an official arrangement
• people getting Carer's Allowance
• people who regularly care for someone who is getting Attendance Allowance, the highest or middle rate care component of Disability Living Allowance, either daily living component of Personal Independence Payment or Armed Forces Independence Payment
• people who are incapable of work because of pregnancy or have 11 weeks or less before their expected week of childbirth
• people getting Statutory Sick Pay.
If you are not able to work due to illness or disability and are not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay, you should claim income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) instead of Income Support.
If you are currently getting Income Support because of illness or disability, you will be reassessed at some point to see if you qualify for Employment and Support Allowance instead. Read more about the ESA reassessment process.
If you have savings or capital over £16,000 you will not be able to get Income Support.