Income Support

What is Income Support?

Income Support is a means-tested benefit for people aged 16 to pension age.  It aims to help with basic weekly living costs. Whether you qualify or not, and how much you get, depends on your circumstances.

Am I eligible for Income Support?

To be eligible for income support you must:

• not receive job seekers allowance or ESA
• or if you’ve had a change in circumstances which means you would need to change from type of benefit to another.

How much income support may I receive?

The current Income Support rates can be found at www.gov.uk.

When pension age is reached, Pension Credit may be payable instead.

Benefit cap

Your benefit(s) may be limited by the ‘benefit cap’. For more details see the welfare benefits article.

How to claim Income Support

Visit www.gov.uk for more information on income support.

Where can I get benefits advice?

You can get benefits advice from a local independent service. They can help guide you through the application process and explain how some benefits may impact upon another:

• Citizens Advice Newcastle give advice to anyone in Newcastle
• Newcastle Welfare Rights Service give advice to people in priority groups including those over 65. They have self help material on their website.
• Search Newcastle give benefits advice to older people in the West of Newcastle
• Find more about benefit advice services available across Newcastle.
• Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help – online, by phone and face to face through partner organisations.

• Payment Exception Service was introduced as cheques are no longer used to pay state benefits and Pension credit. Information Now has more details on the service available to those unable to use bank accounts.

• Telephones article on Information Now has details of a more affordable telephone service if you are in receipt of certain benefits for example, Pension Credit, Income Support, Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Last updated: October 8, 2020