Claiming Income Support

Who can apply for Income Support

You can apply for Income Support if you:

are on a low household income
pass the Income Support residence test
are working, looking for work or exempt from looking for work

How to claim Income Support

Due to the outbreak of Coronavirus, Income Support have implemented a revised process to ensure we are able to deal with increased volumes of applications without delay.

If you approach the department for financial help either by email or by phone, we will log your contact centrally. If you are speaking to an advisor by phone, they will try to deal with your query at that point wherever possible.

Income Support will then contact you with the next stage of the application process so it is vital that that you give us the correct contact details where possible. Email is preferred as this will allow your claim to be dealt with faster than by phone. If you do not have an email but someone in your household does, please use theirs if you are able to.

Support for people with long term illnesses or disabilities

Who is covered under an Income Support claim

Your Income Support benefit is based on the needs and income of your family unit, which is known as an 'Income Support Household'.

A 'household' can be any of the following:

one person living alone
a couple (married, unmarried or civil partners) living together
a family living together with children under school leaving age or still in full time education

If you have a spouse or partner, Income Support will look to see if you are living together - either at the same address or at more than one address. If you are living together you'll be treated as one Income Support Household.

A young adult who is a jobseeker will be included in the family household up to the age of 25.

Any other family members won't be part of your Income Support Household, even if they share a property with you.

For example, if an elderly relative lives with their son or daughter, the child and parent would each be a separate Income Support Household and would have to make a separate claim.

Each adult who is included in an Income Support Household must pass the Income Support residence test.

Income Support residence test

Special payments, exceptional payments and emergencies

Certain households may qualify for other payments, including help with heating costs or those with a long-term illness, disability or very young children.

Special payments may also be made to meet urgent or essential expenses. The Social Security minister can also make them to people who wouldn’t normally qualify for Income Support.

Special payments: help with emergency costs

Food Cost Bonus and Cold Weather Bonus

Help from Income Support towards rental costs

If you're responsible for paying rent, part of any Income Support payment is there to meet your rental costs.

It's your responsibility to pay your rent to your landlord, but it's possible to arrange to have some of your Income Support paid automatically to your landlord.

How your Income Support is made up - Housing

If you need an agent / authority to receive payments on your behalf

If you need any of your Income Support to be paid to an agent / authority to receive payments on your behalf, complete the form below.

You can download and print the form, or collect one from us at the Customer and Local Services Department.

Application for payment to an agent or authority form

If you want somebody to speak to us about your claim

If you’d like somebody to speak to us about your claim on your behalf, complete the form below.

You can download and print the form, or collect one from us at the Customer and Local Services Department.

Authority to disclose information form

Appealing an Income Support decision

If you’re unhappy with an Income Support decision, you can ask for it to be reviewed.

If you still don’t agree with the decision, you can appeal to an independent tribunal.

If you think a Social Security decision is wrong