West Dunbartonshire Citizens Advice Bureau Unemployment Benefit and Income Support

Income Support - what is it? Means tested benefit or income related benefit Non contributory Can be used to top up other benefits or income

Qualifying conditions Aged 16 or over Present in Great Britain Under pension credit qualifying age Not in full time education Bernie – mention Universal credit

Who can claim Income Support? Either pregnant, a carer or single parent with child under 5 Working less than 16 hours per week Under Pension Credit (PC) qualifying age On low or no income Less than £16,000 in savings

Also - Disabled or Carers (PREMIUMS) In receipt of statutory sick pay Aged 16-20 and in full time education/training – not university

Couples Under PC qualifying age Working less than 24 hours per week Not in receipt of (IR) JSA, or (IR) ESA

Disregards on earnings £5 a week if single with no children £10 a week if a couple £20 a week if a lone parent * NOTE – always check which benefits are counted as income *

Capital rules Upper limit of £16,000 Lower limit of £6,000

Jobseekers allowance (JSA) For people who are unemployed or Working less than 16 hours a week

Contribution based JSA Employment based on National Insurance (NI) record Payable for up to 6 months

Income related (IR) JSA Means tested Low or no income £16,000 capital limit Not payable if partner works more than 24 hours a week

Job seeking conditions Must be available for work Take active steps to look for work Have a current claimant commitment *Failure to satisfy conditions can result in sanction or a disallowance*

Qualifying conditions You are not working more than 16 hours or more a week Do not have limited capability for work Satisfy the labour market conditions Be under state pension age Not in full time education Be in Great Britain

Couples Contributory JSA – can claim separately Income based JSA – if not joint claim couple, one member can claim for both JOINT CLAIM COUPLES No dependant children Both have to meet conditions for JSA

Remunerative work Excluded from JSA if working more than 16 hours per week COUPLES One member can work up to fewer than 24 hours per week

Starting claim JSA administered by Jobcentre Plus Claim online, or if possible by phone Interview with work coach work focussed interview sign claimant commitment

Responsibilities Sign on fortnightly Review of claimant commitment – in depth interview Jobseeker’s direction

Sanctions and Disallowance Sanctionable failures Payments of JSA cease for a fixed sanction period of between 4 and 156 weeks Joint claim couples Good reason Challenges