1. West Dunbartonshire Citizens Advice Bureau
Unemployment Benefit
and
Income Support

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

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

4. 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

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

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

7. 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 *

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

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

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

11. 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

12. 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*

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

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

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

18. 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