Means Tested welfare benefits

1. Income Support

This is a means tested benefit payable to individuals or couples who are unable to work, it usually tops up other benefits. You have to be working less than 16 hours a week ( 24hrs with partner) and do not exceed the capital limits. Can include payments for housing costs if you have a mortgage.

Who is entitled ? A customer whose income, from all sources, is below the minimum level set by Parliament. They have to be aged 16 or over and habitually resident in the U.K., Channel Islands, Isle of man or the Republic of Ireland. The customer has to fall into one of the following categories:

be aged 60 and over; or
a Lone Parent with a child under 16 living with them; or
be incapable or treated as incapable of work because of sickness (subject to Personal Capability Assessment and own occupation test); or
be caring for a severely disabled person or a member of their family who is temporarily ill; or
be a disabled person whose earnings are reduced because of their disability; or
be a student (who qualifies for Benefit); or
a woman who is pregnant for the period beginning 11 weeks before her expected week of confinement, and ending seven weeks after the date on which her pregnancy ends; or
be single looking after a child placed with them by a Local Authority or Voluntary Organisation; or
be temporarily looking after another person; or
be in employment living in a residential care home, nursing home or residential accommodation; or
a disabled student; or
a deaf student; or
a blind person; or
certain persons in education; or
a person who on 6/10/96 was aged 50 or over and who has not been in remunerative work for 10 years and has not worked since; or
a refugee (attending an English course for 15 hours a week); or
a person required to attend court; or
a person affected by a trade dispute but only if they are:
aged 16/17; or
incapable of work; or
pregnant for the period beginning 11 weeks before her expected week of confinement and ending seven weeks after the date on which her pregnancy ends;
a person in custody; or
a member of a couple looking after children while the other member is temporarily abroad; or
a person appealing against a decision that they are not incapable of work; or
a person who in addition to one of the above categories also satisfies the criteria for the Parental Leave Scheme.

A customer who is available for and actively seeking work can choose to claim Jobseeker's Allowance.

Even if the customer satisfies the conditions in one of the above categories they will not qualify for Income Support if:

they are permanently resident in a residential care or nursing home and have capital and savings of £16,000 or more; or
they have capital and savings of £8,000 or more; or
they are in full-time education (subject to certain exceptions); or
they work on average 16 hours or more per week or their partner works on average more than 24 hours per week (the remunerative work rule).

Exceptions to the remunerative work rule are:

when a person whose mental or physical disability means they are only able to earn 75% or less of what they would be earning, or if the number of hours of work are 75% or less of what they could reasonably be expected to work, if they were not disabled; or
they are a childminder; or
a volunteer working for expenses only; or
a person in receipt of a training allowance; or
a person caring for someone who is entitled to Attendance Allowance/Disability Living Allowance; or
a person receiving Invalid Care Allowance; or
a person engaged in certain specified occupations, e.g. coast guards or Territorial Army; or
a person affected by a trade dispute; or
certain people living in, or temporarily absent from, a nursing or residential care home; or
anyone who still has protection from the current remunerative work rule because he was working between 16 and 24 hours per week when the 16 hour rule was introduced.

2. Job seekers Allowance

Similar to income support but payable to the recently unemployed as J.S.A (employment) and J.S.A (income) to people who have been unemployed for longer but are available and seeking work. It is intended to be a short-term benefit to get people back to work. Capital limits are in force.

You will have to sign on at your local Benefits Agency and attend regular interviews about your attempts to find work, you will be offered jobs and if you do not take them can have your benefit reduced or stopped.

3. Housing Benefit

If you rent your home whether privately or from the Council or housing Association you may be able to obtain Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, which is paid by your local Council

Who can claim ? There are four basic conditions:

the customer must be habitually resident, (or be exempt from the requirement to be habitually resident);
the customer must occupy the dwelling as their home;
the customer must be liable to pay rent in respect of the dwelling; and
the customer must either be entitled to Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) or have a low income.

Housing Benefit is not available to people with long leases (more than 21 years) except those in shared ownership schemes, people in co-ownership schemes, owner-occupiers, or Crown tenants For more information goto the Work and pensions Department website.

Print this page

Information on this page is current and last updated: 12/03/2008

Call us now on: