How much can you get?



The amount you get depends on your personal circumstances and your earnings and savings. IS is made up of a personal allowance for you and your partner (if you have one), plus certain premium payments for the elderly, disabled people and carers, and payments to cover certain housing costs (such as mortgage interest) that Housing Benefit does not cover.



Once you have added together your personal allowance and any premiums and payments, if the total amount (known as the applicable amount, see pages 93-94) is more than your income, IS should make up the difference. So, a single person aged 25 or over with no dependents will receive IS if their weekly income is less than £73.10 a week. If you have children, you also need to claim Child Tax Credit (see page 69).



You are not entitled to IS if your capital or savings, together with those of your partner, amount to more than £16,000, but savings between £6,000 and £16,000 are treated as providing £1 a week of income for each £250 or part thereof, and IS will be reduced accordingly. Capital below £6,000 (£10,000 for those in residential or nursing homes) is ignored. 



Income from a range of sources, such as earnings and benefits, may be taken into account in calculating your IS entitlement. The rules are complex and the following is only a general guide. 



The first £5 of a single person’s weekly earnings and the first £10 of a couple’s earnings are ignored. If you are a lone parent, or you receive the disability or carer premium, or you are in certain categories of employment, the first £20 is ignored. Other earnings are taken fully into account.



Most benefits based on National Insurance Contributions, including pension payments, are taken fully into account, but some are ignored. Detailed information is available in the Department for Work and Pensions guide available at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/297972/is-20.pdf.



To claim IS, you should fill in claim form A1, available from your local Jobcentre Plus or benefits office or download at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-support-claim-form.