Income Support and lone parents 



The rules about which lone parents are eligible to claim Income Support (IS) changed in 2012. Lone parents may now move on to Jobseeker’s Allowance or ESA rather than IS when their child goes to school. Entitlement to IS as a lone parent generally stops when the youngest child reaches school age. You may be able to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance instead, where you will be expected to sign on as available for work and show that you are actively seeking work. Special rules allow some full-time students to continue receiving IS as a lone parent until their course ends or their youngest child turns 16, whichever happens first. 



The rules about the age of the youngest child should not affect lone parents who are able to claim IS for some reason other than being a lone parent. In particular, if you are looking after a disabled child you may also count as a carer for IS. 



A lone parent who is also a carer can claim IS regardless of their youngest child’s age. However, there is a very specific definition of when a parent looking after a disabled child counts as a carer.