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Income Support - how to claim and how much you can get

There are several ways you can claim Income Support. To do so you need to tell Social Security/Jobs & Benefits office about your income, where you live and who lives with you. Find out more, including how much you may get.

How to claim Income Support

Claiming by telephone

You can claim by telephoning or by getting a friend, relative or adviser to telephone your local Social Security/Jobs & Benefits office on your behalf. The address can be found in the phone book under Government - Social Security Agency.

Claiming by writing

You can claim by writing or by getting a friend, relative or adviser to write to your local Social Security/Jobs & Benefits office on your behalf. The address can be found in the phone book under Government - Social Security Agency.

In either case, you will be sent the detailed claim forms and a pre-paid envelope addressed to the Social Security/Jobs & Benefits office.

How much you can get

The amount of Income Support you can get is made up of three different parts:

  • personal allowances
  • premiums
  • payments to cover certain housing costs

The amount of the personal allowances are shown in the table below:

Type of person Weekly amount
Single person
Aged 16 to 24 £51.85
Aged 25 or over £65.45
Lone parent
Aged 16 to 17 £51.85
Aged 18 or over £65.45
Couple
With both people under 18 £51.85
With one person under 18 and the other aged 18 to 24 £78.30
With one person under 18 and the other aged 25 or over £65.45
With both people aged 18 or over £102.75

To get a better idea of how much Income Support you may get, use the online benefits adviser.

Where you live

You can still claim Income Support if you're:

  • sleeping rough
  • living in a hostel
  • living in a care home

Young people who are being looked after by a Health & Social Care Trust can't get Income Support.

When you claim Income Support you must be in Northern Ireland and normally live here. If you have moved here to make a settled home, that counts as living here.You must not be under immigration control.There are some exceptions to these rules. To find out more:

How Income Support is paid

The Social Security Agency's normal way of paying pensions and benefits is into an account. This is the best way to get your benefit because you can choose how and when to take your money out of your account. Your account can be with a bank, building society or the Post Office®.

Changes in your life

Tell the Social Security/Jobs & Benefits office straight away if something changes that may affect your Income Support.

For example, if you or your partner do any of the following:

  • move home, (or other people move into or leave your home)
  • change the account that your benefits are paid into
  • change your income – including maintenance and part-time earnings
  • work more or fewer hours
  • become ill
  • have to stay in hospital
  • get more or less of other benefits

If you're not sure whether to tell about a change, do it anyway. If you don't, you could lose out on money you should get. Or you could be paid too much, and have to repay it. To find out more:

If you think the Social Security Agency decision is wrong

You can ask the Social Security/Jobs & Benefits office to look at their decision again:

  • if your claim is turned down
  • you think your benefit has been worked out wrongly

If you're still unhappy with the outcome, you can appeal by filling in leaflet GL24 'If you think our decision is wrong'.

More useful links