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  2. Benefits and money
  3. Benefits and financial support
  4. Support if you're employed or looking for work

Income Support

Income Support is extra money to help people on a low income. It’s for people who are not signed on as unemployed. Whether you are eligible for Income Support and how much you get depends on your circumstances.

Eligibility

You can no longer make a new claim for Income Support. If you’re on a low income and need help to cover your living costs, you can apply for Universal Credit instead.

You may contact the Benefits freephone by ringing 0800 022 4250 for any queries you have regarding Income Support.

If you already get Income Support

People who meet the qualifying criteria below and already get Income Support can continue to do so, but must report any change in their circumstances (or those of their partner if they have one) immediately.

  • be between 16 and Pension Credit qualifying age
  • not be signed on as unemployed
  • be either pregnant, a carer, a lone parent with a child under five or, in some cases, unable to work because you’re sick or disabled
  • have no income or a low income (your partner’s income and savings will be taken into account)
  • be working less than 16 hours a week and your partner working less than 24 hours a week (you may still qualify if you do unpaid voluntary work or go on parental or paternity leave
  • live in Northern Ireland
  • not be under immigration control

You don’t need a permanent address. You can still claim if you sleep rough or live in a hostel or care home.

Under 21 in secondary education

You will also be eligible to continue receiving Income Support if you’re aged 19 or younger, in full-time secondary education (including A levels) and are one of the following:

  • a parent
  • not living with a parent or someone acting as a parent
  • a refugee learning English

While your secondary education finishes, you can continue to receive Income Support up until you turn 21 if you’re also orphaned or estranged from your parents.

If your circumstances change

Contact the Benefits Freephone number on 0800 022 4250 straight away if something changes that may affect your Income Support. This includes if you or your partner:

  • move home (or other people move into or leave your home)
  • change the account you pay benefits 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

How much you can get

Income Support is made up of three parts:

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

Details of Income Support rates are available on Gov.uk

Premiums

You could also get an Income Support premium. This is extra money based on your circumstances, for example, if:

  • your partner is a pensioner
  • you’re disabled or a carer

Benefit Cap

The benefit cap limits the amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to State Pension age can get. Some individual benefits aren’t affected but it may affect the total amount of benefit you get.

SMS messages

When claiming Income Support you may receive text messages (SMS) from the Department for Communities (DfC). They will always be clearly marked as DfC and will never ask you to give, or click a link to give, personal information or financial details by message or email.

If you’re concerned or unsure about any text messages (SMS) you receive from about Income Support you should contact your local Jobs and Benefits office directly. If you suspect you have received a fraudulent message as a scam, contact your local Jobs and Benefits office immediately.

Further information is available at scamwiseni.

Cost of Living Support Payment

A Cost of Living Support package has been put in place for 2022 that includes one-off payments to those on income related benefits, disabled claimants and pensioners. These payments are intended to provide support with the current rise in the cost of living.

You may be eligible for one, or more, of these Cost of Living Support Payments if you get or had started a claim for Income Support on 25 May 2022.

Find out more about Cost of Living support

Get a proof of benefit letter for Income Support

A proof of benefit letter may be needed to access various government supports and services.

If you need proof that you are getting Income Support you can get a proof of benefit letter

If you cannot use the online service, please contact Income Support by ringing the
Benefits Freephone number: 0800 022 4250. 

Appeal against a decision

You can ask the Department for Communities to look at its decision again if:

  • your claim is turned down
  • you think your benefit has been worked out wrongly
  • Appealing against a benefits decision

Help with housing costs

If you receive Income Support and have a mortgage, remortgage or home loan, you may be able to get a loan to help towards the interest payments. 

  • Support for Mortgage Interest

More useful links

  • How benefits and pensions are paid
  • Support if you're employed or looking for work
  • Financial support
  • Help with health costs
  • Benefits for higher education students
  • The Common Travel Area and social security benefits
  • Contacting 08 and 03 numbers
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Support if you're employed or looking for work

  • Benefits and help when going back to work
  • Employment and Support Allowance
  • Financial support for parents and children
  • Help with health costs
  • Income Support
  • Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Leaving work to care for someone
  • Reduced Earnings Allowance
  • Universal Credit

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What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

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