Jobseekers Allowance

Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance

These are the most important benefits for young people. They give a basic weekly income for your essential costs - food, clothes, heating, etc (see ‘Housing Benefit\LHA’ for help with your rent). The amount of money you get depends on any savings and regular, weekly income that you have. You must be at least 16 years old to claim Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance. You and your partner (if any) must not be in full time work.

Full time work for you (if you are the person who claims Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance) is 16 or more hours per week; full time work for your partner/civil partner is 24 or more hours per week.

Note: “partner” means someone of the opposite sex to you who will live with you as if you were married. A civil partner or a person you live with as if you are civil partners. www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

You cannot claim both Jobseekers Allowance and Income Support at the same time. Which one you might get depends on your circumstances, so check the headings below to see what you could be entitled to claim.

a) Pregnant, lone parent, too ill/disabled to work, blind, caring for someone who is disabled, in custody before a trial/sentence, attending court as a juror/witness/ ‘party to the proceedings’, some people on government training courses (aged 16 and over)

• For more information for those in custody Tel: 0808 808 2003

www.prisonersfamilieshelpline.org.uk

You may be entitled to Income Support if you fit into one of these groups. If you are a full time student, you will not qualify unless you fit into one of the groups in sections b) and c) below.

For Income Support, you do not have to be available for work and you do not have to register with the Careers or Connexions Services or ‘sign on’ at the Jobcentre.

Contact your nearest Social Security office and ask for an Income Support claim form. You should also be given claim forms for Housing Benefit/LHA and Council Tax Benefit. If in doubt, get advice.

Note: a pregnant woman is only entitled to Income Support if either:

• She is too ill to work or

• The baby is due within 11 weeks

• If baby is due 25 weeks, she could claim Health in Pregnancy Grant

www.maternityaction.org.uk

b) A student on a full time (more than 12 hours per week) course up to and including A-level/NVQ level 3/OND standard (16 -18 year olds)

You may be entitled to Income Support if you are at least 16 and under 19. You are generally treated as still being a student until the end of the holiday after the term when you left school/college. You do not have an automatic right to benefit but if you fit into one of the following groups, you may be entitled:

• Severely disabled and unlikely to get a job in the next year.

• You have children

• Orphan with no one acting as your parent

• Refugee learning English

• Have to live away from your parent/s or anyone acting as your parent/s because:

• You are ‘estranged’ from them
• You are in danger
• There is a serious risk to your physical or mental health
• You live away from your parent/s who cannot support you because they  are:

• In prison
• Unable to enter the country because of the immigration rules
• Chronically sick or disabled

If you do not fit into any of those categories and you are still living with your parent/s, they can claim Child Benefit for you until you either reach 19 or stop being a full time student. They might also be entitled to other benefits or tax credits, so get advice about what they are entitled to claim.

c) A student on a full time course above A-level/NVQ level 3/OND standard or who is studying for 16 or more ‘guided learning hours’ per week on a course funded by the Learning & Skills Council (16 and over)

You may be entitled to Income Support. Your college can tell you whether your course fits with these definitions and is full time. Most full time students cannot claim but if you are in one of the following groups, you might be entitled:

• Lone parent (Some lone parents can claim “Care to Learn” funding)

• Disabled or long term sick

• Refugee learning English

• One of a couple who are both full time students and you have children (entitled during the summer vacation only, maybe Jobseekers Allowance)

• Students from abroad who receive Urgent Cases Payments

Ask your college welfare office to check your entitlement and help you claim.

Some full time students can claim JSA for a limited time if your course is employment related or your course was interrupted for an approved reason such as illness or caring.

d) A part time student (16 and over)

You may be entitled to Income Support if you are at least 16, not on a full time course, not in full time work and you are pregnant, a lone parent, sick/disabled, blind, caring for someone who is disabled, in custody or one of the other situations in section (a).

Otherwise you may be entitled to Jobseekers Allowance as an unemployed person while studying part time. Ask an advice centre or college welfare office to help you work out if your course is ‘part time’. You must be at least 16 but not all under 18’s can qualify - see section (e).

If you claim Jobseekers Allowance, the Jobcentre will expect you to look for a job at the same time as studying. Make an appointment with the Careers or Connexions Services and claim at the Jobcentre but try to get advice before going to the interview.

e) Unemployed (aged 16 and over) If you and your partner (if any) are not in full time work - see section (a), or you are not a full time student, you may be entitled to Jobseekers Allowance.