(Updated 03/04/2023)
Universal Credit has replaced Income Support for most people. You can’t make a new claim for Income Support - check if you can claim Universal Credit.
If you get Income Support you should have a 'basic payment' paid into your bank account every 2 weeks.
You might get additional payments - known as ‘premiums’ - on top of the basic payment if you need extra help. For example if you or your partner is disabled.
What you get depends on your circumstances - particularly your age and whether you claim as a couple.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) work out your payments by looking at things like your income and savings.
Entitlement to other benefits
If you get Income Support, you might qualify for help with your housing costs. What you can get depends on whether you rent or own your home, and how you pay for it.
If you rent your home, you might qualify for Housing Benefit when you claim Income Support. This is to help pay for your rent - find out how much you could get on GOV.UK.
If you own your home, you might get additional Income Support payments to help pay your service charges and ground rent.
You might also be able to get a government loan to help pay the interest on your mortgage or loans for improvements and repairs.
To get an idea of how much you could get, contact your nearest Citizens Advice. You’ll need to bring details of your housing costs, for example how much you have left to pay on your mortgage.
If you’re getting Income Support you can get help with other housing costs, including:
- Cold weather payments - see how much you’ll get on GOV.UK
- Council tax - see if you can pay less
