IS20 - A guide to Income Support

Who can get Income Support?

If you do have a partner

If you have a partner and you are involved in a trade dispute, you may be eligible for an Income Support payment to cover their needs. Your entitlement will be calculated using:

• an allowance for your partner at half the normal rate for a couple
• and any appropriate premium for your partner
• and housing costs if you are buying your house.

If you have children
If you have any dependent children or young persons under 19 (and in certain circumstances up to the age of 20) who live with you, you may get Child Tax Credit.

Income and capital
Generally your income and capital will be taken into account in the normal way, but there will be some differences:

• any money received by you or your family because you or your partner are involved in a trade dispute will be taken fully into account except for strike pay
• part or all of your strike pay will be ignored. It will only be taken into account if it is more than the amount of the relevant sum (see below)
• any income tax refund will be taken into account in full
• any payments in kind will be given a monetary value and this will be taken into account.

The relevant sum (assumed strike pay)
The relevant sum is assumed strike pay that is deducted from the full amount of Income Support you would otherwise get. We will assume your strike pay is a certain amount, set annually, and we will count as your strike pay this assumed amount or your actual strike pay, whichever is greater. The size of the relevant sum is changed annually and published in leaflet Social security benefit rates.

If your partner is involved in the dispute
If you are not involved in the dispute, but your partner is, you may be able to get JSA or Income Support if you satisfy the normal conditions for those benefits. Your entitlement will still be assessed under the special rules described above.

If both you and your partner are involved in the dispute
If both you and your partner are involved in the dispute, neither of you is entitled to Income Support for you or your partner’s personal needs or housing costs. But if you have any dependent children or young people, you may be entitled to some Income Support housing costs.  

When you return to work

You may be able to get Income Support for the first 15 days after you return to work. You will not receive a payment if your entitlement is less than £5. The needs of the person involved in the dispute will be included in the assessment of the Income Support payment. This payment will be deducted from your wages over the next 6 months by your employer and returned to social security. There is a limit to the amount your employer can deduct from each pay cheque.

If you return to work for a different employer without going back to the job where you were in dispute, you will not have to pay back your Income Support payment.

If your employer pays you an advance on your wages or a loan, it will be taken fully into account. Any tax refund you receive in this period will be taken into account except for the first £5.

Previous / Contents / Next

back to top