IS20 - A guide to Income Support

Making a claim

How claims are worked out

Interviews and visits

You will be asked to provide information that is needed to assess the claim, including proof of earnings, savings, and expenses. If you have a mortgage or home loan we will give you a special form to take to your lender to obtain information about your loan. In new Jobcentre Plus offices and in some other cases you will be given an appointment for an interview at a Jobcentre Plus office or social security office or arrangements will be made for a home visit. [Legislation (36)]

Interviews at local offices can be conducted in private. If you make your claim by telephoning Jobcentre Plus on a 0845 number we will make arrangements with you to visit one of our offices for a Work Focused Interview to help you with your claim. If you contacted a Jobcentre or social security office and were given claim forms to complete. You can ask for an interview, or one will be arranged if:

• the postal claim form has not been fully completed and an interview seems the best way to obtain the extra information
• or there are complications in the claim or doubts about the claim that need to be resolved at an interview
• or you are unable to complete a postal form, for example, because English is not your first language.

If you live in an area where there are new Jobcentre Plus offices you will normally have to attend a work focused interview.

Home visits can be requested or will be arranged if:

• you ask for one after completing a postal claim form
• or you are unable to complete a claim form and cannot attend an interview at the Jobcentre Plus office or social security office
• or there are difficulties that can only be resolved by a home visit
• or it is the only way of verifying your identity or address

Fares to the Jobcentre Plus office or social security office
Part of the cost of fares to the office may be paid if you are asked to attend an interview, or if you have a good reason to call into the office and the matter could not be dealt with by post or over the phone.

Decisions on a claim

Decisions on claims are made by decision makers on behalf of the Secretary of State. These officers decide whether a claimant is entitled to benefit in accordance with the rules laid down by Acts and Regulations and in accordance with the decisions of the Social Security Commissioners and higher courts. For details on these publications see ‘Further Information’.

Once the Jobcentre Plus office or social security office has all the information it needs on your claim, it is passed to a decision maker who should make a decision. You will be told of the decision in writing. If you want us to look at our decision again you should contact us straight away. Information on disputing or appealing against a decision is given on the next page.

Notification of the payment

You will receive a summary of how your benefit has been worked out. The notification also invites you to get a more detailed explanation of your benefit assessment. You can do this by contacting your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office.

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