IS20 - A guide to Income Support

Making a claim

The changes your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office need to know about

Tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office as soon as you can if any of the changes listed in the following notes apply to you or your partner.

Earning money
Tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office if you, your partner, or children who have left school, do any work at all (including work that is not paid), or earn more money or less money, or stop working. Count tips, fees, bonuses, commission, retainers and any other money from an employer as earnings.

If money is earned occasionally tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office about the earnings on form A356 Declaration of earnings. Ask your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office for one.

If money is earned regularly, send a letter or use form A9 to tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office:

• how many hours a week are worked
• how much is earned before tax, National Insurance (NI) contributions or anything else has been taken off
• how much tax and NI contributions are paid each week
• how much the contributions to a pension scheme are each week
• if a personal pension is paid and who gets it
• the name and address of your employer, in case we need to get in touch with them.

Also send in your wage slips if you have them.

Changes to do with other money coming in
Tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office if you or someone who you have claimed for:

• either claim or start to get any benefits, pensions or allowances
• or get any new cash or money
• or start to get a different amount of benefit (other than Income Support)
• or get more money or less money
• or stop getting a benefit or other money.

Include things like social security benefits and maintenance that is paid because of a court order or the Child Support Agency, or that is paid voluntarily.

Savings
Send a letter to tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office if your savings go over £6000 (or £10,000 if you live in a care home). If you already have savings of more than these amounts, you should tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office, if they go up or down at all. If your savings are above £6,000 (or £10,000 if you live in a care home) you will be given a letter which explains when you should notify changes in your savings

Changes to your account

You must tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office straight away if you want to change the account you are having your Income Support paid into.

Changes to do with where you live
Tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office if you or someone who you have claimed for:

• move to a different address
• or decide to buy where you live
• or take out a mortgage or loan for repairs or improvements to your home
• or the capital balance on your mortgage increases.

Tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office also:

• if someone comes to stay in your home
• or if someone in your home starts getting Income Support or stops getting Income Support

Tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social office if you go abroad, for example, on holiday. Southern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are counted as abroad.

Going into hospital
Tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office if you, or someone who you have claimed for, or someone you are caring for, go into hospital or come out of hospital. For more information on how going into hospital affects Income Support see the sub section on Hospital in-patients.

Changes to do with your family
Send a letter or use form A9 to tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office:

• if you get married or form a Civil Partnership
• or if you start living with someone as if you are married to them or a Civil Partner of them
• or if you and your former partner start living together again
• or if you get divorced or your Civil Partnership is dissolved
• or if you and your partner separate
• or if children who you have claimed for leave school
• or if children who you have claimed for start to be looked after by a local authority or leave home
• or if you or your partner start a course of study
• or if you or your partner go to prison or are held in custody

If someone dies
Someone should send a letter or use form A9 to tell your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office:

• if you die
• or if your partner dies
• or if a dependent child dies
• or if someone who was living with you dies
• or if someone you were caring for dies.

You may be able to get help from the Social Fund with funeral expenses.

Widowed
If the person who has died is your spouse or Civil Partner, you may be able to claim Bereavement Benefit (See leaflet WIDA5DWP - If you are Widowed or your Civil Partner dies).

If you fall sick
If you fall sick, tell:

• the Jobcentre Plus office or social security office if you are signing on
• the Incapacity Benefit section at your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office. You may get an extra benefit
• the Income Support section at your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office. You may get more money if you are sick for a long time.

You should send medical statements from your doctor to your Jobcentre Plus office or social security office.

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