IS20 - A guide to Income Support

Your Income Support payment

Premiums for people with children

Child Tax Credit
Any new claim to Income Support awarded from 6 April 2004 will not include child-related elements because support for children will be provided by Child Tax Credit (CTC). Families already on Income Support in April 2004 who have not already claimed CTC will be moved across to CTC in 2005. CTC is paid into the Income Support customer's account on migration.  If you want to have it paid to the main carer, you must contact HM Revenue & Customs to get it changed.

If you claim CTC before 2005 then it will replace the child-related elements in your Income Support claim. To find more information about how to claim CTC go to Tax Credits.

The family premium
You will get this premium if you or, if you are a member of a couple, your partner are responsible for and in the same household as a child under 19, or in certain circumstaces under 20. Who you can claim for gives details of when you are considered responsible for a child.

The family premium (lone parent rate)
Lone parents who were receiving Income Support which included the family premium (lone parent rate) on 5 April 1998 and whose circumstances have not changed have continued to receive the higher premium. The amount of the higher premium has remained unchanged but the ordinary family premium has been increasing over this period.

From 12 April 2004, the ordinary family premium has increased to an amount that would have exceeded the family premium (lone parent rate). The lone parent rate has therefore increased in line with the increase in the ordinary family premium. Both premiums will be paid at the same rate from this date.

The disabled child premium
If you are responsible for a child under 19, or in certain circumstaces under 20, you will get this premium if:

• the dependant is getting Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• or the dependant is registered blind.

You will not get this premium if the child has capital of more than £3,000.

The enhanced disabled child premium
If you are responsible for a child under 19, or in certain circumstaces under 20, you may get this premium if:

• the dependant gets the highest-rate care component of DLA

You will not get this premium if the child has capital of more than £3,000.

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