# Should I be claiming Income Support?



## suzanne108

:wacko:

I've no idea....how do I find out?

The direct gov website just says something about being on a low salary or something.

How far back would they pay it if I should have been claiming since LO was born?!


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## lou_w34

I think its about how many hours you work, so any less than 16 a week and you can claim it... I think!

You could always ring your job centre, and they can check for you!

xx


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## lynne192

if you don;t work then you can get it and will get it from when you haven't work from if its less than 6weeks i think. can only get it back dated 3months. so if you don't work then you can claim for it, you have to go to the job centre to apply and take your LO's birth cert etc, you can also apply for child tax credit and child benefit if you haven't already, only if your a single parent too.


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## lynne192

if you work you can't get it at all and have to work over 16.5hours per week to claim tax credits


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## lou_w34

lynne192 said:


> if you work you can't get it at all and have to work over 16.5hours per week to claim tax credits

Really?? How comes when i have my work focused interview at my job centre, the interviewer said if i work a minimum of 16 hours a week or less, then i still get my IS... or is it different in each area?? 

Oh i dunno :shrug: lol I probably heard something different to what he was telling me lol

xx


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## lynne192

income support is just another verison of job seekers, if you work you just get higher tax credits not income support i am sure, this is what i was told, its all changing next year anyways and alot of it will either be cut or lost.


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## Ju_bubbs

You can get income support if you are a single parent, not working, or a carer for someone on DLA. You CAN also get income support if you are a single parent working less than 16 hours a week. Anymore than 16 hours, and you would claim working tax credit.
Also, there is no change to income support next year, apart from that single parents can only calim it until their youngest child is 6 ( i think, maybe 5), at the moment its til your youngst is 7.


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## lynne192

there are alot of changes coming into place that haven't been announced yet hun. sadly we are gonna end up being hit, my money has went to fornightly and likely to become less, i was told if i work less than 16.5hours i'd lose everything.


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## Ju_bubbs

I've only just started another new IS claim, and have been assured that no changes are going to affect me! I also had the choice of weekly, fortnightly or 4 weekly payments, same as always. Tho I have no intention of working even an hour once LO is born, so they may not have bothered telling me if that bit is changing since I made that clear to them lol!

EDIT: Sorry, I've just realised you are in Glasgow, Lynne. Is the whole benefits system not completely different in Scotland?


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## scottishgal89

its not different in scotland completely
if i am working less than 16hours and a single parent i would still get IS
its the lone parent part thats causing confusion i think
but suzanne- yes you can claim it hun but i dont know how far they backdate :flower:


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## lynne192

when i first claimed i got choice but now they are making it fornightly might not have happened in your area but it slowly is happening, they offer me a loan to help tie me over but i refused. tories are hoping to make big cuts, people who are disabled are going to be effected are as low income families, its not sure yet what is going to happen, they are also changing housing benefits...

i was only saying what i was told, over last three years was told would lose most my benfits and money if i worked less than 16.5hours a week... been in two different districts, want to go back to work but my LO has suspected autism, ocd and ASD, so waiting to get help from him and can have many appointments in one week so most employers would not put up with that.


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## purpledahlia

The system is no different in scotland. I get IS fortnightly, its fine, and if i worked less than 16 hours i would still get IS. I have asked, If your in a couple then no, you wouldnt still get IS. single you do tho. 

suz how come you havent been claiming IS? what have you been living on? Maternity? I dont think you can get IS if your on Maternity pay (either SMP or the gov one) but if its ended now then you will qualify x


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## suzanne108

Should have put my circumstances in the OP - oops!

Well I'm obviously a single parent! I get SMP, worked 38 hours before mat leave but will be doing 16 hours a week when I go back in Sept.

Says on the direct gov website that some people can claim it on SMP, but I'm thinking I probs get WTC from when I was working full time. It confuses me!

I'll try ringing the jobcentre :thumbup:


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## purpledahlia

Yeah some people might but i think 28hours is too much to work and get IS, im not sure if you will get it, i have a feeling you will just get a higher element of tax credits (working and child-plus childcare) x


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## suzanne108

Yeah I'm thinking I probs just get more TCs, but maybe I'll qualify when I'm working 16 hours.

Not to worry, I just keep seeing it mentioned in threads and wondered whther I was entitled to it! xx


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## purpledahlia

Did you entitledto.com??


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## suzanne108

purpledahlia said:


> Did you entitledto.com??

No, I'll try it later when Lola is in bed but that website always manages to confuse me :dohh: :blush:


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## purpledahlia

Me too! Bloody nightmare, but keep trying, it should tell you!


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