6. Other benefits and tax credits

If you get child benefit, you count as being responsible for a child for income support (IS) and income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA), and usually for housing benefit (HB). This can help you qualify for these benefits in some circumstances while you are a full-time student (see Chapters 6, 7 and 8).

Child benefit is ignored as income for IS and income-based JSA if you are getting child tax credit. However, if you have been getting IS or income-based JSA since before 6 April 2004 that includes amounts for your child(ren), child benefit is taken into account as income. Child benefit is ignored as income for universal credit, income-related employment and support allowance and HB.

Child benefit is taken into account when calculating whether the benefit cap applies (see here and here).