1. What is income support

Income support (IS) provides basic financial support for people under pension age (see here) who are not expected to ‘sign on’ as available for work. Students who are lone parents with a child under five may be eligible for IS, as may some younger students on non-advanced courses who are estranged from their parents or who are parents themselves. Most other full-time students are not eligible. See here for which students can get IS.

Note: you cannot make a new claim for IS as it is in the process of being replaced by universal credit.

The amount you get is based on your circumstances - eg, whether you have a partner or whether you (or your partner) have a disability or care for someone with a disability. The amount you get is usually affected by any grant, loan or other income you have.