Step two: work out your applicable amount
This is an amount for basic weekly needs. It is made up of personal allowances (see here), premiums (see here) and housing costs (see here). On 6 April 2004, personal allowances and premiums for children were abolished for all new IS claims and for anyone claiming child tax credit (CTC). Amounts for children are paid through CTC and child benefit instead. If you were getting IS with amounts for children included before 6 April 2004, your IS continues to include these until you claim CTC. If a child becomes part of your family for the first time or returns to the family, you cannot get IS personal allowances and premiums for that child unless you already get these for another child in the family. See here for details of child personal allowances and premiums.
Personal allowance
Your personal allowance is made up of a personal allowance at either the single, lone parent or couple rate, depending on your situation.1Sch 2 para 1 IS Regs
Circumstances | £ per week | Conditions |
Single | | |
Under 25 | 59.20 | No special conditions. |
25 or over | 74.70 | No special conditions. |
Lone parent | | |
Under 18 | 59.20 | No special conditions. |
18 or over | 74.70 | No special conditions. |
Couple | | |
Both aged 16/17 (lower rate) | 59.20 | For couples who cannot get a higher rate (see below). |
Both aged 16/17 (higher rate) | 89.45 | You get the higher rate if: |
| | – you or your partner are responsible for a child; or |
| | – you and your partner would be eligible to claim IS or income-related ESA if you were single; or |
| | – your partner is eligible for income-based JSA or entitled to severe hardship payments of JSA. |
One aged 16/17 (certain cases) | 117.40 | Your partner is under 18 and is eligible for IS or income-related ESA, or would be if s/he were single, or s/he is eligible for income-based JSA or entitled to severe hardship payments of JSA. |
One aged 16/17, one 18–24 | 59.20 | If the rate above does not apply. |
One aged 16/17, one 25 or over | 74.70 | If the rate above does not apply. |
Both aged 18 or over | 117.40 | No special conditions. |
Premiums
Whether or not you qualify for premiums depends on your circumstances. You can qualify for either:
•disability premium of £35.10 (£50.05 for a couple); or
•pensioner premium of £152.90 for couples.
In addition, you may qualify for:2Sch 2 para 6 IS Regs •carer premium of £37.70; and/or
•enhanced disability premium of £17.20 (£24.60 for a couple); and/or
•severe disability premium of £67.30.
You get a carer premium if you or your partner are entitled to CA (see here). If you are entitled to CA but not paid it because it overlaps with another benefit (eg, ESA), you still qualify for a carer premium. You get two carer premiums if both you and your partner qualify. You get a disability premium if you or your partner get:3Sch 2 paras 11 and 12 IS Regs •DLA; or
•AA; or
•PIP; or
•long-term incapacity benefit; or
•severe disability allowance; or
•working tax credit with a disabled worker or severe disability element; or
•war pensioner’s mobility supplement; or
•armed forces independence payment; or
•constant attendance allowance; or
•exceptionally severe disablement allowance.
You also qualify if:
•you are certified as severely sight impaired or blind or have stopped being certified within the last 28 weeks; or
•you have been entitled to SSP for a continuous period of 196 days and you are terminally ill (breaks in entitlement of up to eight weeks are ignored); or
•you have claimed IS on the grounds of incapacity for at least 364 days.
If you are the IS claimant and you have a partner, you get a disability premium if s/he gets any of the qualifying benefits or is blind.
You get an enhanced disability premium if you get the highest rate DLA care component or the enhanced rate of PIP daily living component. It is paid at the rate of £17.20 if you qualify and are single or a lone parent, or £24.60 if you have a partner and one or both of you qualifies.4Sch 2 paras 13A and 15(8) IS Regs People who have reached pension age usually claim PC rather than IS. However, you get a pensioner premium if you are claiming IS and you have a partner who has reached pension age (see here).5Sch 2 paras 9, 9A and 10 IS Regs The severe disability premium is for severely disabled people who live alone, or can be treated as living alone. You qualify for this premium if you get the middle or highest rate care component of DLA, the daily living component of PIP or either rate of AA and no one gets CA for looking after you. You will not get it if you live with another person aged 18 or over (eg, a friend or parent), unless s/he is separately liable for rent, you only share a bathroom or hallway, or in some other circumstances.6Sch 2 para 13 IS Regs See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook for details. If you have a partner, you do not qualify unless s/he also qualifies in her/his own right or is certified as severely sight impaired or blind. If you both qualify, you get two premiums.
Housing costs
If you own your own home, IS can help with certain service charges.7Sch 3 IS Regs The rules about who can get help with housing costs and when help starts are explained in CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook.
Claiming for children
Since 6 April 2004, personal allowances and premiums for children have no longer been included in new IS claims or for anyone claiming CTC. If you were getting IS with amounts for children included before 6 April 2004, it is possible you may still be getting them.
The personal allowance for each dependent child is £68.60. This may be subject to the ‘two-child limit’ (see CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook for more details). Also included are whichever of the following premiums applies:
•family premium of £17.65;
•disabled child premium of £65.94 for each qualifying child;
•enhanced disability premium (child) of £26.67.
You get a family premium if you have a dependent child (under 16, or under 20 and a qualifying young person – see here). You get one premium per family, not per child.8Sch 2 para 3 IS Regs You get a disabled child premium for each dependent child who gets DLA, PIP or is certified as severely sight impaired or blind or has stopped being certified in the last 28 weeks.9Sch 2 para 14 IS Regs You get an enhanced disability premium for each child who gets the highest rate care component of DLA or enhanced rate daily living component of PIP.10Sch 2 para 13A IS Regs