5. What is your applicable amount?
The applicable amount is the amount of money the law says you need to live on. It consists of:
■a personal allowance
– for a single claimant or for a couple (these are the same as those for income support – see
Chapter 21(6));
■premiums – see below; and
■certain housing costs – see
Chapter 29.
, reg 83, Sch 1 & Sch 2
Premiums – There are five premiums, each one with specific qualifying conditions. These are the same as for income support (see
Chapter 21(6)), but there is an additional pensioner premium for a single person of £127.65.
, Parts III & IV