Income Support - how much you can get
This advice applies to Scotland. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Wales
If you get Income Support you should have a 'basic payment' paid into your bank account every 2 weeks.
You might get additional payments - known as ‘premiums’ - on top of the basic payment if you need extra help - for example, if you or your partner is disabled.
Cost of Living Payments
The government sent the last Cost of Living Payment of £299 during spring 2024. They haven’t announced any more payments.
You should have got the Cost of Living payment of £299 between 6 and 22 February 2024. To get the £299 payment you must have been entitled to an Income Support payment between 13 November and 12 December 2023.
If you didn’t get the last payment
If you think you should have received a Cost of Living Payment, you can report a missing payment on GOV.UK.
Your basic payment
What you get depends on your circumstances - particularly your age and whether you claim as a couple.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) work out your payments by looking at things like your income and savings.
If you're single
| Your circumstance | Weekly payment |
|---|---|
|
Your circumstance
16 to 24 |
Weekly payment
£71.70 |
|
Your circumstance
25 or over |
Weekly payment
£90.50 |
|
Your circumstance
Parent aged 18 or over |
Weekly payment
£90.50 |
|
Your circumstance
Parent aged 16 or 17 |
Weekly payment
£71.70 |
If you're part of a couple
| Your circumstance | Weekly payment |
|---|---|
|
Your circumstance
Both aged 18 or over |
Weekly payment
£142.25 |
|
Your circumstance
Both under 18, or one is under 18 and the other is 18 to 24 |
Weekly payment
£71.70 (or £142.25 if you have children) |
|
Your circumstance
One person is under 18 and the other is 25 or over |
Weekly payment
£90.50 (or £142.25 if you have children) |
If you or your partner is disabled
You might get an additional Income Support premium if you or your partner is ill or disabled - this is called the ‘disability premium’.
If you or your partner is eligible, you can get an extra:
£42.50 a week if you’re single
£60.60 a week if you’re in a couple
You might get further payments on top of this if you qualify for the ‘severe’ or ‘enhanced’ disability premium.
You can check if you’re eligible for disability premiums on GOV.UK.
If you're a carer
You can usually get an extra £45.60 a week on top of your basic Income Support payment if you’re eligible for Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment. This is called the ‘carer premium’.
It doesn’t matter if you aren’t actually paid any Carer’s Allowance or Carer Support Payment, for example because you claim other benefits that overlap. You’ll qualify for the carer premium as long as you’re eligible and make a claim.
Carer Support Payment is replacing Carer’s Allowance in Scotland. It’s available in different parts of Scotland at different times. You should check if you can claim Carer Support Payment where you live.
If Carer Support Payment is not available where you live, check if you can claim Carer’s Allowance.
You can use the Turn2us benefits calculator to get an idea of what you should get.
Getting help with housing costs
If you get Income Support, you might qualify for help with your housing costs. What you can get depends on whether you rent or own your home, and how you pay for it.
If you rent your home, you might qualify for Housing Benefit when you claim Income Support. This is to help pay for your rent - find out how much you could get on GOV.UK.
If you own your home, you might get additional Income Support payments to help pay your service charges.
You might also be able to get a government loan to help pay the interest on your mortgage or loans for improvements and repairs.
If you pay a service charge
You can get an additional Income Support payment to pay your service charge. You won’t have to pay this money back - it’s part of your Income Support.
You can get the extra payment if your service charge is to pay for:
building insurance - if it’s part of a condition of your lease
small repairs, for example to water pipes
small improvements, for example painting a hallway
You can’t get the extra payment if your service charge is to pay for:
major improvements, for example adding extra insulation
major repairs, for example repairing a roof
emergency alarms - for example a Careline alarm
If you have a mortgage or other loan for your home
You can get a loan from the DWP to help pay your mortgage interest, as well as interest on loans taken out to pay for things like:
the freehold of your property
your ex-partner’s share in your property
major repairs and improvements
The loan is called ‘support for mortgage interest’ (SMI). You’ll have to pay it back, but usually only when you sell your home or give it to someone else.
You’ll need to decide if SMI is the best way to help pay your mortgage interest - find out if you can get SMI and what to think about.
To get an idea of how much you could get, contact your nearest Citizens Advice. You’ll need to bring details of your housing costs, for example how much you have left to pay on your mortgage.
Help with other housing costs
If you’re getting Income Support you can get help with other housing costs, including:
Council Tax Reduction - check if you can get Council Tax Reduction
Winter Heating Payment - check who can get Winter Heating Payment
If you're struggling with money
There are things you can do to save on your regular living costs. Check what to do if you need help with living costs.
If you’re finding it hard to pay your bills, you can get help. Find out more about getting help with your bills.