Income Support Explained

You can no longer claim Income Support. It's been replaced by Universal Credit, and new claims aren't accepted.

Income Support was a means-tested payment for people on a low income who weren't required to sign on as unemployed — carers, lone parents with young children, and some people who couldn't work through illness or disability.

It still turns up in older guidance and in some service-leaver briefings, which is why it's worth being clear: if someone has told you to claim Income Support, they're working from out-of-date information.

The support itself hasn't disappeared. It comes through Universal Credit now.

Who is eligible?

Nobody, for a new claim. It's closed at any income level, anywhere in the UK, whatever your service history.

A small number of people are still paid Income Support from a claim made before it shut. If that's you, payments continue until the DWP moves you across to Universal Credit, and it manages that process and writes to you about it.

Read that letter carefully when it arrives, because there's a deadline for responding to it and missing it can stop your payments.

What benefits does this provide?

  • Nothing for new claimants: Income Support is closed. Apply for Universal Credit instead.
  • Existing awards continue for now: If you were already receiving it, payments continue until the DWP moves you to Universal Credit.
  • A managed migration, not a reapplication: The DWP writes to existing claimants with a deadline to move across. Missing that deadline can stop your payments, so act on the letter.
  • Transitional protection: Where moving to Universal Credit would otherwise leave you worse off, a transitional element can top up your award. It applies to a managed move, not to a claim you make yourself first.
  • What Universal Credit covers instead: Living costs, housing costs, and extra amounts for children, caring responsibilities and limited capability for work.

How do I apply?

  • Do not apply for Income Support: There is no route in. Any form or helpline number telling you otherwise is out of date.
  • Claim Universal Credit instead: Apply at gov.uk/universal-credit. It is an online claim, and the first payment normally takes about five weeks.
  • If you are already on Income Support, wait for your letter: Do not claim Universal Credit off your own back before the DWP contacts you — doing so can cost you the transitional protection that a managed move would have given you.
  • Check what else you may be entitled to: Use an independent benefits calculator listed on GOV.UK before you claim, so you claim everything you qualify for at once.
  • Get free advice first if you are unsure: The Royal British Legion, SSAFA and Citizens Advice will check your situation at no cost. On the transitional-protection question in particular, advice before you act is worth having.

Common questions

Can you still claim Income Support?

No. GOV.UK states plainly that you can no longer claim Income Support. Apply for Universal Credit instead.

What replaced Income Support?

Universal Credit. It covers living costs, housing costs, and extra amounts for children, caring responsibilities and limited capability for work.

What happens to Income Support when you move to Universal Credit?

The DWP writes to you with a deadline to move across, and payments continue until then. Do not claim Universal Credit before that letter arrives, because a managed move can carry transitional protection that a claim you make yourself will not.

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Last reviewed 26 August 2026 by Brittany Belt, Co-founder and COO