Income Support

You can no longer make claims for Income Support.

The advice below is for those who still receive this benefit until they are moved to Universal Credit.

You receive Income Support as a single parent if you:

• are 16 years of age or over and
• are not working or working less than 16 hours per week and
• have less than £16,000 in savings and
• have a dependent child living with you who is under the age of five years.

If you have a child who receives Disability Living Allowance or Child Disability Payment at the middle rate or higher rate care component, you receive Carer’s Allowance, or you foster children you can continue to get Income Support when you do not have a child under 5 years old.

If you work under 16 hours per week the first £20 you earn is ignored. Anything after that reduces your Income Support pound for pound.

When your youngest child is aged between 2 and 4 you will be asked to attend an interview at the jobcentre to discuss steps you need to take to return to work. These steps are called work related activities. If you do not attend the interview or undertake the work-related activity without ‘good cause’ your Income Support could be reduced.

When your youngest child turns 5 your income support will stop, and you can make a claim for Universal Credit.

Single mothers aged 16 and over get Income Support while still in full-time non-advanced education at school or college. They can also claim the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) of £30 per week if they meet the criteria. The Educational Maintenance Allowance does not affect Income Support or Housing Benefit.

Income Support rates:

Single parent under 18 years: £71.70
Single parent aged 18 and over: £90.50

You may also get an additional premium of £45.60 if you are a carer.

Free school meals

All children in primary 1 to 5, at schools (and special schools) run by their local council or funded by the Scottish Government, can get free school lunches during term-time. 

Your child could get free school meals after primary 5 if you get:

• Universal Credit (where your monthly income is not higher than £850)
• Scottish Child Payment
• Income Support
• income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
• income-based Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

If your child is 16-18 years old and receives any of these benefits for themself, they can also claim free school meals.

For more information and how to apply see: Free School Meals.