Income support is for people aged 16 to 59 who are a lone parent, registered sick or disabled, a student who is either a lone parent or disabled or caring for someone who's sick or elderly.  You are ineligible if you have savings of £16,000 or more and / or are working more than 16 hours per week on average.

You can also claim Income support you're off work sick and your Statutory Sick Pay is less than the amount of Income Support you would be entitled to, you or your partner or civil partner are not working because of parental leave or you're on paternity leave.

Income support is delivered via JobCentre Plus offices, but get advice from the Citizen's Advice Bureau first to see what benefits you are eligible for.  You can also claim by phone on 0800 055 6688 (textphone: 0800 023 4888) on claim Income Support online.

If you're entitled to Income Support, you automatically qualify for:

• free dental care
• free prescriptions
• free school meals
• housing benefit
• council tax benefit

•   29 September Department for Work and Pensions Public Enquiries
  website

  dwp.gov.uk/contact-us/

  Contacts for local offices for enquiries about all benefits, as well as contact information for ministers in the Department.

•   29 September Shelter
  address

  88 Old Street, London EC1V 9HU
  telephone

  0808 800 4444
  email

  info@shelter.org.uk
  website

  http://www.shelter.org.uk

  Help with homelessness, rents, mortgages, re-housing, experiencing harassment or violence in your home, housing benefits and people living in crowded or unsuitable housing. They have contact details for housing associations in the London area. Online information centre provides up to date and easy to understand definitions and answers to many common housing issues, and their free helpline offers individual guidance.

•   29 September Disability and carers benefits advice
  website

  http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/Introductiontofinancialsupport/DG_065148

  Collected information on benefits for disabled people and their carers.

•   29 September Citizen's Advice Bureau
  website

  http://www.adviceguide.org.uk
  website

  http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk

  Citizens Advice Bureau are one stop shops where basic advice and information on your rights can be obtained. There are many centres around the UK and also an online advice.

•   29 September JobCentre Plus
  website

  http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

  Manages and delivers benefits on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions, including JobSeeker's Allowance and some others. Can also help unemployed people with training and finding work.

•   29 September Community Care
  website

  http://www.communitycare.co.uk

  Excellent resource for an overview of the benefits system, including articles on new benefits and elegibility.

•   29 September Disabled Person's Tax Credit Help Line
  telephone

  0845 605 58 58
  address

  0845 608 88 44
  website

  http://www.rsi.org.uk/advice/disabled_persons_tax_credit.html

  For people who have an illness or disability that puts them at a disadvantage in getting a job. See website or call the helpline for details of eligibility and how to claim.

• benefits
• tax
• money