Benefit help for the unemployed

More help and information is available at your Jobcentre Plus

If you are out of work or on a very low income, there are benefits available which can help you.

The three main benefits are Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support and Job Grants.

However, there are precise rules on who can claim these key benefits and how to do it.

Here is a guide to what is on offer and how to claim it.

JOBSEEKER'S ALLOWANCE

If you are out of work or working less than 16 hours a week on average, you may be able to get Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA).

You must be available for work and below state pension age.

There are two different types of JSA - contribution-based and income-based.

The contribution-based JSA is the higher of the two. But you have to have paid enough National Insurance contributions (NICs) to qualify for it.

Your local Jobcentre Plus will look at your NICs record and tell you whether you qualify or not.

Usually, people under 18 are barred from claiming JSA. But there are some exceptions, such as when a claimant is forced to live away from the family home, has a child or is suffering severe hardship.

In some areas, you can claim JSA by telephone and be sent a statement recording the details you have given and an appointment to attend an interview.

In other areas, you will be given a claim form to fill in and take to the Jobcentre Plus office when you attend a New Jobseeker interview.

If you are still out of work after six months of claiming JSA, you will be asked to attend a "restart interview".

At this point, you may go onto the government's New Deal job scheme.

INCOME SUPPORT

You can claim Income Support if you are aged 16 to 59, cannot work and do not have enough money to live off.

Income Support claimants usually fall into the following categories:

• Lone parents
Registered sick or disabled
A carer for someone who is sick or elderly
Students who are either lone parents or disabled.

You may also be entitled to Income Support if you are claiming Statutory Sick Pay and it is less than the amount of Income Support to which you would be entitled.

In addition, if you are on paternity leave, then you may be able to get some help.

Remember, though, that you can be barred from claiming Income Support if you have more than £16,000 in savings.

JOB GRANTS

Job Grants are designed to help with the costs of moving from unemployment into work.

The grant is a one-off payment which is free of tax.

You can claim a Job Grant if you take up full-time work (at least 16 hours a week) and you expect the work to last for at least five weeks.

To be eligible, you must have been claiming benefits such as JSA, income support, incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance for at least 26 weeks before starting a new job.

Grants range from £100 to £250, depending on your circumstances.

In order to claim a Job Grant, you should tell the Jobcentre Plus that you are about to start work and qualify.