The Income Support scheme launched on 6 July 2018.
The Rent Rebate scheme has ended. Instead, housing support and supplementary benefit have merged into one scheme called income support. It operates according to a single set of rules enabling all households in Guernsey and Alderney to access financial support sufficient to ensure an acceptable standard of living
The latest press releases are available on the Links section at the bottom of this page. The Policy Letter of January 2018 on Income Support is available in the Downloads section of this page.
Wage Slips Reminder to Social Housing Tenants
- Social Security reminds social housing tenants that they need to send in their latest wage slip if they want to receive income support, if they have not already done so. Wage slips will also need to be provided on an ongoing basis.
- Tenants need to send in their wage slips as soon as they receive them from their employers. This applies to all working members of a household who are part of an income support claim.
- Please send Social Security a copy of your wage slip immediately if you are living in social housing and the answer to all of these questions is yes:
- You are in work
- You are not already receiving supplementary benefit
- You have been receiving a rent rebate
- You have not already given us your latest weekly or monthly wage slip
- The fastest way to send in a wage slip is by smart phone with the Guernsey Uploads app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Instructions on how to use the app are available here.
- Wage slips can also be sent by email to incomesupport@gov.gg or posted or handed in to Income Support at Edward T Wheadon House, Le Truchot, St Peter Port, GY1 3WH.
How Do I Claim Income Support ?
- Contact Social Security on 732508 or visit our offices at Edward T Wheadon House, Le Truchot, St Peter Port, or the States Office, Alderney. If you are unable to attend the office because of a disability or illness, a member of Social Security's staff may be able to visit you in your home.
- You will be interviewed by a staff member who will ask you for information about your income, other assets and household dependants. We need this in order to find out if you will be entitled to benefit. The information you are asked to give is treated as strictly confidential.
- If you are entitled to receive income support, you may be visited in your home by a visiting officer who will discuss your circumstances and the amount of benefit to which you are entitled. You are legally required to report any changes in your circumstances to the offices as soon as they occur.
- Benefit is normally paid on a weekly basis directly into a bank account. If you do not have a bank account, you will need to visit a bank and ask to open an account. Basic bank accounts are available from a number of banks.
Will I Need To Get A Job?
- Anyone claiming income support who is under pensionable age and all dependants who are of working age (i.e. over school leaving age but under pensionable age) and who have left full-time education, must also be in full-time remunerative work, or acting in compliance with work requirements relating to them, in order to be eligible for income support.
What Do I Do If My Circumstances Change?
- Certain changes will affect the amount of income support that you may be entitled to. Because of this it is important that you inform us of any changes to your circumstances and those of any dependant members of your household
- Common examples of this include moving address, changing employment, and going out of the island. For these, there are forms available on this page or in our office that you can complete and send into us
- If you have a change to your circumstances that is not covered by these forms, you can report the change to us in our office or by telephone 732508 for guidance. Examples include a person coming to live with you ( either temporarily or permanently) or if you acquire any income that you have not told us
New Benefit Rates
- The new income support benefit rates are set out in the Policy Letter available in the downloads section of this page. The new rates came into force on 6th July 2018 and are uplifted in line with inflation.
New Extra Needs Allowance
- This allowance will provide extra help to people who have particular needs that result in extra energy, clothing, laundry and dietary costs.
Treatment of Savings
- Under the new Income Support Scheme, new capital limits will apply. If you have capital over the capital limit that applies in your case then you will be unable to claim Income Support for a set period of time. The length of time will depend on the amount of capital you have. If you have capital of less than the capital limit, there will be no reduction in the amount of benefit you receive because of your capital.
- Capital Limits
Capital Limits
Household
Capital Limit
Single Person
£13,000
Couple
£15,000
Family, one child
£17,000
Family, two children
£21,000
Family, three or more children
£23,000
New Rules for Non Dependants
- A non-dependant is someone that has reached school leaving age, is not in full time education and is living in your house. This could be someone living at home with their parents, someone living with adult children, or someone living with friends.
- If you are a non-dependent member of a household and are in receipt of income support you may be entitled to receive a non-dependent rental allowance.
- If you are currently contributing towards the household that you are residing in you will need to advise us how much rent (board) you have been paying for the last 3 months so we can calculate the correct amount of rent allowance to pay you.
- If you aren't currently expected to contribute towards the household we will not look to award an allowance.
- We will pay a non-householder rent allowance of up to £75 per week to cover your rent (board).
- If you currently pay more than that to the person whose house you live in you will have to make up the difference.
Winter Fuel Allowance
- Between the last week in October and the last week in April certain householders are entitled to a fuel allowance.
- From October 2017 this rate is set at £27.20 per week.
- For more information please contact income support on 732508
For Working People
- People in work need to send in their wage slips as soon as they receive them from their employers. This applies to all working members of a household who are part of an income support claim.
- The fastest way to send in a wage slip is by smart phone with the Guernsey Uploads app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Instructions on how to use the app are available here.
- Wage slips can also be sent by email to incomesupport@gov.gg or posted or handed in to Income Support at Edward T Wheadon House, Le Truchot, St Peter Port, GY1 3WH.
