Income support entitlements (FOI)

Request

The Social Security website suggests that Income Support for a single person with no personal income is £309.68 per week. This is made up of a housing allowance of £210.07 for a one bedroom flat and £99.61 personal allowance. There appear to be no other payments available.

It seems very hard to expect anyone to live on £99.61 per week for all their expenses, food, clothing, doctors / dentist / optician bills, transport, insurance, heating, rates etc.

Could you therefore please advise me:

A

What other components and allowances are available for anyone with no pension or a partial pension?

B

What is the minimum sum that the Government of Jersey deem to be reasonable to live on? How do they apportion and pay this sum?

C

What other agencies (if any) make payments to individuals in need of help?

Response

With reference to the scenario you outlined above, a person in this situation (who rents or owns their home) would also receive a weekly household component of £55.51 a week. Other components and allowances are available.

A

Summary information on the components that make up Income Support is publicly available on gov.je. A basic summary of the rates can be found here:

Income Support Rates

Detailed information on the range of components and the Income Support calculation can be found in the Income Support Policy Guidelines. Section 5 fully describes the components that are available:

Income Support Policy Guidelines

B

This data is not held.

Section 5 of the Public Policy guidelines states:

“The maximum amount of benefit available to an Income Support Household is assessed by looking at a number of different aspects of day-to-day living. There are basic components which provide fixed amounts of money depending on who is included in the household. There are also special components available depending on the household’s circumstances.”

Income Support is paid weekly or four-weekly dependent on the needs of the household. Most payments are made directly to the claimant’s bank account, but other methods of payment are available on request.

C

Customer and Local Services is responsible for administering all of Jersey’s statutory benefit payments. Details of Jersey’s benefits can be found online at the following link:

Benefits and financial support

Financial assistance to individuals in Jersey is also available from a range of voluntary organisations. A full list of voluntary organisations operating in Jersey can be found online at the Association of Jersey Charities:

Jersey Charities: Members Directory

FOI exemption(s) applied:

Article 23 Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.