Can I Claim Income Support If I Quit My Job?

This article aims to help in answering the question of whether or not someone can claim Income Support if they quit their job. To discuss this topic in detail, we will first explore the eligibility criteria and application process for Income Support. Then we will discuss the other benefits that an unemployed individual can claim; along with the eligibility criteria and expected payments for each. In the end, we will review the payments you can expect from your employer if you quit your job.

Can I Claim Income Support If I Quit My Job?

Yes, you can claim Income Support if you quit your job but you can only continue receiving payments through a previous claim. If you need to file a new claim due to a low income, you will have to apply for Universal Credit.

Income Support is being replaced with Universal Credit; among the rest of the legacy benefits. Therefore if you are on a low income because of quitting your job (or any other reason for that matter) and seek state support, you can apply for welfare benefits.

If the basis of your benefits claim is low income due to having to quit your job, you should also be able to provide evidence of a sound reason for being unemployed. Some of these include the following:

This may include any of the following reasons:

you have opted for Voluntary Redundancy
your pay was below the National Minimum Wage
the working conditions failed to health and safety standards
you were being bullied or harassed at work
you had to work under a zero-hour contract
facing constructive discharge from the workplace
having medical reasons that hamper one’s output/ability to work
facing domestic violence at home
taking care of a family member

This means that if you quit a job, you should have evidence to support your claim so that there is no reason for the DWP to believe that you are quitting your job merely to claim benefits.

Who Is Eligible To Claim Income Support?

If you are an existing claimant of Income Support, you can continue receiving your payments until you are transferred to Universal Credit. To remain eligible for the benefit, you should:

either has no income or is on a low income, with savings below £16,000
not be in full-time paid work
be aged between 16 and the Pension Credit age
live in England, Scotland or Wales

In addition to this basic eligibility criteria, you should fulfil at least one of the below-listed conditions:

are pregnant
on maternity, paternity or parental leave
a lone parent having a child under 5 years old
a lone foster parent having a child under 16 years old
a single person taking care of a child under 16 years before they are adopted
aged between 16 and 20 years, in full-time education other than university and a parent
aged between 16 and 20 years, in full-time education other than university and not living with a parent
a carer
unable to work and currently getting Statutory Sick Pay, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance
a refugee who is currently learning English under a course that takes a minimum of 15 hours each week
either in custody or waiting to attend court or a tribunal

Any change in circumstances that can potentially affect your claim for a welfare benefit including income support should be reported to the DWP. You can do this conveniently through your local Jobcentre Plus office by calling them at 0800 169 0310.

Can I Claim Any Other Benefits If I Quit My Job?

Yes, there are welfare benefits other than Income Support that you can claim if you quit your job and are on a low income. However, you should be able to meet the eligibility criteria for each one of them separately. Below are the benefits you can claim if you have quit your job and are on a low income:

Universal Credit if you are under the State Pension age and your savings are equal to less than £16,000.
Pension Credit if both you and your partner (if any) have reached State Pension age or one of you is claiming Housing Benefit if you are above the State Pension age.
(new style) Jobseeker’s Allowance if you are under State Pension age, either unemployed or working for less than 16 hours each week. You should have made the required National Insurance contributions over the past 2 to 3 years.
(new style) Employment and Support Allowance if you are under State Pension age, either unemployed or working for less than 16 hours each week, made the required National Insurance contributions over the past 2 to 3 years and you are challenged with a severe health condition or a disability that restricts the number of hours you work.

If you were previously claiming any other benefits; especially disability benefits (these include Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment) before quitting your job, you can keep on claiming them as long as you meet the qualifying criteria for each one.

How Can I Claim Benefits If I Quit My Job?

If you quit your job and need to claim benefits, you will have to apply to file a claim for each one of them separately.

You can claim new style Jobseeker’s Allowance online as long as you can provide details of your National Insurance number, bank or building society account, employment details for 6 months in the recent past and your private pension statement letter.

You can get up to £61.05 if you are up to 24 years of age and up to £77.00 if you are 25 years of age or older.

In the case of Employment and Support Allowance, you can choose to apply online or call the Jobcentre Plus new claims helpline

at 0800 055 6688.

The payments that you will receive will vary depending on the stage of your application as well as your age.

Therefore during the initial 13 weeks, while your ESA claim is being assessed, claimants aged under 25 years can get up to £61.05 a week, while those who are aged 25 years or above can get up to £77.00 a week.

After this initial period is over, claimants who are assigned the work-related activity group can get up to £77.00 a week; while those who are assigned the support group can get up to £117.60 a week.

To claim Universal Credit you can apply online using your Universal Credit account or call the Universal Credit helpline at 0800 328 5644. Payments are classified based on your age and circumstances. For instance:

If you are single and under 25 years old, you can claim £265.31
If you are single and 25 years or older, you can claim £334.91
If you are living with a partner and both partners are under 25 years old, both of you can jointly claim £416.45
If you are living with a partner and one or both partners are 25 years or older, both of you can jointly claim £525.72

To claim Pension Credit, you can either apply online, call the Pension Credit claim line

at 0800 99 1234 or take a printout of the Pension Credit claim form, fill it up and post it to the following address:

The Pension Service 8

Post Handling Site B

Wolverhampton

WV99 1AN

Once your claim is approved, you can expect your weekly income to increase by £182.60 if you’re single or your joint weekly income to increase by£278.70 if you have a partner.

What Can I Claim From My Employer If I Quit My Job?

You can claim the following payments from your employer if you quit your job:

unused holiday pay
overtime, bonus and/or commission
redundancy payment (if applicable)

However, the claims that an employee can make while quitting their job depend on (a) the circumstances under which they resign and (b) the terms agreed to in their employment contract.

Employees are usually expected to give a two-week notice when they quit their job and continue to fulfil their duties during this time. If someone quits their job on an immediate basis and does not fulfil their duties, they may not be able to make any claims from their employer.

If you have been asked to quit your job by an employer, the reasons for this will determine whether or not you can make any claims. If the resignation is because your employer does not wish to terminate you (as it may affect your employment record) or you are being made redundant, you may be able to claim your dues.

On the other hand, if you are being asked to quit your job by resigning due to an incident of misconduct or fraud, you will not be in a position to make claims from your employer.

Conclusion:

The above discussion helps to conclude that while one can continue with a previous claim of Income Support if they quit their job, they will not be able to file a new claim for being on a low income as Income Support is being replaced with Universal Credit. This means that while individuals on a low income can expect to receive state support through welfare benefits, they will have to check with the DWP or a benefits calculator regarding which benefit to apply for.