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WQ.437/2020
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY
BY DEPUTY R.J. WARD OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 17th NOVEMBER 2020
Question
Will the Minister advise how many individuals aged between 18 and 25 who are members of a household have lost their right to claim Income Support in the last 2 years?
Answer
There have been no changes to Income Support eligibility for adults aged 18 to 24 over the last two years.
Income Support is a benefit that is paid to an entire household, and when calculating entitlement looks at all of the changes which could affect that household. This includes (but is not limited to) changes in income, changes in care needs, and changes of who is included in that household. People aged 18-24 are included in the household of their parents or guardians if they are in full time education or are looking for work.
In most cases, a single member of a household cannot lose entitlement as it is calculated on a whole household basis. An individual who was included in an Income Support household may leave the household and then no longer qualify for Income Support in their new household. There are also some benefit rules in respect of young adults in Income Support households which could lead to the young adult receiving their own Income Support claim or no longer being included in the family claim.
The main circumstances that could result in a person aged between 18-24 ceasing to be included in the parental Income Support household include the young person:
• Attending university outside Jersey (these students are added back to the parents' claim each time they return to Jersey)
• Leaving the household to live independently
• Getting a job and continuing to live with their parents,
• Receiving their own Income Support claim because they qualify for higher-level support with the costs of a long-term illness or disability.
Where a young person leaves the family home they will be treated as their own household and will be able to apply for Income Support in their own right. There are some restrictions on the range of components available to claimants aged under 25.
Income Support claims are opened, closed and changed frequently in response to changes in household circumstances. The number of Income Support participants in this age range has remained broadly static as a percentage over the last two years.
Month | Income Support Participants aged 18-24 | Total Income Support Participants | 18-24 as % of total |
October 2018 | 443 | 10391 | 4.3% |
October 2019 | 416 | 10211 | 4.1% |
October 2020 | 498 | 11122 | 4.5% |
Over the last two years there have been total of 1,041 people of this age in total included in claims. In the time available to provide an answer, an initial analysis has been undertaken to identify the number of Income Support participants who:
• Were included in a larger Income Support household during the last 2 years; AND
• Have left that Income Support household during the 2-year period (either by moving out of the family unit OR by no longer being included in an ongoing Income Support household claim); AND
• Do not have an Income Support claim in their own right.
The results of this initial analysis suggest an average of 12 individuals per month, over the last two years who fall into this category.