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You could get a £100 or £250 one-off payment when you stop claiming certain benefits because you’re starting work. This is known as a Job Grant and you must be working an average of 16 hours or more a week.

You have to qualify and any money you get:

• doesn’t have to be paid back
• won’t affect your other benefits
• is tax-free

Eligibility

To qualify for a Job Grant you must:

• have started claiming the benefit before 1 October 2012
• go straight from claiming benefits to starting work
• expect the work to last at least 5 weeks
• work at least 16 hours a week – this can be in different jobs

Also, you must have been getting one or more of these benefits for at least 26 weeks before starting work:

• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Support
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Jobcentre Plus/New Deal Allowance payments (where the allowance is based one of the above benefits)
• Employment Zone payments (where the allowance is based on Jobseeker’s Allowance)

Exceptions

You might still qualify if your benefits have stopped because your partner is now working at least 24 hours a week and expects this to last 5 weeks or more.

What You Could Get

The amount of Job Grant you can get is:

• £100 – for single people and couples without children
• £250 – for lone parents and couples with children

When you start working, you can apply for Extended Council Tax Benefit and Extended Housing Benefit as well.

How you’re paid

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, eg a bank account.

How to Claim

To get a Job grant, tell Jobcentre Plus you’ve started work within 21 days of doing so.

If you qualify, the money is paid automatically when your benefit claim is closed.