Changes to Income Support Could Boost Family Claims

Proposed Income Support Reforms Aim to Encourage Work Among Jersey’s Youth

A proposed change to Jersey’s income support rules could see young people encouraged to take up work without affecting their families’ benefits.

Social Security Minister Deputy Lyndsey Feltham has put forward legislative amendments designed to ensure families with working children at home are not financially penalised. Under the proposed reforms, the earnings of young people who live at home would no longer be counted as household income when calculating income support claims.

“Our aim is to ensure that families are always better off when their children work,” said Deputy Feltham. “These changes mean young people in education can earn money without their families losing out on benefits.”

Currently, a working child’s income can reduce the total support a family receives. The new rules would disregard the earnings of young adults under 25 who are in full-time education, allowing them to retain 100% of their income while not impacting their household’s claim. The only exception would be for housing purposes, where the individual would still count toward bedroom allocation.

Officials also outlined other proposed changes, including a clearer definition of what constitutes a "family unit," and new flexibility for families to choose whether a young working adult should be included in their claim or not. These adjustments aim to make claim processing more accurate and reflective of individual household circumstances.

Deputy Feltham added: “This ensures both students and their parents benefit when the young person works, and it brings the legislation fully in line with how claims are already being managed — and how they should work going forward.”

The proposal confirms there would be no additional costs or staffing requirements for the government. If approved, the changes could be debated by the States Assembly as early as 9 September.