This information applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland
In this information, child means someone aged under 14 and young person means someone aged 14 or over but under 18. Parent means someone with parental responsibility.
Jobseeker's Allowance is a benefit for people who are unemployed but capable of work.
You can usually claim Jobseeker's Allowance only if you are 18 or over. However, 16 and 17-year-olds who are unemployed and not in full-time education may, in some circumstances, be able to claim.
To find out if you can claim Jobseeker's Allowance, you should consult an experienced adviser - for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.
For more information about Jobseeker’s Allowance, see Benefits for people looking for work.
Income Support is a benefit for people on a low income to help them pay for their day-to-day living costs.
You can usually claim Income Support only if you are 18 or over. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you may get Income Support if you:-
Being entitled to Income Support will also depend on whether you are still at school or live with your parents. 16 or 17 year olds who have been in care cannot usually get Income Support, but there are exceptions. Lone parents who have been in care can get the benefit.
If you are 16 or 17 and want advice about claiming benefits, or you are 16 or 17 and have been in care, you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.
For more information about Income Support, see Help for people on a low income – Income Support.
Housing Benefit is a benefit for people on a low income to help them pay their rent. Council Tax Benefit is a benefit for people on a low income to help them pay their council tax.
There is nothing to stop a young person claiming Housing Benefit, but the amount you can get if you are a single person aged under 25 with no children is restricted.
For more information, see Help with your rent – Housing Benefit.
In England and Wales, Council Tax Benefit can be claimed only by people aged 18 or over.
For more information about Council Tax Benefit in England and Wales, see Help with your Council Tax – Council Tax Benefit.
If you are a young person with a disability, there are a number of different benefits and tax credits you may be able to claim. Usually, your parents would claim the benefit on your behalf.
For more information, see Benefits for people who are sick or disabled.
The Social Fund helps people on a low income pay for one-off expenses which they would not otherwise be able to afford.
As a young person, you may be able to claim a crisis loan from the Social Fund if there is an emergency and you are unable to pay for your immediate needs. You do not have to be receiving any other benefits to be able to claim.
If you are receiving Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, you may also be able to get a community care grant or budgeting loan.
For more information, see Help for people on a low income – The Social Fund.
As a young person aged 16 or more, you can claim tax credits. Tax credits are means-tested and depend on your income. To get Working Tax Credit you must work 16 hours or more a week, be on a low income and either have a disability which puts you at a disadvantage in getting a job or be responsible for a child.
If you are 16 or over you can get Child Tax Credit if you are responsible for a child under the age of 16. If you are under 16 yourself and responsible for a child, you cannot claim Child Tax Credit in your own right. However, your parents or someone who is responsible for you can include you in their own claim.
If you are 20 or under you can be included in a claim for Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit by your parent or a person who has responsibility for you, depending on your circumstances.
For more information about tax credits and how to claim them, see Benefits for families and children.
If you have been refused benefit and you think you should get it, or if you think the amount you have been awarded is wrong, you can ask the benefit office to reconsider the decision, or you can appeal. You should do this within one month of the decision.
For more information about challenging benefit office decisions, see Problems with benefits and tax credits.
It's against the law for you to be treated unfairly because of your race, sex, sexuality, religion or disability when the benefit office decide about your benefit claim. Also, government agencies such as those which pay benefits and tax credits have policies which say that they will not discriminate against you because of other things, for example, your age. If you feel that you've been discriminated against, you can make a complaint about this.
If you are not happy with a benefit office decision, you can also consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has translated information about benefits into certain community languages. For more information, go to the DWP website at www.dwp.gov.uk. To ask for printed or audio copies of any DWP leaflet in your language, you should contact your local benefit office.
You can find more information about the rights of children and young people elsewhere in Adviceguide.
For information about the general rights of children and young people, see Young people's rights.
For information about employment, see Young people and employment.
For information about housing, see Young people and housing.
For information about family matters, see Young people and family.
For information about money and consumer rights, see Young people – money and consumer rights.
For information about health and personal issues, see Young people – health and personal.
For information about the law and young people, see Young people and the law.
For information about transport, see Young people – travel and transport.
To view a leaflet about studying and working, see Help yourself if you’re 18–24. 
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