Quick Benefits Check

When using a quick checker such as "entitled to" you should always check your result with Citizens Advice Bureau or other welfare benefits advisors. There may be other facts that aren't accounted for on the calculator or there may be...:eek: ....user error!

When checking on your benefit entitlement be aware that if you are a parent who lives apart from your child but have any level of shared care (up to 50%) you still can't claim any benefits for your children, even if you have to maintain them while they are with you and you pay the other parent maintenance payments. The only way you can claim anything for your children is if you hold the child benefit book, otherwise you depend on an amicable arrangement for getting any benefit from the other parent.

This mantra is spouted by every department (Benefits Agency, DWP etc,IR) who are under the impression that parents that have separated from each other are somehow capable. in every case, of sorting out their money issues amicably. Given that huge number of divorces are the result of money differences this seems hardly likely. Apparently in this age of computers the agencies 'can't split benefits between parents'.

When I suggested that inevitably the Child Benefit book would automatically be given to the mother in 50/50 cases or less the IR told me that was 'simply not the case' and that they would look at every case on its 'merits'; however, they were loath to let me know what these 'merits' would be.

So. when the calculator/form asks you if you have dependant children, it assumes that you have either 100% care for your children or none at all. If you answer 'yes' to that question when you actually only have 50% care (or less) then you will get an incorrect response and when you actually apply for the benefit you'll find out that you are not really considered a parent unless you have a child benefit book to prove it. Yes this is in 2005....

Bitter, moi?

For those of you that are self employed, the Inland Revenue office will require a profit or loss figure and not your income from the business to work out your Tax Credits.

Please be careful with your facts! You've no doubt got a really good point here but you spoil it with what is just your opinion and is not accurate - most noteably that Child Ben is a passport benefit. It isn't anything of the sort and it is taken into account as income when calculating the benefits you name.


QUOTE=Fran]kitaj,

I know exactly what you mean in your post, it is totally unfair, even when it's 50/50 care. It's a case of who is crafty enough to get the Child Benefit first because Ch. Ben. don't like to alter things once it's established. As Child Benefit is a "passport benefit" to Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit which are income related, it means that in a situation where both are unemployed or on a low wage, one will receive all the benefits and the other will receive none towards the child, even though they might have the expense of maintaining a larger house, larger bills and paying for food etc. when the child is staying with them. There's also the way it makes the parent who can't receive these benefits feel inferior as they simply can't afford to buy clothes, presents, treats or pay for school trips and transport for their children that the other parent is more in a position to do. They are also made to feel a sub-person by having to fill in these forms as though they haven't got any children and are treated like a single person.

Child Benefit along with the unfair Non Dependant Deduction are two of the worst aspects of the benefits system.[/QUOTE]

caforty wrote:

Please be careful with your facts! You've no doubt got a really good point here but you spoil it with what is just your opinion and is not accurate - most noteably that Child Ben is a passport benefit. It isn't anything of the sort and it is taken into account as income when calculating the benefits you name.

Hi,

Yes Child Benefit is taken into account as income, but for example if two parents both unemployed or low waged with 50/50 care apply for all the benefits only one can get it. One would have eg. Child Benefit and would get any Child Tax Credit and be able to be on Income Support without having to sign on and be able to earn £20 per week without it affecting their benefits. The other would have to sign on (if unemployed) as a single person and be able to earn £5 before it affects their benefits.

If they both start work of 16 hours, the person with the child could get a lone parent element and help towards child care. The person without child benefit would have to be working 30 hours to qualify for any WTC at all.

Using "entitled to" calculator and putting in one child, working earning £10,000, and no disabilities etc., the parent with the child would get £2,314.10 Child Tax Credits and £3,621.95 Working Tax Credit, a total of £5,936.05
. Using the same info but without being able to put the child in, the person is entitled to £0.00 WTC/CTC.

The person with WTC/CTC would also be entitled to help through the NHS low income scheme (free prescriptions, dental checks, glasses vouchers etc.) and free school meals, which the other working parent would not.