News

**MSE Archna** · 11-08-2006, 4:17 PM

This thread is specifically to discuss the content of the

5 minute benefit check up Article

To discuss or ask a question about the article: click reply

entitledto · 14-08-2006, 5:28 PM

If you have any comments on the calculator we would really like to hear from you. Please email us or leave a posting.

Peter-Pan · 14-08-2006, 8:59 PM

well I did it we get nothing I am 61 my wife is 58 not working,I am on higher

rate IB £223 fortnightly

we pay full council tax and full rent to the council,we have

savings over £16,000.this means testing is not fair,or is there a way round

it,putting our money under the mattress?!

kfn1502 · 16-08-2006, 4:13 PM

I think the ceiling for claiming child tax credits / working tax credits is £58,000 (joint income, couple with kids), not £66,000 as shown in this article. £58,000 seems to the be the figure that's used by the Inland Revenue on their website calculator. Also, if you put in an income of up to £66,000 in the entitledto.com calculator, you end up with zero in entitlements.

I know this might seem picky, but the figure doesn't seem right.

RachelD · 16-08-2006, 5:04 PM

One of the less well known bits of the DWP, Pension Service is Pensions Local Service. In some areas they are housed in DWP premises and in some they are located separately. In some counties work jointly with staff paid by the Local Authority.

They all have visiting officers whose job it is to help you claim benefits. They will visit your home and fill in forms -know about all sorts of benefits and complementary services and best of all they know the 'tricks of the trade'.
For example you might be a couple where one acts as a carer for the other who gets Attendance Allowance. You might not consider claiming Carer's Allowance as it doesn't get paid if you get State Retirement pension. But it is worth claiming CA if you also get Pension Credit as it entitles you to an additional amount of Carer's premium on the Pension Credit.

So if you know of a person over 60 who might be entitled to something and who wants someone to visit and do a full benefit check, get them to ring their local DWP office and ask for the number for the Pensions Local Service team or ring the nearest Pension Centre and ask for a referral to the Local Service 0845 6060265.

Some areas may not be able to offer an immediate appointment.

**MSE Martin** · 16-08-2006, 10:25 PM

Quote:

I think the ceiling for claiming child tax credits / working tax credits is £58,000 (joint income, couple with kids), not £66,000 as shown in this article. £58,000 seems to the be the figure that's used by the Inland Revenue on their website calculator. Also, if you put in an income of up to £66,000 in the entitledto.com calculator, you end up with zero in entitlements.

I know this might seem picky, but the figure doesn't seem right.

The original figure I wrote in was just that £59,000. Yet actually if you have a baby in the first year of its life, then there are benefits available up to £66,000 in certain circumstances. I took the decision that it was better to go with £66,000 so that some people would check who weren't eligible, than a few people who earned over £59k wouldn't check when they could get.

Martin

seven-day-weekend · 16-08-2006, 10:33 PM

£66000 and you can get benefits?????

I live in Spain, so I know we can't claim most things, but I did the 'entitled to' thingy on our £9400 income as if we lived in the UK and we are entitled to NOTHING!!

Children don't cost that much more.

seven-day-weekend · 16-08-2006, 10:39 PM

Just to clarify, we live on my husband's teachers pension and Incapacity Benefit.

Like poster #3 we have savings.

* making room in the mattress*

Chrysalis · 16-08-2006, 10:44 PM

so 9400 entitles to people without children to nothing and 50000 if you have children you get benefit? seems a bit whacked.

seven-day-weekend · 16-08-2006, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

so 9400 entitles to people without children to nothing and 50000 if you have children you get benefit? seems a bit whacked.

Crazy!

seven-day-weekend · 16-08-2006, 10:55 PM

Then again, I suppose it was our choice to take early retirement (although not quite, there is no way my husband could have continued teaching).

If we were in the UK, I'd just have to go to work again.

I still don't think it costs £50k more to bring up children, sorry.

debbycatz · 16-08-2006, 11:08 PM

It seems that in my circumstances (working full-time and earning 12,000 a year with one 'child' of 17 who is not working or in education (a whole other story) I am entitled to £0 but if I had no child and earnt £11,500 I would get £225 a month in working tax credit.

It is indeed crazy !

Chrysalis · 17-08-2006, 6:08 AM

thats bad as well so their is no gradual decline? 11500 = 225 a month 12000 presumably cutoff point right down to 0 insteaad of just less.

**MSE Andrea** · 17-08-2006, 11:19 AM

Hi

Some people were having difficulty finding the information on a couple of the links in the article so we've changed them to take you directly to where you can find it

Hermia · 17-08-2006, 1:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by debbycatz

It is indeed crazy !

I don't understand the benefits system at all. I work in a vocational profession and earn less than the average wage. I'm single so all my money goes on rent and bills and I am entitled to nothing. Yet I come across many couples through work who are in their twenties, both work, don't have children and get benefits. i know so many people on housing benefit which I am not entitled to even though the rent where I live is crippling. I don't understand why a childless couple who are both working get help with rent, but a single person is deemed not to need it.

seven-day-weekend · 17-08-2006, 1:35 PM

Single people are really hard done to by the benefits system by IMHO.

Hermia · 17-08-2006, 1:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seven-day-weekend

Single people are really hard done to by the benefits system by IMHO.

I can understand couples with kids getting help, but I don't really understand why childless, working couples get more help than singles.

The sad thing is that I am now seriously thinking of moving to the private sector because I don't want to be living in a bedsit for the rest of my life.

jandrewcrook · 17-08-2006, 9:55 PM

Hi I tried the entitled to calculator to check my wtc/ctc award, i have been awarded no wtc and only £350per month ctc and told I cannot claim help towards childcare despite it costing me £7000 per year out of my ££14000 net salary as a single mum of 3.
Yet the 5 minute calculator worked out I should get £10611 per year £4420 of it towards childcare!
Inland Revenue won't budge on their childcare element without wtc though - I've tried.

Fran · 17-08-2006, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jandrewcrook

Hi I tried the entitled to calculator to check my wtc/ctc award, i have been awarded no wtc and only £350per month ctc and told I cannot claim help towards childcare despite it costing me £7000 per year out of my ££14000 net salary as a single mum of 3.
Yet the 5 minute calculator worked out I should get £10611 per year £4420 of it towards childcare!
Inland Revenue won't budge on their childcare element without wtc though - I've tried.

Are you working 16 hours or more? If that's the case you should be entitled to some WTC and help towards childcare. You could contact Citizens Advice or other welfare benefits advisors in your area to check.

jandrewcrook · 18-08-2006, 12:16 AM

Hi, yes I work full time but because my gross earnings are above £16000 I am ineligable for wtc and hence the childcare assistance! I have tried citizens advice, jobcentre, childrens information service, surestart and pleading but no joy. Why do they not look at net earnings when calculating what you need to live on?
ps I can't claim housing benefit as i have a mortgage.