what can i live on until benefits get sorted out?

Carmina_Piranha_3

not me personally, asking for somebody else whose other half left yesterday. apparently income support and tax credits will take a couple of weeks to sort out. apart from the child benefit is there anything that can help feed her children and cover the bills for the next few weeks?

sorry to be so ignorant of the system but i have no idea - but it must happen to everyone when they first go onto benefits - what does everyone else do? is there some kind of loan to tide you over that you can apply for?

ged1980

Carmina_Piranha wrote: »

not me personally, asking for somebody else whose other half left yesterday. apparently income support and tax credits will take a couple of weeks to sort out. apart from the child benefit is there anything that can help feed her children and cover the bills for the next few weeks?

sorry to be so ignorant of the system but i have no idea - but it must happen to everyone when they first go onto benefits - what does everyone else do? is there some kind of loan to tide you over that you can apply for?

she could apply for a crisis loan till benefits come through 0800 587 6716

SuziQ

Not sure,I think there is a Crisis loan that I think anyone can apply for from the job centre.

Carmina_Piranha_3

thanks, will let her know. you never know about these things until you actually need them lol!

marsupial_mama

I am sorry your friend is in such hard situation.

Yes, crisis loan is one thing, but she should be aware they will only consider her when she has no money whatsoever in the bank or food in the cupboard or urgent bill to pay. When we were inthis situation first and I called up (on advice of nice lady from JCP), I was refused £30 for food as I told them I had around £3 in the bank and some pasta, flour and such in cupboard. I was in near tears when they said I am not really in crisis.
God bless credit card!

Andreja

MRS_TO_BE_2

She can apply for an emergency payment from the Income support section.

Carmina_Piranha_3

ah, i hadn't heard of the emergency payment from income support, will pass that on. thanks

marsupial i can't believe they said you weren't in crisis! it depends on how many days you have to wait before your money arrives - £3 wouldn't feed a family for a week :mad:

mummytofour

Income support seems to take forever, we applied august 4th and they wont be looking at our claim until next wed, geee thats ages!

Jo_R_2

When I had my interview at the JCP for Income Support, the first payment was in my bank exactly a week after my interview. I just assumed this was the case as I was a single parent with a child to feed but it seems it's the luck of the draw?

jools1985

Your friend should phone the Tax Credit helpline if she hasn't already done so. Explain her partner has left her with the children and she should be put through to the new claims line. They'll take all her details over the phone. This is far quicker than the old way of being sent a new application pack, waiting a couple of weeks for it to arrive and then having to post it off again. Your friend may be on hold for a while for the new claims team but it will be well worth it and her claim will go into payment really quite quickly.

Carmina_Piranha_3

thanks, but she was already on some tax credits because her OH earned less than, um 28k is that the threshold? so it's not a new claim, it's a change of circumstances and they told her it would take about 3 weeks