child benefit indirectly included in soa

cardinalfire

as i understood it child benefit shouldnt be included as income but the examiner took my daughter school bus ticket out of the soa and said it could be paid for out of that, she said it 'wouldnt make any difference to me'. she let me keep my car tho even tho running costs higher than public transport for work given length of journey to work so i feel like shes been generous here. however taking bus ticket out led to IPA. Would you find this acceptable? wot do others think?

skylight

No I flammin wouldn't!! Bloodee cheek. CB is for everything for kids. Clothes, food and other essentials. As everyone has to pay these for their kids, this is what CB covers. Not everyone pays for a bus pass so it does not come out of the child benefit.

Tell them to !!!!!! off. If the bus ticket is not permitted then you will have to put in the taxi costs. Or no ticket means you now have to drive her to school every day which means a reduction in working hours and therefore income.

cardinalfire

so could they take out childs clothes and hair and kids activities and say pay for these out of child benefit? cos if they did that id be worse off

skylight

They have never done that to anyone else. Clothes, hair are part of the household expenses. It could be argued that kids activities are not normal expenses and therefore could be knocked off the SOA - they are optional, the other two are not.

It all depends on how much your IPA is for I guess and how "happy" you are in paying it. Bear in mind that in 6 months or so your outgoings will have changed anyway with increases in utilities etc.

I would argue it now (personally). An IPA is a Individual Payment Agreement. So you both have to agree. You don't have to.

Rylynn

What a NERVE! that is under the belt if you ask me and I would not agree were it me.

If you HAVE to pay to get your child to school, I dont, so why should you pay out of your CB it is not there for that, and sorry I would take action on it.

She may have been okay about your car, but I would agree with Sky here and say OKAY, but now I have to run her to school, will lose 3 hours pay?

On the comment it would not make any difference to YOU how on earth did she make that assumption, of course it makes a difference! sorry that is a mad comment to make!

RL

cardinalfire

i did say that id find it a struggle but she then said shed allowed me to keep the car and was being generous in doing so, i got the impression if i did object shed take the car to increase my disposable income

cardinalfire

can i just check....should i have put child benefit as part of income in soa then? because i think i did as i didnt realise at time

Rylynn

Okay then, do you need your car to get to work? if you have no car can you say NO JOB! then no extra money!

In the meantime wait for the car exemption certificate and then I would fight it like hell...sorry I just think this is out of order, how old is your daughter and how far is her school away, I take it she cannot walk and there is no free school bus?

cardinalfire

work is 13 miles away and would take 1.5hrs on public transport plus i wouldnt feel like i could continue working there if had no car as i like to be able to get home for daughter in emergency as i am single parent and live near no family/friends.

daughters school is 4.5miles away and there is only free pass if go to nearest suitable school but its crap so she doesnt (so called parental choice) so we have to pay, shes 13.

once exemption cert received then this cant be revoked can it? does OR give you a breakdown of what they included or can u ask for it?

skylight

As you work they cannot take the car anyway. Its in their guidelines. (as long as the expenses are realistic). They are trying to pull the wool over.

Rylynn

Okay someone else here will have to give you advice on car exemption I assume a certificate or letter is given to you, and if so you could then sell it surely.. so how can they then revoke it! but not sure.

I think I would wait on the exemption certificate, but we have to think if you say OKAY gonna stop work , you dont need your car other than for school!

How much of an IPA have you been given? like you I need my car to get to school fast if my son has an asthma attack and would be in a right state if I did not have it for that reason alone

RL