Benefits advice needed pls!!!

tko187

Hi everyone,
I am 31 and live with my parents, my wife and 3 children who are 10, 8 and 1and 1/2 years old. My wife does not work and only gets child support which works out to £175 per month, this is the only benefit we receive.

I was born with a hole in my heart which has developed into Pulmonary Hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs), i have worked for my family business ever since leaving school. I am at this point self employed, i bought my own store last 2 years ago but due to a detereiation in my health have been unable to attend my work as i would have had liked to. My position is this now i get out of breath very easily, fatigue, diziness, palpatations and racing heart beat are just a few of my symtoms. I have never claimed any benefits in my life.

Now that i am feeling like this and not being able to work as i would have like to, i have had to employ someone to lookafter my store.

I am going into hospital on the 27th October to have a right heart catherisation to see if i am eligble for medication which is apparently Viagra to open up my lungs and ease the pressure and allow my heart to work at a easy rate. Sometimes my condition leaves me in my bed for days not even being able to get up as my pulse starts racing and then feeling like i have just did 15 rounds with Tyson.

I want to claim some benefits and have had a look around the site to see what is available to me. Im thinking of applying for IB and also DLA where i think i might get a mobility. I just want to know what is available to me. I currently have just my store and a flat i bought in the boom which is now empty ( i live with my parents),
I dont receive any rent and was thinking of moving in to this flat and also applying for Housing benefit from my council.

Please anyone who can help me please reply to me and advise on what i should do, also in the last year of my business i made a loss according to my accountant.

Also my wife doesnt work either as she has to look after the children and also me on my really bad days, is she able to claim anything as a carer??????

I really dont know what to do, pleaaaaaase help.

Voyager2002

Firstly, my very best wishes for your hospital appointment. I hope that this paves the way to treatment so that your condition improves.

The rules about benefits and self-employed people are complex, so I think that you or a family member need to speak directly with an advisor.

Would you be more comfortable living in your flat, or remaining with your parents? Do not move into the flat for financial reasons: if you place it on the market then it's value can be disregarded when calculating your eligibility for means-tested benefits.

tko187

Thanks for the kind words voyager. Moving into the flat are probably very last options, and very unlikely. Anybody else care to jump in on this one, i had a feeling that there would be a problem with me being self employed. Maybe i should just sell up as i am unable to keep up with the work and then claim, am i right in thinking that i have to had paid NI contributions. I think i might only have started once i bought my store 2 yrs ago. Thanks in advance.

sandraroffey

whn my exhusband was self employed and became too ill to work, they wanted to be assured that his 'business' was no longer operating.

sandraroffey

have to say that if you havent paid basic self employed stamps they will want to know why. but you can still get benefits, (certain ones) without any contributions, as many do who come into england to seek work. these benefits are mostly income support based. even if you have the basic self employed stamps, you dont qualify for incapacity benefit, it will be income support. your really best bet is to go to the citizens advice. they can guide you along the right route and help you make the claims a well. , however it sounds as though you should be getting tax credits on both elements and if you are making a loss, i think you may qualify for a tax rebate, based on the last year that you paid tax, whenever that was. DLA isnt means tested and it doesnt matter whether you are working or not. but claims take a while. talk to the CAB, they are brilliant!!!

krisskross

Is the flat mortgaged? Don't think you can ask for housing Benefit on your own property although help with council tax would be a possibility.

healy

sandraroffey wrote: »

have to say that if you havent paid basic self employed stamps they will want to know why. but you can still get benefits, (certain ones) without any contributions, as many do who come into england to seek work. these benefits are mostly income support based. even if you have the basic self employed stamps, you dont qualify for incapacity benefit, it will be income support.

Self-employed class 2 national insurance contributions do count towards Incapacity Benefit.

tko187

Thanks everyone, so if im right im not able to get IB?? Just IS and DLA, i think i have been paying these stamps, i have a d/d that comes out my account every month. So what is IS and is my wife able to claim for anything since she cant work due to looking after me and my kids full time?? Thanks a lot for everyone who replied i really appreciateit.

krisskross

Don't think your wife will be able to claim anything in her own right. You will make a joint claim for both of you.

I hope your health problems get sorted out and you will soon be back on your feet.

So what you doing about the mortgage on the flat, assuming there is a mortgage.

tko187

krisskross wrote: »

Don't think your wife will be able to claim anything in her own right. You will make a joint claim for both of you.

I hope your health problems get sorted out and you will soon be back on your feet.

So what you doing about the mortgage on the flat, assuming there is a mortgage.

Ok so its a joint claim, there is a morgage on the flat and currently i am having to pay this myself which is very hard for me to make ends meet. Im quite surprised i have been able to keep up payments since i didnt have a tenant, hopefully i can find someone soon.

Also if i am staying with my parents can i claim a reduction on their council tax?

sandraroffey

if you rent it out and receive rental income, this will affect a claim for income support. income support is for people who have no other income. have you made a claim for tax credits yet?? you will most prob be entitled to that. again it will be a joint claim. anything else, like a carers allowance (but not DLA) will affect a claim for income support. a claim for tax credits, and it sounds as though you get both elements of this, may help you carry on while you get back on your feet. if you arent already getting it, phone for a claim form today. good luck.

and if this is the route you are going to take, claiming tax credits rather than claim income support, get that flat rented out quickly so it as least covers the mortgage. and you can also get reduced council tax because of low income, BUT not on a business, only on your home.

and do get a claim in for DLA. soon as you can. it takes months and medicals and god knows what, so get it going. citizens advice again are a good valuable help here. they will help you fill it it so there is less chance of you being turned down first time. if that does happen and you are turned turned down, appeal.