Wnich benefits are counted as income?

spidwoman

Sorry for starting yet another thread, but I thought it might be useful

As explained in my other threads, my hubby lost his job in October. He couldn't find anything so applied for Carer's Allowance as I receive DLA. He applied for Income Support, but as I get an age addition for my Incapacity we were on the threshold and can't get it.

Anyway, what I was wondering is, which benefits are used to calculate IPO's and such? Isn't it something to do with being means tested or not?

We currently receive:

Incapacity Benefit (me)
Child Benefit (me - 2 children)
DLA (me - middle rate care)
CTC (me)
Small CSA payment (me)
Carer's Allowance (hubby)

Housing and C.Tax benefit pay the rent and C.tax.

We do have more than £99 a month surplus, but as mentioned in a previous post, the CAB told us to offset the DLA as care costs as that benefit wouldn't be counted anyway.

When we fill in our IPOQ's do we put my DLA down as care costs, taking us under the £99 surplus or will it be excluded anyway?

Sorry if this is too similar to my IPO post but I'm so confused as to whether we will have to pay anything My husband and I both went bankrupt if this makes any difference.

fermi

An IPA/O cannot claim state benefits, so if that is your only income then you are safe.

If you have "earned" or other private income (pension etc) then benefits can be included in the IPA calculation, but the IPA only applies to the income not from benefits.

Take this as a an example.

Benefits: £800
Earnings: £200

OR says anything above £700 is "surplus".

Although the OR is saying there that you have £300 surplus, only £200 is from non-benefits. So they could only take a percentage of £200 not the £300. They can't take more since they would be claiming some of the benefits and that is not allowed.

If your earned income then disappeared leaving you with a £100 surplus, they still could not claim it.

Does that make sense?

spidwoman

Thanks fermi

Yep, makes sense here

fermi

Good.

Small correction though.

Child benefit cannot be included in the sums. That is paid to you for the benefit of the child. It is paid to you, but it is not your income if you see what I mean.