Young single parent benefits

Fran

Mikey177 wrote: »

..... my wife has said (whilst crying profusely) this week that she thinks it's 'time to move on' and settle up. I do not want to do this.....

I don't think you are listening to your wife.

mumsyrach

Sorry, can i just ask why sorting things with your wife depends on sorting your daughter out in her own accomodation? have i missed something along the way here?

As far as benefits are concerned as a lone parent, she would be intitled to Income Support about £60 a week and Child tax credits about £50 a week. Housing benefit, depending on what area you are in, usually would entitle your daughter for a 2 bed property. A top up payment may be required for any outstanding not covered by the HB. In a couple joint IS/JSA is about £95 a week, but obviously if he was working more than 16hrs a week they would be entitled to Working tax credits which is about £65 (instead of the IS/JSA) on top of whatever he earns. depending on his income this would affect how much housing benefit/council tax benefit they would be entitled to. if they were both working 16hrs a week or more they might be entitled to upto 80% of childcare costs for those hours.
Hope this helps x

viktory

mumsyrach wrote: »

Sorry, can i just ask why sorting things with your wife depends on sorting your daughter out in her own accomodation? have i missed something along the way here?

As far as benefits are concerned as a lone parent, she would be intitled to Income Support about £60 a week and Child tax credits about £50 a week. Housing benefit, depending on what area you are in, usually would entitle your daughter for a 2 bed property. A top up payment may be required for any outstanding not covered by the HB. In a couple joint IS/JSA is about £95 a week, but obviously if he was working more than 16hrs a week they would be entitled to Working tax credits which is about £65 (instead of the IS/JSA) on top of whatever he earns. depending on his income this would affect how much housing benefit/council tax benefit they would be entitled to. if they were both working 16hrs a week or more they might be entitled to upto 80% of childcare costs for those hours.
Hope this helps x

As much as the OP would prefer his daughter to be a lone parent - she is not. She has a fiance who works, albeit sporadically. I really feel we should stop giving information on how much she would get singly. The fiance might be a little 'fly' at the moment but at least he has stuck around!

In my opinion a child knowing and being raised with their father is worth far more than a little extra benefits. Besides which, if the fiance knows that his little family depend on him it could be the making of him - give him an opportunity to grow up.

Fran wrote: »

I don't think you are listening to your wife.

I agree. This is why I questioned the OP and his motives. Seems like some straight talking (or more importantly) some straight listening needs to be done this afternoon.

OP, I wish you all the luck and hope it works out for you. At the moment though, it looks like you are trying to evict your daughter and her child for your own ends and your wife might understandably not like this at all. I'd tread very, very carefully.

Oldernotwiser

viktory wrote: »

At the moment though, it looks like you are trying to evict your daughter and her child for your own ends and your wife might understandably not like this at all. I'd tread very, very carefully.

I agree with just about all of your post but found this comment a little harsh. If the OP's daughter, partner and baby move into their own place and if this enables him and his wife to make a go of their marriage, that would make for two complete and united families - hardly just a question of "his own ends"!

Mikey177

Fran wrote: »

I don't think you are listening to your wife.

I'm hearing what she said, but I'm not sure she 100% meant it (and hoping it was a cry to get an outcome rather than everything dragging on). This has been backed up to a degree by my chat with the kids this lunchtime. Now need to sit down with my wife tomorrow and talk things through. I appreciate all the comments but the relationship side of things I can deal with...it's just the cold facts on the finances I want help with.

mumsyrach wrote:

Sorry, can i just ask why sorting things with your wife depends on sorting your daughter out in her own accomodation? have i missed something along the way here?

Simply because there isn't room in the family home for two families. My wife won't 'make' my daughter become independant if my daughter doesn't want to be independant.

viktory wrote:

In my opinion a child knowing and being raised with their father is worth far more than a little extra benefits. Besides which, if the fiance knows that his little family depend on him it could be the making of him - give him an opportunity to grow up.

100% in agreement viktory. However, I'm trying to cover all angles, and in doing so (and giving too much(?) relationship detail) I'm probably clouding the issue. One thing that doesn't help is that I've never sat down with him and talked. That's to do now.

My daughter loves her fiance very much (that has become plain this afternoon). He proposed (at a very immature 19 years of age) when my daughter became pregnant. I proposed to my wife at around the same age, but we're poles apart in terms of maturity, work prospects, responsibility, financial standing, and respect (both for self and others)!

Oldernotwiser wrote:

If the OP's daughter, partner and baby move into their own place and if this enables him and his wife to make a go of their marriage, that would make for two complete and united families - hardly just a question of "his own ends"!

Hit the nail on the head sir/madam. Thank you for that.


Some financial details:

My daughter currently gets £80 per week maternity pay (she was only receiving £90 per week for the part time job in the cafe). She also gets approx £20 per week child benefit, so a total of £100 per week.

Fiance receives £90 a fortnight. Is that some kind of jobseekers allowance? So, their current joint income is £145 per week.

As a couple, they tip up £60 per week to my wife.

Now I'm going to show some naivety here, but is £145 per week enough to feed, clothe, heat, and generally support a family of 3, even if the rent is paid and they're not liable for council tax?

Is there anything else that's available?

viktory

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I agree with just about all of your post but found this comment a little harsh. If the OP's daughter, partner and baby move into their own place and if this enables him and his wife to make a go of their marriage, that would make for two complete and united families - hardly just a question of "his own ends"!

You are quite right, it is harsh. However, I am trying to see things from all possible angles and perhaps play devils advocate a touch. Hopefully, all our posts will throw up things that perhaps the OP has not considered previously, thereby giving him a chance to think about them and consider a response.

Finally, yes £145 is enough for a family of three to live on - although there is little money for luxuries, I am sure the family will have plenty of help from lovely parents/grandparents!

PS Absolutely none of my business, but I am dying to know who you are I always do on AE threads.

mumsyrach

viktory wrote: »

As much as the OP would prefer his daughter to be a lone parent - she is not. She has a fiance who works, albeit sporadically. I really feel we should stop giving information on how much she would get singly. The fiance might be a little 'fly' at the moment but at least he has stuck around!

In my opinion a child knowing and being raised with their father is worth far more than a little extra benefits. Besides which, if the fiance knows that his little family depend on him it could be the making of him - give him an opportunity to grow up.

Viktory i couldnt agree with you more that staying together and giving a child a family with two parents is much more valuable than any financial gain, but the OP did ask for advice in both circumstances, so that is what i did!

OP, they will be entitled to Child tax credits, and possibly working tax credits depending on how many hour they worked the last tax year. generally i think Child tax credits is about £60 a week for a child under 1 year. everyone on a low income is entitled to this, working or not. They should have applied for this earlier or at least as soon as they can as they cannot backdate the claim past the time you contact them to apply. more info here:https://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/Qualify/WhatAreTaxCredits.aspx
i too hope that this situation gets better and everyone can find a way to live happily as a family x

Marcheline

Also, just one more thing, she may also be eligible for 'Healthy Start' vouchers. Have a look here to see to see http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/en/fe/page.asp?n1=1&n2=2 (this is £12 a month in vouchers that can be used to cover cow's milk, fresh fruit, veg, infant formula milk only)

I must admit, I would be very surprised if your daughter is not already claiming most things she is entitled to (I found that the government sent me some of the information out of the blue and the Bounty packs you are given in hospital tend to include application forms for Child/Working Tax Credits in them)

seven-day-weekend

I wish you well and hope everything gets sorted out

I have no further advice on benefits, as everybody else has given you such good advice!

Mikey177

Hi folks, and thanks again for all your help.

Update:

Making good progress with my daughter, and am sitting down with her and the fiance later this week. Plan to visit CAB with them both just as soon as I can get a day off work.

Have spoken to several Government agencies today to try and get a handle on things. Turns out my daughter only started claiming CTC 5 weeks ago. Need to find out if there's any chance this can be backdated?

My wife knows whats going on (daughter has told her), and she hasn't been in touch to say "don't bother!" Haven't sat down with her yet because we're under at least 10 inches of snow here...and my car is 5 miles away (in the other direction :rolleyes:). What a walk home that was this afternoon!

Thanks again.