How much Money does the law say we need to live on?

kidwesjnr

Hi all

We've had a letter stating that we are receiving more money than the law states we need to live on? Does anyone know how much this is as we are struggling to believe that we are!!!

Many thanks x

healy

It depends on a persons circumstances for example how many people it relates to, whether they have disabilities etc.

jaynemaria

we had that on my husbands jobseekers allowance claim. £64.30 and states you have more money than the law says you need to live on, but we cant find out either what they actually say in our case a family of three need to live on.
Hope you find the answers

Mr_Falling_Star

The amount the law says you need to live on is generally the Income support rates so for a family of 2 adults and 3 kids I would say its...

£90.10 for you and your partner
£45.58 x 3 for the kids = £136.74
£16.25 family premium

making a total of £243.09

Remember thats the total figure that your household needs to live on and thus includes any Child benefit you get. Its very complicated and I'm cream crackered so those figures may not be totally accurate. If there are disabilities in the family you would get more

hippy-chicy

Yes thats more or less correct.

I think the figures given might be slightly out, as i think the couple rate is £105 or something like that now, the dependant allowance is approx £52. Dont have my list to hand so can't confirm exactly. But it gives you an idea.

Edit :

Just checked and it is

£100.95 for a couple over 18
£56.11 per dependant child
£17.30 family premium


There are more premiums if you or anyone in your family unit are disabled dependent on the level of DLA they receive/ and or other qualifying benefits etc.

jaks111

hello can i ask what family premium is and who gets it

thank u

mrscb

Family premium is paid with IS/JSA if you have partner and dependant children,there is also a lone parent premium.

hippy-chicy

The lone parent premium is exactly the same as the single rate for over and under 25's. e.g £64.30 and £50.95. There is no longer a lone parent family premium in its own right. It is now just the family premium/ baby premium. Obviously the people who have had the lone parent family/baby premium continuiously keep it till they have a break - so some people will still receive this. Not sure when this was removed??

But saying that this is for HB/CTB and i am assuming that it is the same so i could be wrong.

seven-day-weekend

Mr_Falling_Star wrote: »

The amount the law says you need to live on is generally the Income support rates so for a family of 2 adults and 3 kids I would say its...

£90.10 for you and your partner
£45.58 x 3 for the kids = £136.74
£16.25 family premium

making a total of £243.09

Remember thats the total figure that your household needs to live on and thus includes any Child benefit you get. Its very complicated and I'm cream crackered so those figures may not be totally accurate. If there are disabilities in the family you would get more

If you wer on Income Support, you would also get all your Council tax paid and help with rent if you were renting, and some of your mortgage interest after thirteen weeks, so it is considerably more than that.

deb0020

Family premium and dependants allowance are no longer paid with JSA as the money for children comes from tax credits these days.
100.95 is the couple rate

see
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_015272.xml.html

kidwesjnr

Thanks everyone - another quick question... do they still class you as working even if you are on maternity leave and only getting SMP? My partner is self employed and been off sick since end of Jan. We have a 7mth old daughter and are trying our hardest to live just off my SMP - and they STILL say we are getting more than the law says we need to live on!! Are they right?

Hope you can help x