How should I/We claim?

daska

My marriage has collapsed, my husband has moved out. In addition my 12 yr old from my first marriage has gone to live with his dad. It's all rather horrible at the moment. I'm left with 2 yr old child in a 4 bed flat. I have no savings. I currently get DLA MRC and HRM, child tax credits and child benefit.

My husband is living with his parents but his daughter is still living with me for the time being. Her dad gets the child benefit for his daughter and has been getting carer's allowance for me.

What can I/We claim separately. It's amicable, thankfully, most of the time. I'm struggling to get help sorting this out, my care manager referred me for a benefit review 10 days ago and I've not even heard from the visiting officer yet. I know I can claim housing benefit and council tax benefit but what impact will having my stepdaughter living with me have? It's all so dreadfully confused and confusing. The nearest CAB is 6 miles away but I can't get through to them on the phone to make an appointment and I can't get to them easily. Help please.

cattie

I would have thought you should be receiving the child benefit for your step daughter & the father of your 12yr old should be receiving it for him now he is living with him.

Is your ex still caring for you? Only if not get him to cancel his claim as you will then receive the enhanced disability premium on your dla as a single person living alone. Details here
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/OtherBenefitsAndSupport/DG_068683

daska

I won't be alone. I'll either have the toddler, or the toddler plus the 13 yr old stepdaughter. Or she might go back to her dad, depending on so many different things. I just don't know how it affects different benefits or whether we fall foul of some kind of fostering rule... everything so complicated!

[Deleted User]

If you claim income support(which you should be able to)and no one over 18 lives with you(unless they gate dla mrc as well)and as long as no one gets carers for you(or stops claiming if they dont care for you,or care less than 35 hrs per week)then you should also get severe disability premium which is about £52 per week extra

daska

that'll be useful! thank you for that one. the main problem is deciding where my stepdaughter will live and who should claim what for her. she wants to stay here but should really be with her dad - pros and cons on each! if she goes with him he'll get tax credits and child benefit, if she stays here he won't but I'll get more housing benefit.

Zara33

daska wrote: »

that'll be useful! thank you for that one. the main problem is deciding where my stepdaughter will live and who should claim what for her. she wants to stay here but should really be with her dad - pros and cons on each! if she goes with him he'll get tax credits and child benefit, if she stays here he won't but I'll get more housing benefit.

Where would your SD like to live ignoring the money side of things for the moment.

daska

she seems undecided... she knows she can go with her dad but she likes it here. possibly she thinks that staying here might get us back together, she's upset about us splitting up - we've been through a lot over the last few years

Zara33

daska wrote: »

My marriage has collapsed, my husband has moved out. In addition my 12 yr old from my first marriage has gone to live with his dad. It's all rather horrible at the moment. I'm left with 2 yr old child in a 4 bed flat. I have no savings. I currently get DLA MRC and HRM, child tax credits and child benefit.

My husband is living with his parents but his daughter is still living with me for the time being. Her dad gets the child benefit for his daughter and has been getting carer's allowance for me.

What can I/We claim separately. It's amicable, thankfully, most of the time. I'm struggling to get help sorting this out, my care manager referred me for a benefit review 10 days ago and I've not even heard from the visiting officer yet. I know I can claim housing benefit and council tax benefit but what impact will having my stepdaughter living with me have? It's all so dreadfully confused and confusing. The nearest CAB is 6 miles away but I can't get through to them on the phone to make an appointment and I can't get to them easily. Help please.

So we have a lot of "if's and but's"

1. 12 year old who has left to live with his father = father must get C/B and then be able to claim CTC and he can apply for CSA from you.

2. 4 bed flat too big for just you and 4 year old = you will have to pay the extra amount of LHA if applicable.

3.13 year old SD if she isn't living with her father then he shouldn't be getting the CB.

4. You can apply for CS for 4 year old.

5. IS for yourself (see woodbine's post)

6. Hubby won't be looking after you any longer? so he no longer gets CA, is he eligible for JSA.
If the SD stays with her father he gets CB and CTC, you will also get CB and CTC for your toddler sounds the easiest option all round where you both get money.

daska

yes, I was coming to that conclusion, the bit I wasn't aware of was the disability premium, that will make a huge difference to making the ends meet each month. so the only loss would be the HRP that my husband has been getting as a result of claiming carer's allowance.

Zara33

daska wrote: »

yes, I was coming to that conclusion, the bit I wasn't aware of was the disability premium, that will make a huge difference to making the ends meet each month. so the only loss would be the HRP that my husband has been getting as a result of claiming carer's allowance.

He would still get it if the SD stayed with him and he claimed CB.

daska

No, it's changed, you don't get it if the child is 12 or over.