Bit of advice needed...

AliceInGothLand

Hi all, bit of a long one here, i've just been offered a wonderful house back home near where my family are (housing association, been waiting 3 years for it) and have split from my parner so in a couple of weeks when i move i'm going to need to go on benifits, have checked with entiled to .com and i can claim housing and council tax benifit and child tax credits, and Jsa but the house is in a remote area, with only a few buses, i don't drive, have a 10 year old so getting full time work or even part time that fits around school and the buses is going to be nigh on impossable and i can imagine the job center won't be very understanding about my situation.
My fathers getting on in years and really needs some help around his place cooking and cleaning and he's helped me out so much over the years i'd like to be able to help him, and hes offered me 30 quid a week, i presume to do that i'd have to go self employed and pay ni ect (been self empolyed before so know a little of what to expect) I don't really want to claim jsa, i'd rather make up my money with a bit of cleaning untill my sons old enough to get himself to school and look after himself after school and then i can get a full time job.
I can imagine i'd be rather skint just on child tax, child benifit and 30 quid earnings a week but would i'd be allowed to do that? or would the job center get involved and insist i go full time?

nelly10

you'd be able to claim income support. Your only allowed to earn £20 whilst on that, but you would be better off. Maybe you should clean for your dad for £20 instead. You wouldnt be able to claim WTC because your not working 16 hours, so better off on IS plus £20. Also you wouldnt pay council tax or rent. Worth noting though, you will probably be forced into work soon, as your child is now 10. BUT, you will get 70% of your childminder fees payed.

cattie

Does your father receive attendance allowance or medium/high rate of DLA? If so you could claim carer's allowance for looking after him.

If he lives alone & gets the enhanced disability premium, he would lose this by somebody claiming carer's allowance for him, so you both need to be aware of this.

By claiming carer's allowance your NI contributions would be paid & the job centre wouldn't be expecting you to look for work. With carers allowance you are supposed to care for the person for at least 35hrs per week.

More info about carer's allowance here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CaringForSomeone/MoneyMatters/DG_10012522

AliceInGothLand

Hiya, the area i'm going to is really remote, there won't be any kind of child care or childminders there, and as i can't drive, full time work is imposable till my sons grown up for me, my father retired and doesn't need caring for, he just wants some help out around his flat, hes happy to pick me up and drop me off each day as he lives in another village, hes only doing this to help me out really, he dosen't claim anything and dosen't need to.
I was told years ago that if you live in a remote area you can't claim jsa because you can't physically get to a job or seek work, i can't help where they house me, i did try for a town but was told i didn't have a chance, so its this place or nothing.