How would an Au-pair affect my Benefits?

daska

Until my marriage fell apart a few months ago my husband was my primary carer and my teenage stepdaughter and son were also living here so there were always people around. Now it's just myself and my 2 yr old and, although I have an emergency button, my care package from SS is nowhere near covering me for most of the day and it's quite a struggle. As I'm on a personal budget I'd like to use some of the budget and one of the spare rooms for an au-pair which would obviously give me a substantial amount of help getting him to nursery etc. (I know about the restrictions on what you can ask au-pairs to do!!!! Our local care agencies charge £13.50/hour so I could afford an au-pair and still have plenty of 'care' and 'domestic' hours left.)

The question is: would this affect CTC, HB, ESA? (I know it wouldn't affect my DLA or CB.) Would an au-pair mean that I needed an extra bedroom and increase the HB? Or would money be deducted? Any other pros or cons?

toodles60

Your on benefits etc and can afford to pay for an au-pair? Am i the only one who thinks this is wrong? Surely benefit money is for basic necessities. I apologize if i'm no understanding properly, but i'm on benefits and on highest dla care rate and have a child. Even without thinking it's wrong though, dla etc is for care for you not to help care for your child.

daska

AS stated in my opening post I have a personal budget. A personal budget is not the same as a benefit, the way it can be used is ring-fenced. SS are happy with the budget being used in this way to meet the needs they have identified.

In fact I can't afford the necessities because the DWP have decided that I'm getting WTC (which is odd because the HMRC don't think I'm getting WTC) and had my ESA and HB stopped as a result. So, ironically, at the moment I can afford an au-pair and to go swimming but can't afford the rent!

thorsoak

If you can afford an au-pair and can afford to go swimming, you can afford the rent!

It's a question of priorities, surely?

Norma_Desmond

Excuse me for a moment whilst I ask my butler :rolleyes:

dookar

thorsoak wrote: »

If you can afford an au-pair and can afford to go swimming, you can afford the rent!

It's a question of priorities, surely?

daska wrote: »

AS stated in my opening post I have a personal budget. A personal budget is not the same as a benefit, the way it can be used is ring-fenced. SS are happy with the budget being used in this way to meet the needs they have identified.

Shall we assume the personal budget may not be used for rent?

astonsmummy

Maybe it is like direct payments, or SS have an allowance that can be used to pay for care or things to help the OP cope, I think some people really need to gather the whole facts before they start getting sarcastic.

dmg24

Can those criticising the OP actually stop and check their understanding before having a go at them?

daska, is your personal budget something along the lines of Direct Payments, or are you referring to your money from DLA that you use as a personal budget?

(Crossposted with am!)

alwaysonthego_2

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: While it’s easy to wander off-topic that often prevents newbies finding the information they want quickly and easily (please see this rule). Please keep this thread on topic. If you’d like to discuss non-MoneySaving related topics please continue your discussion in The MoneySavers Arms or Discussion Time. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="%20abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].


Also can posts remain from being judgemental and do not forget to be nice to all money savers.

daska

It is a 'Personal Budget' from 'Social Services'. Yes, it is similar to Direct Payments which along with traditional services are going to be phased out and be replaced by personal budgets. I think the target is 80% of SS clients have to be on these by 2012.

The personal budget belongs to Social Services and they get to say how it can be spent and that does not include food, rent, utility bills, clothes, health care etc.

My priorities are keeping are to keep us warm, dry, clothed and fed but thanks to the DWP lying to other government departments about a benefit that they don't even award I'm now at risk of eviction. If you can't see the irony of having £5K in the bank and the bailiffs knocking on the door for bills you can't pay then you either have a very poor imagination or, thankfully, you are in a much better situation than I am.

I'm just trying to do the best I can with what I have available to me.

Sorry alwaysonthego, I don't see the point of posting somewhere else when I specifically want advice on benefits?

dmg24

daska, I don't think always was referring to you, but more the people that were trying to take the thread off topic.