Will we get any help?

Paley71

Hi
My partner has just been given a date for his redundancy (Dec 11th) he will get around £5000 when he finishes, he hopes to get another job straight away but in the current climate we have to accept that this just may not happen.
He's not been out of work for the last twenty years so all this is a bit new to us!
I currently work part-time and am contracted to do eight hours but usually do anything from eight to twentytwo per week.
Obviously it would be better if I could do more hours so we could claim WTC and CTC but again trying to find a job with more hours at this time is easier than it sounds...so is asking them to top up my hours permanently (I haven't worked there long and there are others who've been there longer who are hoping for more hours)
We have two kids, one in school the other in full time college...we also have a mortgage to pay.
I've tried enitledto.com but really can't make head nor tail of it.
Does anyone have any idea roughly what help we'd be likely to get...if any?
Many thanks.

alwaysonthego_2

Do you work 16 hours?

Paley71

That's the problem, sometimes, but not every week and my contract is only for eight.

tr82

Your partner should hopefully qualify for Contributory Jobseeker's Allowance ... £64.30 p.w. for 6 months. He claims that through the Job Centre.

There's a chance he'll also qualify for Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance, which pays for the both of you plus the mortgage interest. But it's difficult to say how much of that you'll qualify for because it's means tested. The first thing they'll look at is the number of hours you work. If, on average, you work 24 hrs p.w. or more there'll be no entitlement. If, on average, less than 24 hrs p.w. they'll consider your earnings, ignore part of them (£10 p.w. ?) then lop the rest off any Income Based entitlement, pound for pound.

You can apply for Child Tax Credit for each child you receive Child Benefit for, unsure if that's one child or two in your case.

Help with the mortgage kicks in after he's been claiming 13 weeks. Do you perhaps have insurance which will help cover the mortgage or any of your other domestic bills (loans, credit cards etc) ?

Difficult to say how much help they'll offer for the mortgage, so many variables, depends on how you borrowed to buy your home originally, what the mortgage balance is now, whether you've re-mortgaged or whether you've got any home improvement loans which might qualify for assistance.

You should also hopefully qualify for Council Tax Benefit to help with Council Tax, funnily enough, but again that's means tested so difficult to say without knowing your average hours/earnings.

Soz for the vagueness. Hope you get on OK.

Paley71

Thanks.
Not too worried about the mortgage as we've worked out the five grand redundancy will cover it for ten months...would it be worth going into the job centre and having a word with them about what we'd be likely to be entitled to?

My hours I would say on average are about twelve a week and that's minimum wage! (that's retail jobs for you) kids are thirteen and seventeen so we get CB for both of them.
No insurance on the mortgage...decided after paying it for years it was a waste of time...oh the irony!

Oldernotwiser

Paley71 wrote: »

Thanks.
Not too worried about the mortgage as we've worked out the five grand redundancy will cover it for ten months...would it be worth going into the job centre and having a word with them about what we'd be likely to be entitled to?

!

I'm all for being independent but it's daft to use the redundancy money on paying the mortgage when you could claim it after 13 weeks.

Paley71

You're right, obviously if we can get help we'll take it...just hoping it won't come to that.