Help needed

mum2six

I have six children and my husband of 19 years has left. He knows that child support will be taken from future wages (currently unemployed as he resigned from his job when his affair was exposed), but is basically abandoning us to live on benefits. Our house will be sold, but we will most likely come out of it with debt - definitely no money to bother with!

Aside from the obvious grief involved, I've found it so confusing coming to grips with benefits etc.

I have now switched tax credits and child benefit into my name. I have applied for income support.

So, my question is, when he starts to pay child maintainance, will that effect my tax credits or other benefits? Or will the money be a bonus?

DX2

Yer it affects your income support. no such thing as a benefit bonus

Ddraig

No,if you are on benefits,from what I have leanred from my single friends.You will get a minimal amount,as they see it as they are giving you the money already.If you go to work however they will let you keep all he has to give you.Depends on how young your children are as to what you want to do .Its worth phoning inland revenue and tellng them the truth,u want to know some figures.he staff on end of phone are only like you and me yeah.x

mum2six

Income support is around £60/week. If he is say earning £400/week, then he will be paying £100/week in maintainance. Would I get the extra £40? Or is it taken off tax credits?

mum2six

Oh, and the children's ages range from 1- 17

DX2

The first £20 of child support is disregarded for Income support purposes after that it affects your Income support.

E2A: maintenance doesn't affect your tax credits.

kelloggs36

If maintenance is more than income support then you get no income support but you keep all maintenance and tax credits.

kingfisherblue

When my husband left and was paying maintenance, I received 10p a week IS (as CM was more than IS). This opened up the door for other benefits such as free school meals and helkp with the mortgage.

Why will the house have to be sold? My understanding is that the PWC usually stays in the house until the youngest child is 18 if in full time education (your youngest will be in full time education until 18 as the age for leaving school is to be raised).

If you had a joint account, make sure that you open a new account in your name only, for your benefits to be paid into. You also need to apply for Council Tax benefit.

If your husband is claiming JSA, he will still have to apy a flat rate of £5 a week CM, but you might have to apply for this.

shell_542

The house would be sold if the PWC cannot afford to keep up the mortgage payments I would imagine, as if the NRP is on JSA he probably wouldn't afford it himself or enough to contribute.

Basically what has been said. Child support doesn't affect tax credits but it does affect income support. You can keep £20 a week of your child support before it affecting income support.

karenx

If you do sell the house and start renting the CM will be counted as income for working out your entitlement

DX2

karenx wrote: »

If you do sell the house and start renting the CM will be counted as income for working out your entitlement

Child maintenace no longer affects housing benefit or council tax benefit.

Info here: http://www.cmoptions.org/en/maintenance/prepare.asp