Child Benefit - new legislation

J-9

Hi all,

I wondering if any one can help me with this question.

My hubby and myself were declared bankrupt in September and today I received a letter from our DC stating that due to new legislation, where by child benefit is no longer taken as an income on benefit claims, our housing benefit has gone up.

Do we need to inform the OR? And can they take this from us even though it is child benefit and meant for the support of our children?

Any help will be really appreciated as always!!

tigerfeet2006

It is also taken into account for an IPA.

If you ask for a new form because of a change in circumstances then pop up your SoA and someone will check you have remembered everything.

This is the template we use http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html format to MSE hten copy and paste to a thread.

J-9

Thanks for a quick response.

We hardly had any surplace in our soa and I believe we have to have £100 each before they take any??

tigerfeet2006

Yep! you are correct.

MicheH

I have found out we can claim £19 a month rent help before the changes, now after the changes this has gone up a little plus we can now get help with council tax, it's all yet to be finalised but I will notify to OR of the changes. I'm just worried we might end up entering into an IPA because of it and be in a worse state we're in now, ok, yeah I know we're bankrupt and don't have debt but we're still struggling financially.

I just struggle with the state saying effectively that we're entitled to some help because of low earners and then that help being used to pay IPA and taking some more of the bit surplus we have with it.

I suppose I know that with the move our insurances, water rates, council tax, fuel and now petrol has gone up we possibly should be ok although there is the worry they won't accept £60 a month we have to pay in water rates while we wait for a meter - so blummin annoying as we know we could cope fine on our meter in the old house £20 a month. Time for a revised SOA I think

magicgirl

if you are getting tax credits and housing benefit, i can't see that you wouldbe in a position to pay an IPA.

I would call and speak to your OR or even email them. I was three months preg when i went BR and went back to work about a month after. my income went from being on benefits to having some surplus cos i wasn't paying bills etc. however, becasue of teh fact i was about to go on mat leave, the OR dismissed the payments and said it wasn't worth it as i was getting so many benefits. I am npot on a bad wage by any means (although i work part time now) and fully expecte dto pay for IPA but i guess ultimately, it is down to the OR. If ou are already struggling, then any excess will be 'eaten up' to make things more managable i would have thought?

maxmycardagain

I bet wayne and coleen will find the child benefit handy........

MicheH

maxmycardagain wrote: »

I bet wayne and coleen will find the child benefit handy........

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh don't get me started!

maxmycardagain

MicheH wrote: »

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh don't get me started!

and the royals (HRH) - it must be so important to em

philnicandamy

maxmycardagain wrote: »

I bet wayne and coleen will find the child benefit handy........

Hmm wonder if they waited 3hrs over their appt to see one of the midwives as an outpatient......I think not somehow :mad:

crowman19

maxmycardagain wrote: »

I bet wayne and coleen will find the child benefit handy........

In all fairness to them they will probably pay more tax into the system in less than a year than the rest of us will pay in our live times.

Can't personally see why they shouldn't be allowed it as where do you draw the line ?