how much benefit am I allowed? long post

fatgingacat

Hi, Please be gentle with me this is my first post on here (and very long one). I have been lurking on here for months though

Ok here we go. The company myself and my Husband were working for (yes I know we really were THAT stupid to work for the same employer in a recession) has been in financial difficulties for a few months (3) and went into voluntary liquidation in the middle of last week.

At the end of September we were paid late (middle of October) and we didn't get paid since then for the work done in October and the start of November. We will be shortly completing form RP1.

My Husband had applied for a temporary job, fixed term (minimum wage) at a local store for evenings and weekends to do alongside his full time job in the hope that we would manage until our employer managed to get sorted. - He got that job and had his induction at the start of Nov - 3 days before we were both made redundant.

We have been to the local job centre today for our new claims appointment and found the staff extremely unhelpful. She wasn't able to tell us anything we didn't already know - in fact she wouldn't even speculate how much we are likely to be entitled to ... meanwhile we are here worrying ourselves.

We have bills of £1400 each month before food, clothing, petrol, etc and she didn't cover if we were entitled to help with any of it - she avoided the questions by saying the paperwork would be sent to claim today and I would receive a letter once it had been processed and a decision made - I still have to go and sign on though and because my Husbands temp job is 20 hours a week hes not entitled to anything. She just made more of a fuss about me going to the docs for some antidepressants and perhaps going back onto incapacity benefit (I was on that until June this year - had been on it for 10 years due to depression and anxiety - thanks to the last couple of months the depression is back with a vengeance but I really don't want to go back onto IB)

Oh we have an 11 year old Son too.

If you read this far than wow, well done and I'm sorry its such a long post.

Indie_Kid

because my Husbands temp job is 20 hours a week hes not entitled to anything.

Not even ctc or wtc if income is low enough?

alwaysonthego_2

Hi welcome to MSE!

If your income is low you should be entitled to WTC and CTC. You may need to ring TCO and put in an estimate for this years income, make sure you overestimate to avoid an overpayment.

You should get help with CTB and HB [if you're renting].

You could claim JSA CB depending on your NI conts for 06-07 and 07-08. If you are no capable of working I am not sure what the linking rule to IB is but you could possibly claim CBESA.

The CAB can do a quick benefits check for you and help you with any debts you may have.

Also try www.entitledto.co.uk for a rough guide.

Good luck.

thorsoak

Just because you have bills of over £1400 per month will not entitle you to any more money I'm afraid.

Have you not got any insurances to cover these bills (presumably mortgage/loans)? If not, I'm afraid its time to write to the companies asking them how low can you go - and have a look at the money-saving forums here.

Good luck!

Vader123

Post your SOA (Statement of affairs).

List your savings. Incomes. Assets. Incomings. Outgoings.

Someone will pick out the flesh.

Vader

LeeSouthEast

Use this SOA calculator. It's what we're all used to.

fatgingacat

Wow, thanks for your fast responses.

Ok, we dont have redundancy cover - when the mortgage and loan were taken out my Husband had a secure job working at a prison so we decided that it was unnecessary (dont you just love hindsight)

Phoning the tax office is on my list of jobs to do tomorrow and now I'm going to contact the local CAB to see what else we are entitled to.

Vader - do you mean list them on here?

Thanks xx

Vader123

Vader - do you mean list them on here?

Yes, let someone go through it.

Vader