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Confused and benefits advisor no help!

Hi-

I wonder if anyone can help - I have tried going on Goverment websites etc and asking at the Jobcentre for an appointment for an advisor to help with benefits but I seem to be getting nowhere.

Quick summary. My husband is disabled (full-time wheelchair user), gets high rate DLA and used to get IS before we were together. I have always worked but I am going to lose my job in June. I am in the process of re-training and would like to go back to Uni to do a part-time (less than 16hrs a week) Masters. I have a mortgage and my husband has no income (he's a full-time athlete).

Does anyone know roughly what we would be able to claim for and some rough (I know it's all personal circumstances) figures?? I am trying to figure out if we could scrimp through on benefits until my course is finished or whether I need to find another job asap. I also have 2 children (7 and 4).

My understanding is we would get Child Benefit, Tax credits, DLA and council tax benefit, and my husband could claim for income support but I have no idea of the 'income' and no-one can tell me.

Any advice? Also are there any other benefits he should be getting...I keep hearing about incapacity benefit but I don't think he is eligible - he broke his neck age 19 but was in South Africa and has been living here for 15 years (he is British).

Cheers,

D
«13

Comments

  • Take a look on entitledto.com
    If you put in your figures, the dla and how many children you have it should give you a rough guide.
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  • Indie_Kid
    Indie_Kid Posts: 23,097 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    is he on mid or high rate care dla?
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  • High rate DLA

    Am looking at entitled to now! thanks. Trawling all the sites, should have done that first! Duh!
  • sunnyone
    sunnyone Posts: 4,716 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Donought wrote: »
    Hi-

    I wonder if anyone can help - I have tried going on Goverment websites etc and asking at the Jobcentre for an appointment for an advisor to help with benefits but I seem to be getting nowhere.

    Quick summary. My husband is disabled (full-time wheelchair user), gets high rate DLA and used to get IS before we were together. I have always worked but I am going to lose my job in June. I am in the process of re-training and would like to go back to Uni to do a part-time (less than 16hrs a week) Masters. I have a mortgage and my husband has no income (he's a full-time athlete).

    Does anyone know roughly what we would be able to claim for and some rough (I know it's all personal circumstances) figures?? I am trying to figure out if we could scrimp through on benefits until my course is finished or whether I need to find another job asap. I also have 2 children (7 and 4).

    My understanding is we would get Child Benefit, Tax credits, DLA and council tax benefit, and my husband could claim for income support but I have no idea of the 'income' and no-one can tell me.

    Any advice? Also are there any other benefits he should be getting...I keep hearing about incapacity benefit but I don't think he is eligible - he broke his neck age 19 but was in South Africa and has been living here for 15 years (he is British).

    Cheers,

    D

    Why dosnt your husband work?

    Being disabled dosnt mean you cant work and being a full time athlete must mean that he has potential to work.
  • Because he's not qualified for anything and no-one wants to employ someone who can't do the job (physically) as well as someone else. Plus, since 2yrs post injury he's more or less played his sport, which is full-time, plus being in a wheelchair. How is he expected to play full-time sport and work? Able-bodied athletes aren't expected to do so why should Paralympic athletes be?
  • 2_litre
    2_litre Posts: 108 Forumite
    sunnyone wrote: »
    Why dosnt your husband work?

    Being disabled dosnt mean you cant work and being a full time athlete must mean that he has potential to work.
    Why don't you mind your own business ?
  • dookar
    dookar Posts: 1,654 Forumite
    Donought wrote: »
    Able-bodied athletes aren't expected to do so why should Paralympic athletes be?

    I'm pretty sure they would be if they tried to claim benefits.
  • dmg24
    dmg24 Posts: 33,920 Forumite
    10,000 Posts
    Unless he has other medical problems, he will not pass the ESA WCA purely by virtue of being in a wheelchair. Most truly full time athletes receive funding, and as dookar has mentioned, if they applied for benefits they would be expected to either work or be unfit for work.
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  • daska
    daska Posts: 6,212 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    You might be eligible for Carer's allowance and attendance allowance. Depends on what income he has coming in and what rate his care component is paid at and how much care you provide. BTW there is no definition of 'care'.
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  • DX2
    DX2 Posts: 8,275 Forumite
    daska wrote: »
    You might be eligible for Carer's allowance and attendance allowance. Depends on what income he has coming in and what rate his care component is paid at and how much care you provide. BTW there is no definition of 'care'.
    Why would he be eligible to claim AA when he gets DLA already?
    *SIGH*
    :D
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