what kind of benefits can I expect?

rockabilly_spike

Am moving in with the GF in june to her flat.
rent is £325 per month. she and her current flat mate (who is moving out) are full time students and pay no council tax.
I'm guessing we'll start once I move in.

I work 30 hrs a week on 6.10 on hour, but we can earn bonus on sales, my income changes per month due to any overtime from things like bank hols, and amount of bonus earned which could be anything from ZERO upwards (most recently £38, then £153, then £96)
Get paid monthly.
Am currently claiming work tax credits for just myself and getting £24.49 a week.

She is a full time uni student with a weekend job doing the paperwork for her Dads business. she apparently doesnt pay tax or NI contribs.

will my changing income per month make a difference? do I tell them, or do i just give them what my basic earnings would be?

any help is appreciated. done a few of the entitlement surveys and gotten very different results each time.

Oldernotwiser

You'll have to pay the council tax (with the 25%) reduction and you need to tell tax credits that you're now part of a couple.

rockabilly_spike

ok sounds fair, what about things like housing benefit?
its a 2 bedroom flat

dmg24

What is the one bedroom LHA entitlement for your area? How much does she earn from her weekend job? Her student income will also be counted.

rockabilly_spike

£92.05 for 1 bedroom self contained.

what do you mean by her student income will be counted?
do you mean how much she gets from her student loan?

I'm not sure how much her dad pays her, i think it depends on how many invoices she has to do and how quick she gets them done.
she's not an employee on his books, its just cos he's a bit rubbish with a computer.

dmg24

Yes, her student income from loans, grants etc.

Given your income of £183 plus her student income of approx £100 per week, I doubt you will be entitled to any LHA.

rockabilly_spike

so probably just the working tax credits then?
its worth applying for everything else tho right?

dmg24

rockabilly_spike wrote: »

so probably just the working tax credits then?
its worth applying for everything else tho right?

It is possible that you will not get WTC either now. You will need to notify HMRC of your new situation, and to do this you need to find out how much your gf earns.

There is nothing to stop you applying for any benefits you wish to. However that does not mean you will receive them!

rockabilly_spike

hmm why wouldnt I get WTC now?

she lived at my dads house with me for quite a while (we split, she moved out, we got back together again).

I get £24.49 WTC which has just gone done from £28.72, when she lived with me (her circumstances havent changed she works for her dad at weekends and the WTC people told me not to count it since she's not an official employee and pays no tax or NI), we used to get £70.

dmg24

rockabilly_spike wrote: »

hmm why wouldnt I get WTC now?

she lived at my dads house with me for quite a while (we split, she moved out, we got back together again).

I get £24.49 WTC which has just gone done from £28.72, when she lived with me (her circumstances havent changed she works for her dad at weekends and the WTC people told me not to count it since she's not an official employee and pays no tax or NI), we used to get £70.

I don't believe HMRC told you not to declare your partners income. This would be fraud.

calleyw

rockabilly_spike wrote: »

hmm why wouldnt I get WTC now?

she lived at my dads house with me for quite a while (we split, she moved out, we got back together again).

I get £24.49 WTC which has just gone done from £28.72, when she lived with me (her circumstances havent changed she works for her dad at weekends and the WTC people told me not to count it since she's not an official employee and pays no tax or NI), we used to get £70.

Because you are now couple and any income in to the household is counted including student loans.

You are telling me WTC told you not included your partner even though she has income from student loans and a part time job :eek:

As a couple with out children your joint income needs to below £17200 to get WTC.

According to your figures you earn approx £9500 ish. If she earns approx £92 a week from her father as that would mean no tax and no NI that makes approx £4500 (if 52 weeks a year) and then student loans on top of that. As long as the loans are less than £3200 a year you might get some help. But it would be very little.

With that sort of income I would say unless you live in a high rent area none if very little HB and just a 25% discount on council tax.

Yours

Calley