help/advice desperately needed (income support)

[Deleted User]

bestpud wrote: »

Have you considered childminding?

it would never work with my son , he is highly demanding and attention seeking and does not like to share me at all.

[Deleted User]

divastrop wrote: »

I don't know if this is useful or not but my local council have a discretionary housing payments scheme whereby you can claim help with your rent if it isn't covered by LHA. It could be worth looking into whether yours does similar, just while you are deciding what to do for the best. I also want to say well done for working so hard for your family and getting out of an abusive relationship, I know how difficult it is. I have 5 children as well and my son who is almost 7 has ADHD.

thankyou hun i will have a look at that x

[Deleted User]

dktreesea wrote: »

If your son is entitled to DLA, then why shouldn't you claim it? It may improve your WTC claim, to have a disabled child whom you care for. When you work and pay tax, then a "benefit" is a tax break. I don't see the point of depriving yourself of something that you could be entitled to and help you clearly need.

There's people in Britain who earn £90K a year and still claim child benefit. They view it as a tax break, and rightly so, imho. The question about policy that rears its head now and then, as to whether people should receive tax breaks just because they elect to have children, is a different matter. There is probably a myriad of people out there without children, who object to people with children getting tax breaks. But the law is what it is. Why not claim what you are entitled to and make life a bit easier for yourself?

thanks you have a good point there.

[Deleted User]

lovetowinacar wrote: »

The DLA is based on his extra care needs (and if he has them extra mobility needs) than children of the same age. Does he need help washing for example, or help with other tasks that other children of the same age don't? ADHA is a spectrum and some are mildly affected and others more severely affected it depends on your son's level of care needs:)

the main issue is his attention seeking , needy , demanding behaviour which means he needs constant supervision .
this is also to protect his 2 sisters as he can be a bit rough too x

[Deleted User]

sp1987 wrote: »

If you feel your child could qualify for DLA put an application in. Just because other individuals may have more needs than he does it does not mean he should not claim, otherwise only the most disabled would claim and there would not need to be a lower-higher scale.

The thing is, to you your child is just "David" (I didn't want to just say x, lol) but to other people, "David" may have quite complex needs which make him more difficult to care for and thus require more care than say, a brother did at the same age.

I'm sure you have a hard enough task already with all those pattering feet without not applying for extra things designed to make life a little easier for you and him. You should not feel guilty as you would be claiming it for him, not you. As his mother you just get to choose what the money is best spent on until he is old enough to do that for himself.

As someone above said, I would always claim child benefit as I am entitled to as a parent. I would not ''leave it in the pot'' for someone worse off, as nobody gets an extra £20 if I don't claim my son's. If I don't use it for him, he can have it saved up in an account for use later.

I cannot imagine the difficulties that you get being a single parent of one, let alone 4, let alone when one has extra needs. I literally take my hat off to you as it is beyond comprehension to me!

thankyou ,you have given me some good advice and thanks for the compliment

joby1

mummyof5 wrote: »

thankyou to all who have replied , i was mostly worried that because i am choosing not to work anymore they would make me wait 26 weeks before claiming or something.
i don't understand the system very well.

im pretty sure if you left work due to childcare issues you wouldnt be penalised
if you apply for dla for eldest son and he was awarded mid or high rate care element then you could claim carers all and is as a top up as a carer if that makes sense.
sorry if ive repeated what someone else has said.

good luck
Joby x

Jowo_2

mummyof5 wrote: »

i think i pay about £154 a month myself or thereabouts

To me, this is the source of your main financial struggle. Find a place whose rent pays the same or lower rate of LHA. Currently, a tenant on benefits is allowed to keep the first £15 of the difference if they find a lower priced property than their LHA allowance (though I expect this will end at some point).

[Deleted User]

Jowo wrote: »

To me, this is the source of your main financial struggle. Find a place whose rent pays the same or lower rate of LHA. Currently, a tenant on benefits is allowed to keep the first £15 of the difference if they find a lower priced property than their LHA allowance (though I expect this will end at some point).

thanks , i understand what you're saying but this is the cheapest place i could find here and that's because it's poorly decorated.
the last house i ended up getting LHA over what my rent was , but this time round it is the opposite.
also my kids have had a lot of house and school moves already due to the violent ex so am trying to keep them settled as much as i can x

mummyslittleboy

joby1 wrote: »

im pretty sure if you left work due to childcare issues you wouldnt be penalised
if you apply for dla for eldest son and he was awarded mid or high rate care element then you could claim carers all and is as a top up as a carer if that makes sense.
sorry if ive repeated what someone else has said.

good luck
Joby x

I left my job to look after my son who has extra needs and wasn't penalised you will also be entitled to extra tax credits if awarded DLA but you will need to ring them and inform them that you have been awarded it as they dont seem to communicate to one another.

mummyof5 wrote: »

the main issue is his attention seeking , needy , demanding behaviour which means he needs constant supervision .
this is also to protect his 2 sisters as he can be a bit rough too x

sounds like he would be entitled to it especially needing the extra supervision we had severe behaviour problems with my little one mainly down to frustration because he can't talk and you daren't even leave him in a room on his iwn while you nip to the loo!!! It is better know he uses makaton as his outbursts aren't as often good luck hun please put in for it you have nothing to loose and everything to gain x

[Deleted User]

hi thanks to all who replied.
i have decided to try and work all my hours over 3 days a week.
my boss has agreed to this but i won't be any better off.

in an interesting twist though i had my housing benefit visit today and the lady told me i am better off not working at all and that i should be claiming dla for my son.

i feel like i am going round and round in circles !!