Recently seperated...need your help

geepspoole

Hi i need the help of some of you knowledgable lot!!

my wife has recently left me and some people have mentioned that i may get help financially. ive informed the council tax people and got the 25% reduction but that is where my knowledge stops.

i am in my own home and my wife in a rented house. we share custody of the kids. i am on about £33000 a year and she is on about £20000 a year and works three days a week. we have one 5 year old at full time school and one 15 month old who has a childminder once a week (£28)

I realise im asking a lot but is there anyone who could say what if anything i can claim. i only ask your help as my head is a bit of a mess and i need all the financial help i can get. peopel have mentioned single parent benifits, would i be entiltled to them? or childcare allowance?

anyway, your help, should it be offered is greatly appreciated.

graeme

tomitma

I know that you are NOT going to like the answers, but I will leave you to it!!!!!

Caz3121

The single parent benefits you refer to can only be paid to one person per child and this is based on who has the primary care. It is that person (normally who has the children 4 nights per week+) who can claim the child benefit and child tax credits.
If you have the children exactly 50/50 then you could possibly each claim the child benefit for one child and both be classed as a single parent for one child. If either party has the children for less than half the time then they would be classed as the non-resident parent and would not be able to claim any child related benefits, be classed in the eyes of benefits as a single person with no dependants - they would also be liable to pay child support to the parent with care.

If you went down the route of 1 child each then you would each claim £20.30 per week in child benefit and could each claim child tax credits, each of you earn too much for working tax credits and any childcare help will be unlikely

FBaby

It would make sense for your ex to claim ctc as she would be entitled to more support because of her salary, however, on the basis that you share the care of the children, maybe it could be agreed that she is responsible for all costs directly associated with the kids for both homes, ie. she buys all their clothing but these are shared between you, pays the childcare, buys the presents for when they are invited to birthday parties (even when this occurs when they are with you, their own parties etc.... Of course, you can supplement as and when required or you can afford to.

no-oneknowsme

You have an income of £33k and your wife has an income of £20k ?

Im saying no more !

Sublime_2

You won't be able to get anything. Your wife may be able to if she's the sole carer. I'm not sure you'll have to look on entitled to. Her income may still be too high though.

Jowo_2

33k is going to take you out of the territory of virtually all, if not all, means tested benefits. 20k may be similar, depending on various factors, such as whether your wife is a joint owner of the property, the LHA (housing benefit) for the area, etc.

You can check the benefit entitlements across the two households on the Turn2us online benefit calculator and the LHA Direct website.

Is your wife a joint owner of your property?

Note that the child support that you pay your wife will not impact any means tested benefits she may receive - it is simply received on top of this and doesn't affect the sum.

Off the top of my head, both households will be entitled to a 25% council tax discount if there's only one single adult there, plus there is Child Benefit. The Turn2us website will identify if there are any child/working tax credits or Local Housing Allowance for your wife.

geepspoole

thanks for all your help.

i know it sounds like im on a lot of money and i guess i am very fortunate but like a number of people that come to this website i have lots of debts!! (im left with about £90 at very most every month for social life/clothes/entertainment etc...better than most i know...im not complaining)

one last question, if i earn about £300 more than my (soon-to-be ex) wife per month does anyone have any clue on what child maintainance i could end up paying?

Also i have a final salary pension that im only eight years into a thirty year term, what would she be entitled too?

the gutting thing is she has cheated on me and its ending up costing me a bloody fortune!

anyway, i appreciate anyone who spares the time to reply, your advice is much appreciated

graeme

mitch161

maintenance..

go back to the 'old school of thinking'. half a weeks worth of nappies, half a weeks worth of food. clothing for the child etc. in exchange for half a week of seeing and loving your child

forget about money. be in a contact position that if any quiries about child expenses came up dont ask how much other parent wants.. ask what will the other parent spend the money on.. and simply buy that item and give them it.

children shouldnt cause financial arguments. if its food the child needs then its food the child gets.

money should never be a question.. the true question of good parenting should be who feeds and clothes the child better, who is there to make child happier. and who gives the child that nice soft teddybear and a kiss at night.

maintenance should be a agreement of suppling a regular supply of food, clothing, and love.. not a set monetary figure

DX2

geepspoole wrote: »

one last question, if i earn about £300 more than my (soon-to-be ex) wife per month does anyone have any clue on what child maintainance i could end up paying?

It's 20% of your wages for child support via the CSA for two kids.

DX2

:rotfl:Cute! So how will this fairytale help the OP if the ex goes via the CSA?

mitch161 wrote: »

maintenance..

go back to the 'old school of thinking'. half a weeks worth of nappies, half a weeks worth of food. clothing for the child etc. in exchange for half a week of seeing and loving your child

forget about money. be in a contact position that if any quiries about child expenses came up dont ask how much other parent wants.. ask what will the other parent spend the money on.. and simply buy that item and give them it.

children shouldnt cause financial arguments. if its food the child needs then its food the child gets.

money should never be a question.. the true question of good parenting should be who feeds and clothes the child better, who is there to make child happier. and who gives the child that nice soft teddybear and a kiss at night.

maintenance should be a agreement of suppling a regular supply of food, clothing, and love.. not a set monetary figure