Are Income support trying to catch me out??

uptomyeyeballsindebt

Hi there!
I am currently on unpaid maternity leave from my job,the CAB told me I could claim I.S.during the 6 months.I went to the job center last week to fill out the form,and my partner had to write a letter to be sent off with the claim explaining the situation - I live with my parents,he has a mortgage and lives with his Nan,baby lives at my address.We are together,even though it seems a wierd set up.They needed this letter as I said I didn't want to go through the CSA,as everything baby needs,he has,my partner gets everything.

I have had a letter come back asking to clarify the situation,there are some questions which I have to answer.They are:

"Have you separated from your partner"and "If you haven't separated from your partner do you still class yourself as a couple,and is it only due to current circumstances that you live apart?"

Now I haven't separated from him,but I'm worried about answering the second question in case I don't get my benefit.Is there a right way or wrong way to answer it?Would they class us as common law man and wife,therefore I wouldn't be entitled to anything?Iit's so confusing,because I have never had to do anything like this before,so I'm not clued up on what you are and how you qualify for benefits.Plus with my hormones all over the place,it's beginning to stress me out!

I do hope someone can help,I need to send the form back to them ASAP,but I thought I'd ask for some advice first.Thanks in advance.

Mrs_B_12

The term common law wife/husband is meaningless, you can be classed as living together "as man and wife" but not sure how they'd term it if you are a couple not living together. I guess it depends on exactly how the DWP define "couple". If you've never lived together then that might change things, someone might have more information about it.

Fran

Do you spend nights together?

You call yourself a couple, do you intend to live together?
If you claim Income Support, CSA is automatically informed and will contact you, you don't have any choice in this.

From what you've described, especially asking what the "right or wrong way" of answering the questions is and the fact that you say that you're a couple, you might well find you are refused IS.

Are you receiving Working Tax Credits/Child Tax Credits? I'm not sure how they work with unpaid leave, presumably you are still classed as employed and still receive them? If you are classed as working over 16 hours then you wouldn't receive Income Support anyway. I would check again with CAB.

Scarlett1

uptomyeyeballs if you are on unpaid mat leave and you dont live with your partner you will be considered a single parent and be entitled to IS, with that letter it seems that they want to find out whether you partner provides for you so they can work out if you are entitled to IS or not.

uptomyeyeballsindebt

Thanks everyone for the replies.It seems such a funny situation!
I am receiving child tax credit,but when my 6 months SMP finished,I had to inform them because I was no longer entitled to working tax credit,even though technically I'm still employed.So all that I receive at the minute is child benefit and child tax credit.It was back in May just before I gave birth that the CAB told me that in my situation I would be entitled to IS.I think I may go back and check it all out once more.Thanks again everyone!!

Scarlett1

uptomyeyeballsindebt wrote:

Thanks everyone for the replies.It seems such a funny situation!
I am receiving child tax credit,but when my 6 months SMP finished,I had to inform them because I was no longer entitled to working tax credit,even though technically I'm still employed.So all that I receive at the minute is child benefit and child tax credit.It was back in May just before I gave birth that the CAB told me that in my situation I would be entitled to IS.I think I may go back and check it all out once more.Thanks again everyone!!

yes definately go back to CAB

Savvy_Sue

Surely the 'right' way to answer is truthfully? ie, if the only reason you're not living together is circumstances, then say so. If you've split up, then say so. I don't know what effect that would have on your IS claim, but the only way they can catch you out is if you lie!

uptomyeyeballsindebt

I have answered everything truthfully,it was just their wording that threw me a little - I couldn't lie,I'd forget something that I said,they would deffo catch me out!!!

lil_me

My friend's partner lives in Manchester and she lives here at the minute due to lack of house down there, but as far as they were concerned because they are still a couple and not seperated she was not entitled to income support and they have to claim WTC as a couple.

If you are entitled they will insist on CSA being involved, and he will have to pay them the money directly and you will get to keep £10 of whatever he has to pay.

If you state he buys things or gives you money for her they can take this amount from your benefit.

pippamannequin

Ridiculous as it sounds many years ago when i married my husband, he was on benefits. He had a flat. He claimed hb and jobseekers. It wasnt permanent but just happenned to be a difficult time at that point. I had a mortgage and wasnt claiming anything i was working full time. We did actually spend only a few evenings together a week at my house due to him being at that time a confirmed bachelor until i came along. his tenancy was tied and he had to keep the flat for 6 months...(went to a solocitors it wasnt just him saying it)!! lol..anyway, he got called into to benefit fraud after a few months, recorded interview, very scary but that is exactly how it was and he told it how it was..what else could he do?? he wasnt prosecuted or asked to pay back anything, they actually treated him as seperated from me even though we explained we werent but were ...if that makes sense?! dont know if it helps but just a true personal experience.:o

skintas_2

if you are with your partner the i.s may ask you what your partner contributes to the baby, anything at all will be taken off your money. the dwp probaly got funny cos you didnt want the csa involved, they get involved anyway as your making a claim. they do get funny, my babys dad was very vilonet to me and i didnt want to sign the papers as he would take it out on me. the woman from dwp who did a home visit would not believe me and was very rude, i had a police reports and had to leave my area due to domestic violence, then the csa believed me, not to contact my babies dad as he would be violent to me. why woul;d you not live with your partner but claim tax credits, then you can all be together