Mooloo's New Home, New Year and New Start part 3

Savvy_sewing

Visit from the Fostering Social worker over.(andsame old ground covered, over again.).
Life history. So luckily I had the email of information I sent the previous worker, and have forwarded it to her email address.
DGD is with her mum going swimming with her aunty as well. Fingers crossed that all goes well.
Now I am off back to Towcester to see my parents, and to try and get DS or Twn2's BF to help me with the cottage stuff. (If not DS will just have to loose his camoflage net!).
Right just grabbing a much needed ham sandwich and a cup of tea.
Oh the housing have sent a man to do the garden. He has taken away some lumps, and cut the so called lawn. (loosely called a grassy area with tufts of grass), But I have pointed out some roots and a metal pole that are not suitable for DGD to play near. Will also report to the Housing officer.

Post has arrived. Nothing from the Financial side of things. (and nothing paid by bacs into the bank.)
Update:
Was about to call the radio station when social worker (different one) rang and said that he was on his way to see me, ! so I cannot go out until later now. I am just hoping that the twins and DGD are OK.
The cottge will have to wait a bit now
He also said they sent me a cheque a while ago now. But I havent received it. And it was not in the post before the 1st! so they will have to reissue it! So at least I know that i will get it in the end.!
Now he is due and I havent washed up the cups from the others visit or my lunch, so I better go.

Molly41

Well at least you know it's on its way now. Hugs my friend xx

SDG31000

Fingers crossed that the cheque turns up very very soon Mooloo.

Savvy_sewing

Well DGD and the twins caught up with me at my parents. She was very tired after her swim, and BF of twin2 was carrying her.
She was very happy though, and loved it. She was in the pool for an hour and a half. So we will definitely have to make time for her to go more often.
Twin2's BF is liking his new job, and looking foreward to more hours later in the year, and after his 6 months probation is over.

I never got time to go to the cottage, so it will have to be tomorrow now. Just no room in the car or energy in me!

Just adjusting my Budget a bit.
Now the SS want a detailed list of my income and outgoings! Not impressed. This could adjust the amount of money they are willing to pay as guardianship funding.
Trying to work out what changes when that comes through. What is affected by the change and what isnt. Nobody seems to know properly. The SW are very vague.
So time to investigate further myself.

gizmo111

Mooloo wrote: »

Well DGD and the twins caught up with me at my parents. She was very tired after her swim, and BF of twin2 was carrying her.
She was very happy though, and loved it. She was in the pool for an hour and a half. So we will definitely have to make time for her to go more often.
Twin2's BF is liking his new job, and looking foreward to more hours later in the year, and after his 6 months probation is over.

I never got time to go to the cottage, so it will have to be tomorrow now. Just no room in the car or energy in me!

Just adjusting my Budget a bit.
Now the SS want a detailed list of my income and outgoings! Not impressed. This could adjust the amount of money they are willing to pay as guardianship funding.
Trying to work out what changes when that comes through. What is affected by the change and what isnt. Nobody seems to know properly. The SW are very vague.
So time to investigate further myself.

It is a requirement of the court for Special Guardianship that you have adequate funds to look after the child - use www.entitledto.co.uk to work out what your income will be including child tax credit and child benefit, and I'll help you from there, no court in this land will expect or even want you to use your own benefits (DLA etc) to look after the child. I have in fact made a case where a couple have had predicted £900 + surplus income per month and still managed to get then the full SG allowance of around £110 per week plus £20 Child Benefit. If you get stuck let me know and make sure you make your solicitor aware of the finances of this. As I have mentioned before this is one of the reasons why I don't like SG Orders, they are too messy with the finances.

Savvy_sewing

gizmo111 wrote: »

It is a requirement of the court for Special Guardianship that you have adequate funds to look after the child - use www.entitledto.co.uk to work out what your income will be including child tax credit and child benefit, and I'll help you from there, no court in this land will expect or even want you to use your own benefits (DLA etc) to look after the child. I have in fact made a case where a couple have had predicted £900 + surplus income per month and still managed to get then the full SG allowance of around £110 per week plus £20 Child Benefit. If you get stuck let me know and make sure you make your solicitor aware of the finances of this. As I have mentioned before this is one of the reasons why I don't like SG Orders, they are too messy with the finances.

Thanks gizmo, I will make sure he is aware of my finances., I have most of it on a spread sheet, as I was following the Frugal living Challenge. Although there doesnt seem to be much Frugal living going on at the moment.!
I shall put the various sinarios into the system and find out. I have used them before.
The things change due to my no longer being classed as self employed when the Fostering changes to Guardianship.
Then nobody seems to know what the allowance for Guardinship is classed as, or if it is calculated as my income or DGD's.

DS is messing me around, and last night we had a huge row. Again.
He threatened things, (i think he was either drunk or under the influence of something/or someone). So I said that if he wasnt careful it would be him that was leaveing. Then of course that meant a hurl of abuse, and him hanging up.
So whether or not when he wakes up today, he remembers what he said or not I do not know. But I fear he will use it as an excuse to stay with the family from hell.
If he does that then the finances are all going to be changed and reduced again.! As I would not be entitled to the childbenefit and child tax credits for him.
Also if the guardianship happens, I am not a fostercarer, so I would no longer be self employed and would loose the working tax credit.
So its all a nightmare.

Savvy_sewing

Guardian ship information.
"
Guardian's Allowance

Applies to: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Who does it help?

Guardian’s Allowance is a tax-free benefit paid by the Child Benefit Office. You can claim it if you look after a child who is not your own (biologically or by adoption), for example, a child:

• who is an orphan, or
• whose surviving parent is missing, or
• whose surviving parent is in prison, or
• whose adoptive parent has died.

You can only get it if you get Child Benefit for the child.
Is it means-tested?

Guardian's Allowance does not depend on your income or savings.
What help does the benefit provide?

Guardian’s Allowance is money that you can spend as you want. It comes with your Child Benefit.
How much does it pay?

Guardian’s Allowance is paid at the rate of £14.30 each week for each child.
Is it a taxable benefit?

Guardian's Allowance is not a taxable benefit.
How to claim

You can claim Guardian’s Allowance on form BG1, which you can get from the Child Benefit Office, HM Revenue and Customs enquiry centres or benefit offices. You can also get a copy of the claim form (link opens in a new window) from the HMRC website.
If you have not already claimed Child Benefit, you should claim this at the same time as Guardian’s Allowance.
You may be able to make a backdated claim for Guardian's Allowance, for up to three months. Sometimes they can backdate it to the point you started to qualify for Child Benefit. You do not have to give reasons for making a later claim.
Documents you need

You will have to give your national insurance number and evidence of identity, for example, a passport or driving licence. You also need to provide the birth certificate of each child (originals, not photocopies) and where the child’s parents have died, the death certificate(s) of the parents.
Further help

For more help, you can phone the Guardian’s Allowance Unit on: 0845 302 1464 or 028 9054 9000 in Northern Ireland.
The Citizens Advice website (link opens in a new window) can give you more information about Guardian's Allowance.
Directgov, the government website, (link opens in a new window) has more information about Guardian's Allowance.
Find an adviser tool.
Useful links


This information has been produced by Citizens Advice.
Updated: 6 April 2009 "


This looks a bit more hopeful. That at least the money is not included in any other calculations.
But I will have a reduction of £43.13 a week as I would not be classed as working self employed anymore.
Therefore not entitled to Working Tax Credits.

If DS leaves then thats another ball game.
Child tax credits will be reduced. Still to work that one out. Edit. That would be a reduction in the childtax credits of a further £44.17.
So with the loss of the two, I would loose £87.30 a week income, plus of course what ever the childbenefit would be for 2nd child.
All very confusing.
So no matter which way I look at it, the amount of money that I will have coming in is going to be reduced quite considerably.

Keeping_Motivated

Yes but your outgoings should now reduce too? Ie less petrol, nursery fees, energy bills, moving costs so maybe you will be ok?

Errata

So no matter which way I look at it, the amount of money that I will have coming in is going to be reduced quite considerably

But not if DS gets a part time job and continues to live with you.

Savvy_sewing

Keeping_Motivated wrote: »

Yes but your outgoings should now reduce too? Ie less petrol, nursery fees, energy bills, moving costs so maybe you will be ok?

I will always be ok. Some how, but its always a stress, we have just got used to having more money, and being able to get on with things.
Yes I am lucky that I had the funding when I did., and that I was able to move (my dad Paid for that), and that I was able to buy new carpets for the house. (I did pay for all of that).
I was lucky to get a cooker on Freecycle, and if I still wish to have the wardrobes there is a charity that I have contacted who will help me.
So after years of struggling I was/am hoping that life would be less of a strain.
I am not sure that there will be that much of a reduction in the petrol, as the cost of it has shot up, and I have been spending around £60 a week on petrol. I have no choice but to reduce it some how.

I will survive, if I am armed and ready.

This mornings post brings, bills from the old house.
£440 electricity they are taking out of my bankaccount on the 19th (except I dont have that amount in the account. I only have the money left for the car on Tuesday.) Then what ever money comes in on Monday and Wednesdays.
Anyway we will not be loosing it over night. I must stay optimistic.

The money they owe me for transport is "lost in the post".

I have also received a demand for the council tax here for £338.05 to be paid before the 1.02.11
Independant living bill is £21.00 and the Tax payment for wages is £334.00


There is also a letter from the Social Services,

"following your recent telephone call to this office of the Corporate Director of Children & young people's services regarding your letter of the 29th Nove. I was sorry to hear that you feel that your experiences to date with our department have been less than satisfactory.
I have asked *** *** who is currently providing senior management oversight to our new service for looked after children to make contact with you as soon as possible to ensure that this matter is resolved as quickly as possible."

So let them contact me and sort the sorry mess out.