New to Income Support

DaisyFlower

welshmoneylover wrote: »

Surely it is down to you and your husband to provide treats for your children?

Not rely on the taxpayer to support them while you frittered money away getting yourselves into debt.

The debt is your own fault and I think its cheeky of you to expect benefits to help you out.

I wanted to say that but i'm sure it will get pulled. Children dont need paid for treats to be happy, there are millions of things you can do for free to do that.

Personally I read the post as it being a temp split so that more income was available via the state to clear the debts.

bluecelticgirl

I hate to say it but that was my thoughts too the way it was written

Indie_Kid

Isn't this what child maintenance is for?

welshmoneylover

sh1305 wrote: »

Isn't this what child maintenance is for?

And child benefit?

SingleSue

Treats don't need to cost any money (or very little at all).

For my boys, it is a treat to spend the day on the beach...costs me absolutely nothing and my parents even bring a flask of tea up (they live just off the sea front)

Taking them for a nature walk, we have plenty of fields and marshes here and within a few miles, woods...again costs absolutely nothing.

Seeing friends we have not seen for a while and spending the afternoon there, either having a few games in the garden or games in the house dependent on weather.

I have my niece and nephew a fair bit during the summer, they loved the walk along the sea front, they loved the fruit picking (without the buying afterwards), they loved the afternoon spent in the park playing on the aparatus, they loved the water gun battles in the back garden....they have renamed me the cool aunt instead of my former name of the strict aunt.

And it didn't cost me a penny to entertain them...you just have to think out of the box (or go back to when you were little and what your parents would do)

I am on income support, I don't receive the same level of maintenance off my ex husband (less than a third to be honest) and I am unfortunate to be living in an area where there is no concession for being on benefits when it comes to leisure activities (or none that I know of anyway!)

But we have an awful lot of fun during the holidays and weekends for very little pennies.

tomitma

DaisyFlower wrote: »

I wanted to say that but i'm sure it will get pulled. Children dont need paid for treats to be happy, there are millions of things you can do for free to do that.

Personally I read the post as it being a temp split so that more income was available via the state to clear the debts.

This was my thoughts as well

Lou76

cazbie16 wrote: »

Thanks Jowo, I've been an avid fan of this site for a few years now and have already the lowest utility tariffs, insurance etc. and just last week got my Sky discounted for 6 mths. I have every intention of scouring this site for any other savings I can make. Might give the budget planner a go, although my head feels full of cotton wool at mo having to take on so much info.

Your calculations re benefits are spot on and after applying for it all on Friday I'll be attending an interview on Wed with Jobcentre to go through application and provide relevant paperwork. I knew that the sooner I applied the better so that anything owed could be backdated.

As for the Debt advice, I have yet to go through my outgoings (budget planner will come in handy me thinks) and until I start having the benefits coming in I can't get things straight in my head. My hubbys wages are still going in to my account at mo as he hasn't got a bank account and until thats set up he's agreed that he will support us til benefits do come through. At the mo I'm having to give him money to live! I'm sure within the next few weeks we'll be able to see things a little clearer and things will straighten out, you may then see me over on the debt boards.

It's possibly just the way you've written it, or I'm reading it wrong, but surely he realises he is still responsible for/expected to provide for his own children irrespective of whatever benefits you're entitled to?

The benefits system isn't there to allow him to shirk his responsibilities.

Apologies if I've got it wrong.

Indie_Kid

SingleSue wrote: »

I am unfortunate to be living in an area where there is no concession for being on benefits when it comes to leisure activities (or none that I know of anyway!)

Many won't tell you unless you ask.

kingfisherblue

The OP will need a separate bank account to claim IS. My ex and I had a joint account and I opened a claim for IS when he left, but no payments could be made until I had closed the joint account and opened a new account in my sole name.

cazbie16

No way have we split temporarily to clear debts!!!! The debts have come about because of 10% pay cut when recession hit 2 and bit yrs ago and the commitments we took on when his pay was better. This cut obviously affected his overtime rate as well and due to lack of overtime which was abundant before recession we had a big hole in funds. We have tried to muddle through with the threat of redundancy constantly looming, clearing as much debt as we can. But I think my hubby is hitting a mental breakdown now and has left because our relationship has suffered and he feels he no longer loves me. This split has hit us both very hard with lots of crying from both of us. Its broken his heart leaving his 4 kids, he is one of 5 and has a very close family, and he is a good dad.

he hasn't got a bank account and until thats set up he's agreed that he will support us til benefits do come through

I worded that wrongly reading it back, he is basically still paying his wages into my account and is just taking enough to survive on til benefits come through so that me and the kids don't suffer because of his leaving. He knows that he will need to pay at least £125 and has agreed to give more as and when he can. Although if he's renting I'm not sure if he'll pull additional funding off.

It is my hope that he will one day return as I love him deeply but u can't make someone love you, its just something we'll have to fight to get back. Can't see it happening anytime soon, u can't put a time limit on these things.