Tax credit versus Income Support

Tiggerbags

Hi

I am new here - but hope that you can offer me some advice. Background is that I have 4 kids - one at Uni, one at 6th form college (both from first marriage) and 2 younger ones from another relationship. I have now seperated from the father of the younger 2.

I have always had the child benefit in my name for all of the kids, I work full time and claim tax credits for the three left at home (get about £300 per month).

My ex and I have the younger children 50/50 - splitting the week in half. He now wants to claim child benefit for one of the younger kids, because he is not working and would like to claim income support (and housing ben/council tax ben that runs on from this). Whilst I can see that it is only fair to split the child benefit 50/50, my problem is this: if I cant claim tax credits for both of the younger ones, I think that I will only get the minimum (£40/50 pm) of tax credits, thus losing £300 pm (£250 TC and 50 child ben). This would make it really hard for me to manage the mortgage etc and leave me with very little to spend on the kids. He, meanwhile, would be getting his rent/council tax paid plus income support. I have suggested that he claim JSA - but he is not keen as he says that IS will be easier for him. Given that he has the kids as much as I do, and therfore does have half the week in which he could work, this seems unfair to me (who is running round like a headless chicken working fulltime and having the kids.)

Do I just have to put up with it - or are there any valid arguments I can put forward?

Thanks

karenx

Who has the child most nights? I know you said its split 50/50 but theres 7 days of the week so its not as straight forward as 50/50.
Is the child under 7? As when child turns 7 he would be automatically put on JSA anyway and have to look for a job. Plus if he is the one claiming for the child you will have to pay him maintancne, which is 15% of your take home pay.

Tiggerbags

Hi thanks for your reply

There are 2 younger children - 3 and 5. We split them 3 nights with one parent one week and then 4 nights with that parent the next week, so they spend exactly half their nights with each parent.

Good point about the maintenance - although Im not sure what would happen if we each had child ben for one child. (I guess I could make a counter claim - but with him not working that would not be for much)

I can understand his point that each claiming for one child would be fair, but it seems to have such an unfair result. He chose to take redundancy over a year ago and has not applied for one job since then.

karenx

IF he is on benefits then it would be £5 he pays you and 15% of your income goes to him for the child he has care for.
If its the 5 year old he has then in 2 years time he will be put on JSA if he has not gotten a job by then

RAS

Income suport is much better for him, as:

1. it exempts him from working for several years.
2. He gets additional benefits.
3. he can and no doubt will claim CSA from you, which is 15% of your income on top of the benefits. OK, you would get some protection but when your 6th former leaves school, that will be only 15% of you income.