Household Income

SurreyLass1

I am just finishing completing my forms ready for court on Monday.

Briefly, my situation is that I am stay at home Mum with an income solely made up of child benefit and a small amount of child tax credit. My husband was unaware of my debts until a few weeks ago, and is the sole earner. As such, he also pays all the household bills.

On 6.28 it asks for total household income - so I have to state what my husband takes home a month, plus my benefit?

Contribution to Household Bills - my husband pays all of the bills, as he earns the pennies. He obviously wasnt paying my secret debt bills - and cant, hence the problem.

I have put an additional information bit about being fully dependant on my husband as I am a Stay at Home Mum - does that make it all make sense?

Any advice of do's and dont's?

Thanks, as always

[Deleted User]

I was in a similar situation with mr lbm paying for everything - so I worked out only expenses of what it cost to run the household (see soa threads to make sure you include everything) and I put this down as his income. I also put down my full soa
The important bit was the interview with the OR when I could explain fully that I was dependent upon mr lbm - and that was fine - so try not to stress too much because it is about you and not your dh and you'll be able to explain it.
lbm

tigerfeet2006

Pop up you SoA and someone will check it

http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html

Put the full joint household bills and your expenses, not your DH expenses. Put your income down ie: benefits and the amount your DH contibutes to the joint household bills.

Mrs_Arcanum

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

Pop up you SoA and someone will check it

http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html

Put the full joint household bills and your expenses, not your DH expenses. Put your income down ie: benefits and the amount your DH contibutes to the joint household bills.

This needs to be the amount he actually gives you control to spend as you choose. So if all he does is go shopping with you & pay, this is not the same.

fermi

It's your choice on how you interpret those 2 questions.

It does ask for how much other people contribute to the household expenses, and then goes on to use that to calculate total household income.

The intention is really that you should put all their income, not just what they contribute to shared expenses. But the form is badly worded.

So honestly I would interpret what you are supposed to put down as what you are most comfortable with.

If you/they are uncomfortable in declaring your partners income, then just put what they contribute. That is a fair interpretation, as some people may not know the income of other people in their household, and if so it is information that they are not obliged to provide to the OR.

In your case it doesn't really matter which way round you do it. The OR can only think about setting up IPA payments based on your income that is not from benefits. As you don't have any, an IPA is not a possibility, no matter what your OH brings in.

SurreyLass1

Fermi, thanks for tha rock solid answer - I was beginning to get a bit confuddled.

My other half doesnt earn a mint, but does have a decent job. I am interpretting it that I want to be showing that he is contributing pretty much 100% of our expenses (barring the £180 worth that I use the child benefit and child tax credit for), and that we have the usual expenditure for a family with small children.

Thats makes sense - happy with that!

Ineedaname

I guess you could take it totally the other way and, as your husband pays all the bills and you don't contribute anything towards them, just put your income and expenses down, put zero for all householed bills, mortgage, council tax etc. Then put an explanatory note in Section 13 to say that your husband pays for all household expenses.

As Mrs Arcanum says though, if you are given a certain amount of cash each week for shopping, then put that as income and expenditure too, but again make sure you explain what that money is and where it comes from.

The way I see the SOA is that it's about YOU being BR so it's YOUR finances that are under scrutiny. If you don't pay any bills then that's the truth to write down, i.e. if you rented a room in a house and all bills were included in the rent, or as in your case you don't pay anything towards the household costs.

SurreyLass1

I dont 'get' money as such - he doesnt transfer money to me or anything - basically, I am an additional card holder on his CC account (which has never had any debt and is always paid in full EVERY month and always has been) - we use that CC like a current account, everything goes on it, then he pays it off in full when the statement comes. He has held this account since he was 18 (now 40).

My 'income' really is the 2 benefits.
He pays all the bills.

NeverAgain_2

Surrey Lass,

You are not Kerry Katona who is bankrupt but living in a large mansion.

The OR is just trying to get an overall view of your finances, which happily for you are thoroughly unremarkable.

I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, but I'm equally sure most people in your position would worry.

You should just try not to worry too much.

SurreyLass1

I just want to try and complete the forms 'properly' so that they have as much of a clear picture as possible, and I am not convinced really what to put down.

When I called the CCCS BR Support Team the other day, the guy was really helpful, but basically told me in a round about way to put 'my' expenses down for the £180ish I get a month as household, mobile and other (haircut), because the £180 is sort of incidental stuff day to day when I need to pay in cash - school dinners (£10 a week) (necessary as my son is rubbish with packed lunch!), car parking, its and bits iykwim.

Oh god, I think I might be getting in a tizz, and I have done really well at keeping really calm since it all came to it early February.

NeverAgain_2

...Oh god, I think I might be getting in a tizz...

Understandable, but there is no need because you have nothing to hide.

It's only a form, fill it in as best you can, I bet the judge will only skim through it.

Any alterations/additions can be made on the day.