What can i claim for?

onlyme71

Hi new to the site and after any information/help regarding my situation.

My husband and I split in February after 14 years marriage and he asked me to leave the family home (no other person was involved). The children still live at home with him as I have no permanent place to live (currently living in a caravan 12 miles from the home). I travel every morning to get to the house so that he can go to work and I get the kids ready for school etc.At the moment i'm still in receipt of the child benefit and child tax credit (which he was quite happy with me doing) but now my ex has been in touch with the tax credits and filled in a new claim form to claim as a single parent.

I work 3 nights a week totalling 17.25 hours a week earning £111 p/w before deductions and I was wondering if there is anything I can claim for. I am trying to find a place to rent (nearer to the family home) so that I can have my children stay with me and have shared care with my ex and I was told if I was to carry on receiving the child benefit I would get help ie rent paid/council tax benefit... But now my ex says that with the children being with him he should be getting it (which i know is correct).
I am waiting to hear form the local councils strategic housing office to find out what help i can get from them - if any!
Ive never claimed benefits before and the process seems daunting. Any help/information would be greatly received - Thanks in advance

AnxiousMum

As you are now on your own without the care responsibility of the kids, could you not look to increasing your working hours or taking on a second part time job to help make ends meet? Chances are, if your ex is applying for child tax credits on a single claim, you will also lose the child benefit, and he has every right to go and file a child support claim with CSA as well.
It sounds like you are still very much involved in their lives - and the reality is that financially, you have the costs of getting to the children etc. to take into account, and you very likely only work a limited number of hours so that you can get the kids to school etc., but you need to also look at the big picture - can you afford to do that AND be your ex's nanny? He may very well get help through working tax credits for something like breakfast club -which might help him get to work on time after getting the kids to school. But while he has the kids, he is entitled to the income related benefits he is applying for, AND the child support from yourself.

I'm not aware of any benefits that you might be eligible for as a single adult, earning the amount of money which the government says is enough for you to survive on, and no day to day responsibility for the children (well, by way of their current arrangements anyway).

Could you sit and discuss with your ex the costs related to you getting to and from the kids each morning, the income you are losing out on by keeping up those responsibilities etc.? Maybe you can come to a financial arrangement whereby the monies received FOR the kids might be able to help with your costs in maintaining their regular schedule for now?

Don't take this wrong - but you've gotten yourself into a situation where you cannot afford to provide for yourself properly as a single person as well as doing what you are doing right now.

If you were still going to be the main carer for your children, you should never have left the family home and left the children there - is your name on the mortgage/lease? If so, I'd seriously be considering moving back in - as long as there's no violence/abuse taking place!

viktory

Plus the OP is going to be expected to pay maintenance for her children. I agree, based on the limited information we have been given, that moving out was a very foolish thing to do.

nannytone_2

is the house in his name or in joint names?

onlyme71

I have asked at work to increase my hours but they are not allowed due to cutbacks within the company. I did use to work 24hrs a week and in June of last year reduced my hours because of the cracks appearing within the marriage and thought that spending more time as a family would help. Just before we broke up my husband asked if i could afford to pay the bills on the property knowing fine well that i couldnt and then a week later told me the marriage was over and he wanted me to leave. The mortgage is only in his name because at the time of applying i had a loan and they wouldnt accept me on the mortgage application (low wage).

My kids come and stay with me on a friday and saturday night at the caravan which is great and they see it as a holiday. But i seriously want to get back to having some sort of normal life.

I know my husband is entitled to the child benefit/child tax/child maintenance from me. But what im trying to find out is will i get any financial help in regards to renting a property. The cheapest i have looked at is £350 p/m for a one bedroom flat no bills included. With earning just over £400 a month... this is my problem. I want to have my kids stay with me and have the shared responsibility with my husband but the way things are it isnt going to happen.

imogen-p

You could try the benefits checker http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/benefits-check as that should give you an idea of what's available.

If you work 16 hours or less per week you might be able to get income support, there's some information here on the CAB website http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_money/benefits/help_for_people_on_a_low_income_-_income_support.htm

The CAB might also be able to help suggest what you might be entitled to.