bringing up grandchildren

jed1201

Hi, my partner and I have been bringing up our three grandchildren for over 3 years now. They were on CPR but have now been taken off, and there is no involvement from social services now. I have PR for them. We have been without heating and hot water since the end of december as we are unable to afford to have a delivery of oil. Does anyone know of any organisation that we can approach for financial assistance. If it was electricity or gas we were having difficulty in paying there are a number of organisations that could help... but because it is oil there is no help. I have tried charities and even went to the job centre and if i wasn't working i could get help from them. The grandchildren are 7,6 and 5 years and we have three of our children living with us. Also three years ago i was told over the phone that i would not be entitled to housing/council tax benefit due to my income (which is very low and supplemented by wftc and ctc). I then saw the benefits checker on Martin Lewis website and found out i am entitled to a substantial reduction in both. I have sent the forms in and am awaiting their reply. I now feel they should back-date the payments as it was their advice that stopped me from applying before.

Pee

Would the CAB be able to help with further benefits advice? Hopefully someone on here will be able to find someone who could help with the payment for oil, but otherwise the CAB may be able to.

Have you done a SOA on the debt free wannabe section? The peeps on there can help with cutting costs and making a budget fit.

shy-but-need-help

The change in status for housing benefit is most likely because you have the additional children now- they work out the applicable amount you need to live each week based on number of people in the household (so much for children of each age group etc) so you'd be allowed more income for a larger family.

Do you get all the child benefit and tax credits relating to the grandchildren? If you qualify for housing benefit you'll become eligible for free school meals too for those of school age.

I am not sure which benefits apply to getting crisis loans and similar? It might be worth popping over to the benefits board for advice on that- they will be able to tell you.

I am really sorry you're going through this, I hope someone can point you in the right direction.

Amanda65

jed1201 wrote: »

I have tried charities and even went to the job centre and if i wasn't working i could get help from them.

Have you tried Turn2Us https://www.turn2us.org.uk ? They have a searchable database but also a telephone helpline who may be able to point you in the right direction.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Six children in the house and you can't afford to keep them warm through the coldest winter we have had for years? Even with 3 children (if your own kids are actually adults), child benefit pays enough to buy plug in fan heaters and electric radiators if you can't come up with enough for oil.

I'm shocked.

harrys_nan

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Six children in the house and you can't afford to keep them warm through the coldest winter we have had for years? Even with 3 children (if your own kids are actually adults), child benefit pays enough to buy plug in fan heaters and electric radiators if you can't come up with enough for oil.

I'm shocked.

Dont think thats very helpful at all, You dont know why they cant afford the oil etc and even if they get electric rads and fans will they be able to afford massive elec bills??????

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

harrys_nan wrote: »

Dont think thats very helpful at all, You dont know why they cant afford the oil etc and even if they get electric rads and fans will they be able to afford massive elec bills??????

Sorry, but I think feeding and keeping three small children warm would have been the number one priority. I am not attacking the OP, but I am shocked - there is no way of denying that fact, as I cannot see what is more important. Perhaps the OP could confirm what has swallowed up the fairly generous (IMO) benefits available to them.

As I understand it, oil supplies are a large one off advance expense, whereas electric isn't. I would also have been collecting deadwood, making logs out of newspapers, anything, to ensure that there was something to burn if I had been cut off.

I have been in a position where I have had no money whatsoever other than child benefit, but my children had food and warmth on that income. To have child tax credit and working families tax credit and a wage coming in, too, well - not only has that meant in my situation that I did not qualify for HB or CTB, I had plenty of money to live a normal life - including ensuring their physical needs were met.


I'm shocked and baffled.

Hobo17

In fairness a grandparent with fulltime custody of their grandchildren isn't a 'normal' situation and the CAB and other benefits agencies may not have understood the situation or provided the correct advice on what benefits they are entitled to. You would think that the CAB should be able to offer some advice on backdating payments - have you asked them? who originally told you you weren't eligible?

Are the grandchildren's parents liable to pay CSA to you? How old are your own children, are they working/contributing or are they still in education? Are social services able to offer any advice? they must be fairly used to family members other than parents caring for children and know what benefits and assistance is available.

Molly41

You should read some of Mooloo's threads. She is a grandmother bringing up her DGD. At the start of 2010 she was in a position where she was living on 87 pounds a week ESA for herself and DGD. DGD had been uplifted from her mother and placed with Mooloo. It took months to sort out the financial side and she could not claim CB or WTC/CTC as the rules around looked after children were very complicated. Social Services were not at all forthcoming about paying her and she had a battle royal as regards getting living expenses for DGD. It was dire so I can understand how the OP has got into this position. Mooloo still cant claim Child Benefit for her DGD so I do not think it's wise to judge.

kazwookie

As Iunderstand it oil has to be paid for up front, and by the tanker load, which is then pumped into the oil storage tank, depending on the size of the stroage tank the cost can be ££thousands, and from what I understand they don't deliver part loads etc.

Maybe the OP needs a back up, ie as JoJo sugggests, logs etc, wood burner, small fan heater, small gas bottle type fire and such like.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Molly41 wrote: »

You should read some of Mooloo's threads. She is a grandmother bringing up her DGD. At the start of 2010 she was in a position where she was living on 87 pounds a week ESA for herself and DGD. DGD had been uplifted from her mother and placed with Mooloo. It took months to sort out the financial side and she could not claim CB or WTC/CTC as the rules around looked after children were very complicated. Social Services were not at all forthcoming about paying her and she had a battle royal as regards getting living expenses for DGD. It was dire so I can understand how the OP has got into this position. Mooloo still cant claim Child Benefit for her DGD so I do not think it's wise to judge.

Read Mooloo's threads, thanks - she's a lovely lady.

However, the OP in this thread states that they receive child benefit and a small income which is topped up by child tax credit and working tax credit (and child benefit is the qualifying benefit for CTC, so they are getting that as well). Sounds like enough to me.

I'm not judging - I simply do not understand what is more important with that amount of money around, plus whatever the three children bring in, if they are working, or the child benefits for them if they are still small.