Can my partner get housing benefit?

creeping_jesus

Hi all, just need some advice really...
I'm going to be a student in september, my partner is self employed and earns around £1500 before tax/NI (which normally leaves £1100 after) each month. We already have a 2 bed house together, and a son. Can we claim housing benefit as my partner will be paying all the main bills, with no money left over.
I have tightly budgeted but can see that we might run into difficulties.

Heres what I've worked out:
Me:
Maintenance loan - £5793.00
Tuition loan - £3375.00
Parents learning allowance - £1508.00
Maintenance grant - £2906.00
Childcare grant - £5610.00
Total is £3375 paid to uni, £15817.00 paid to me.
My childcare for 38 weeks is £8740.00 (as I'm on a foundation year)
Leaves me with this a week: £123.50 term 1, £167.90 term 2, £343.50 term 3.
I know it sounds alot, esp. in term 3 BUT:

My partner:
Income after tax - £1100 a month.
Pays for:
Rent: £750
c/tax: £158, we are on a payment plan already, so I don't know if the 25% discount applies in sept or next april.
Water: £30, on a payment plan for this aswell
Electricity: £30-40
Gas: £10 a month if its summer, around £40 its winter (gas heating)
TV licence: £30, on a payment plan

Means £95 for the month max. As my partner doesn't drive he pays for travel into london. Obviously £95 doesn't go far. So I help pay for that as well as everything else, nappies, car tax, car insurance, petrol, mot, mobile bills, we dont have any sky or virgin packages, £15 dongle. I can't get rid of the car because I'm going to be driving 17 miles to uni each way a day.

I know that the LHA is £201.92 for a 2 bed house in our area. We have tried moving to a flat for cheaper c/tax and bills but have been looking for nearly 6 months with no luck. We were very lucky to get a house this cheap, but it has really really bad damp and mould.

Anyways sorry about the really long post...

Oldernotwiser

You haven't included Child Benefit or Tax Credits.

creeping_jesus

Oh crap, child benefit is £81.20 a month, and I don't know how much tax credit I'll get in september, based on a calculation of me not working, my partner working 30+ hours, and me getting childcare grant instead of the childcare element of working tax credit apparently it's £10 a week

wombles_forever

'Leaves me with this a week: £123.50 term 1, £167.90 term 2, £343.50 term 3'

why the big discrepancy and not even throughout the year?

dmg24

Given that you feel money is tight, would it not be better to study part time/ via OU?

Caz3121

this will help you see what income of yours they will count as income for benefits purposes
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_070816

viktory

creeping_jesus wrote: »

Means £95 for the month max

creeping_jesus wrote: »

Oh crap, child benefit is £81.20 a month, and I don't know how much tax credit I'll get in september, based on a calculation of me not working, my partner working 30+ hours, and me getting childcare grant instead of the childcare element of working tax credit apparently it's £10 a week

So £186 a month. Given your not inconsiderable income I doubt you'll get any more benefits. However, you have chosen to study rather than work; this does mean than some sacrifices have to be made. You'll reap the benefits once you are qualified. Head over to the Old Style board. There are some people on there that manage on £2.50 a week or something silly.

Hammyman

Also the the OP is getting income of more than £8000 in the form of maintenance and childcare grants AND NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE £5700 ODD OF STUDENT LOAN so they have more than enough income to exclude them from benefits and TBH I find it a bloody cheek that with their joint income being over £23k after tax with the student loan excluded or £29k with it included (less amount payable to Uni for fees) that apparently the State should support them.

If you need to tightly budget with an income of £28k for a family of three, you've got some real problems.

Macro_3

By my reckoning, you'd get about £55/week in CTC/WTC and £20.30 CB. If that was the case you'd be borderline. You might qualify for a pound or so per week HB depending on your exact income figures. Not really enough to justify claiming.

krisskross

Think you might get 25% reduction on the council tax as you will be a student.

ETA: i see you are aware of this already

creeping_jesus

wombles_forever wrote: »

'Leaves me with this a week: £123.50 term 1, £167.90 term 2, £343.50 term 3'

why the big discrepancy and not even throughout the year?

Because this is my payment schedule for the year:

19/09/2011 Grant £3,745.00/Maintenance Loan £1,911.69
04/01/2012 Maintenance Loan £1,911.69/Grant £3,660.00
16/04/2012 Grant £2,619.00/Maintenance Loan £1,969.62