Benefits question.

Andwhen

Hello,

I have put in a claim for Income Support last week and am waiting to hear back. Does anyone know how often it is paid, and how long does it take?

My husband has left, and I am starting to worry as I have very little money to last until the Income support comes through.

I have sent off the Child Tax Credit forms, but it says that it will be about 3 weeks before I get a payment.

Thanks for your time. x

karenx

You need to go for an interview first also, has someone called you about this?
Have you arranged with your ex partner about child maintenance? This might see you through just now

double_mummy

hiya IS is usually fortnightly but now the government are wanting to move it to monthly so could be either

around 6 weeks is the average time i have heard about and looking around that seems to be a good estimate.

have you tried the benefits calculator on the direct gov website (im sure someone will be along with the link soon!) also talking to the local CAB might be handy about child maintenance (or whatever they call it now)

LL30

I hope you have better luck than me! I applied at the beginning of Sept and still nothing, despite going to the JCP 3 times, running up a huge phone bill and getting my MP involved! Tomorrow I've got a lone parent interview to 'sign off' IS as I've got a job. IS has cost me a fortune in phone calls - more expensive trying to claim it than the money I've received (currently standing at £0!)

Advice to you - write down name and date of phone calls, and ask them what was put on the system from the last time you rang. If they say there's no notes on the system so you couldn't have rung, tell them to make a note on the computer that notes are missing from x date when you spoke to y. Ultimately, the login details can be checked. It's a faff, but you have to collate all the evidence you can unfortunately - and if your claim runs smoothly (which I hope it does!) you won't have lost anything