Benefits for houseperson who becomes ill?

Chris_P_2

If someone is a houseperson, looking after 2 young kids and receiving child benefit - if they suffered an illness and were unable to look after the kids, are they eligible for any state benefits?

Mojisola

He/she may be entitled to DLA if there are care and/or mobility needs. Other than that, it's unlikely.

We have several members in our ME group who are in this position. As their NI contributions weren't up-to-date, they weren't entitled to claim IB.

Oldernotwiser

Would this be a lone parent or someone with a partner?

karenx

Are the kids needing put into care?

missmontana

how are more benefits going to help you look after the kids?

Surely contacting you're health visitor/sure start or social care team would be a better idea if you feel you can't cope.

Mojisola

missmontana wrote: »

how are more benefits going to help you look after the kids?

Surely contacting you're health visitor/sure start or social care team would be a better idea if you feel you can't cope.

If a stay-at-home parent is physically fit they do a lot of stuff that saves money - shopping around for bargains, walking instead of taking the car or paying bus fares, making food from scratch, getting children where they need to be - school, friends, clubs, etc - decorating, gardening, making and mending.

If the same parent isn't well enough to do these things, it has an impact on the family budget. We also have members whose children have grown older but they are not well enough to return to work. If they had fallen ill while at work, they would have been entitled - in the past - to claim IB and keep claiming it for the duration of their illness.

Oldernotwiser

Mojisola wrote: »

If a stay-at-home parent is physically fit they do a lot of stuff that saves money - shopping around for bargains, walking instead of taking the car or paying bus fares, making food from scratch, getting children where they need to be - school, friends, clubs, etc - decorating, gardening, making and mending.

If the same parent isn't well enough to do these things, it has an impact on the family budget. We also have members whose children have grown older but they are not well enough to return to work. If they had fallen ill while at work, they would have been entitled - in the past - to claim IB and keep claiming it for the duration of their illness.

Some SAHPs do all these things but it's a bit of a generalisation to say that they all do.

Mojisola

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Some SAHPs do all these things but it's a bit of a generalisation to say that they all do.

Yes, that's true. Maybe it's just that the ones I know are like that.

missmontana

I was just thinking one of these organisations may be able to provide more practical help with all those things.
The OP hasn't gone into much detail about their circumstances so its quite hard to give any specific advice!

MrsManda

You don't have to have been employed in order to claim Employment Support Allowance (IB no longer is available) so in theory a stay at home parent who becomes too unwell to work can claim.

However stay at home parents don't usually have enough national insurance contributions to claim ESA contributions based. They may be able to claim ESA income based but their partner (if they have one) must work less than 24 hours a week and the household income and savings will be taken into account.
They may also be required to undertake work related activity to take steps into getting back to work.

Chris_P_2

partner works 40hrs a week and earns £40,000.