Anything else I can claim?

LynV

I am finding things difficult. Gas and electric prices gone up greatly. Council Tax late payments caused a referal to court. Not behind just late due to when money is in our account. So last 3 payments now hiked to include court costs. Have had to put council tax on direct debit now paying it on 5th of month when it kicks in next April and was sent a form to fill in which could get 25% of the costs because of hubbys condition. Checked on this to be told that because there are two people in the house above 18 besides us they are counted as dependables even though one is doing a masters so has no income and the other a low paid apprentice.No wage increase for 4 years.
Hubby had a stroke in January 2010 which has left him with short term memory loss and scrambled long term memory. He can't work again. I earn £12,000 per year. Hubby gets £199 esa fortnightly and £402 disability living allowance. We also get £200 working tax credit. ESA is contributions based. So pay for medication, optical costs and dentist costs.
Is there anything else we might qualify for it seems every penny is accounted for.

Mikazaru

If you use the entitled to calculator it will tell you what you should be able to claim. What was it that you tried to apply for council tax, council tax benefit or the occupancy discount? The student doing the Masters do they receive funding or is it self funding?

LynV

We filled in a form that the council sent us which was sent to his doctor. He would have backed up the fact that hubby has mental issues but that does not matter as I was told that with two other adults in the house over 18 it will not count. We are paying for the masters as he could not get funding. I have spoken to the credit people at Uni and have managed to split it into 4 payments. I have paid the first. Am half way towards the second payment then I am stuck. I got a disc which gives you lesser known charities to appeal to for funding. He is working through this at the moment.

Mikazaru

Was it a form to say he wouldn't be included for council tax purposes? Even if your two children are over 18 they shouldn't be included, full time students aren't included and I think that most apprenticeships are included as well. Can they not get a part time job to help pay the fees?

stroodes

I sympathise with you lyn but there is a lot of people that are working 60 hour weeks that are in the same situation, hubby has had toothache for over a week now but won't go to dentist as he says it costs too much (we have to pay)

sulkisu

Are the DLA and wtc figures quoted fortnightly payments? As your children are adults, they are expected to contribute to the household expenses - even those on an apprentices wages. It might not be much but a few pounds a week can make all the difference. Also paying for an adult child's masters degree is something that few parents can afford to do, let alone parents on relatively low incomes such as yours. If he is unable to fund his own course, he should at least be working part-time (doing anything) to help out. If you address those issues, you will probably find that you are not as badly off as you think.

Hammyman

Your net income between you and your husband is £1683 a month or just over £20,000 a year, the equivalent take home pay for someone on £26,000 a year. Its not pennies.

Its about time the son at Uni, the cost of which is actually the root cause of all your problems, got off his backside and got a job to fund his masters and the one on the apprenticeship paid you board. You need to sit down with them, point out the state you're in and tell them unless they get their act together, you'll all be homeless and there will be no more Masters degree.

LynV

I work it out to be 1398 a month some payments are fortnightly and some are monthly. With all outgoings minus food, clothes etc. We have to find £1043 a month so it does not leave us with very much. I can have a word with the boys may get a bit of apprentice but other son doing masters has been looking for a job for a while to fit around his college sessions but no luck so far.

Hammyman

LynV wrote: »

I work it out to be 1398 a month some payments are fortnightly and some are monthly.

This will give you a far more accurate monthly figure:
Take the fortnightly payment, divide it by two to give the weekly amount. Multiply that by 13 - the number of weeks in a 3 month period - and divide by 3 to give the monthly figure..or just multiply by 4 1/3...

Oldernotwiser

Are you really saying that you're not only paying your older son's Master's fees but keeping him rent free when you're on one low income and sickness benefits? I'm sorry but that's a luxury that parents on three times your income wouldn't be paying. I can't believe that anyone would let parents in your situation do that!

AnxiousMum

Did the Masters degree just come out of the blue? Surely your son thought about it good and hard beforehand and worked during his Bachelors or during the 20 weeks off each year for the first 3 years to enable him to pay for his Masters? Take a hint - if he's not prepared to have done that, you're not doing him any favours by paying his way for him. Sure, he might come out of it with a good degree, but unfortunately, life skills are just as important, if not moreso these days.

The one doing an apprenticeship is earning money - surely even £20 off of his £90 or whatever is a reasonable amount to ask him for to contribute towards room and board, and it leaves him with over 2/3 of his income for other needs.

Keep housing them for free, paying everything for them - you'll be in the same position in ten years time!