can i claim more benefits?

t3rm3y

Hi, this is going to sound greedy, but on Monday I read of a woman who came to England, sells the big issue and has just won a claim for some additional benefit of £1500 bringing her annual benefits to £26k - i earn £15k, and my partner brings up our child and works part time, earning about 8k - so we are both working, we live with her dad, and we are receiving less then someone who has been given their own home, doesnt do a real job, yet can claim more then us... all we get is child support i think, we dont even get tax credits because they say we earn enough... should we both just quit our jbs, up our earnings and get a house?? (obviously i wouldnt do that, as although i want more money for nothing, i really dontthink people like this should be allowed this amount of money - they should just get the equivelent of the NMW)

kingfisherblue

Not everyone on benefits gets £26k a year. I think it said on the news that about 67000 people will be affected by the benefits cap - mostly large families or those who live in expensive areas and rent (housing benefit/LHA amounts vary I think, but it is an area where there are sometimes very high payments made, if you believe the newspapers ).

You probably mean that you get child benefit (child support is paid by a non resident parent - it is also known as child maintenance). You should be able to get some child tax credits on your combined income, but you earn too much for working tax credits.

karenx

If you both quit your jobs you would have to sign on for JSA and be looking for work. But as you both quit you will be sanctioned and may go without any money for upto 26 weeks. Can you survive this long with no money bar your child benefit and child tax credits.
You also wont automatically get a house. You have somewhere to stay and arent seen as a priorioty so you will get put in temp accomodation which is usually a bedsit sharing with others untill you find yourself another house which will be rented and you need to pay a deposit and 1 month rent up front. With no benefits for 26 weeks how could you afford that?
Who cares what other people get, just concentrate on yourself

DorsetGirl_2

Why do you live with her Dad? You have enough to support yourselves surely!!

Plans_all_plans

I read that story too, but that was about her being able to claim Housing Benefit as a judge rules that by selling the Big Issue she was self employed. You won't get HB living with relatives.

On your salaries you should get Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit, do you claim both of these? Other than these then I don;t think there's anything else you can claim whilst in your current accommodation. On your salaries I think you should enjoy living where you are and save hard to get your own place eventually. It's what we did and now we have our own home.

Cornish_piskie

Yes absolutely!


You should both quit your jobs whereby you will immediately have £26,000 worth of benefits given to you plus you will be invited to a grand ceremony at the local Council where you will be presented with your gold plated key to a shiny new house.:cool:




Seriously, this £26k thing has got people thinking that all people on benefits are receiving that amount. They aren't - it's a proposed cap, a maximum amount, that a family - no matter how large that family is - can get. As another post states, you would be likely sanctioned on claiming benefits if you voluntarily gave up your jobs, your father would have to kick you out whereby you could then present yourselves as homeless to the Council who would likely then offer you some B+B accommodation for as long as it takes to find a 'suitable' home for you. Whether you would think it suitable is another thing entirely. Really is that what you want? I think you and your partner should continue to support your little family as best you can - looking for opportunities to up your income wherever possible

samwich1979

OMG! Is this a serious post???

When i lived with my mum i had a tons of money to do whatever i wanted, even though i paid her rent and money for bills etc!
At that point earnt less than you and your partner do as well.

You really have to be kidding that you are struggling and would be better of on benefits. Try getting your own home and paying bills, you have more than enough money, more than a lot of people do.

I now support my husband and my 9 month old son on what you 2 earn and just about manage.

So please stop moaning about other peoples benefits and GET A LIFE!

duchy

Oh some people are so sad and pathetic . LOL

BigAunty

You can model how much you could get in benefits by identifying the LHA rate for a 2 bedroom property on the Direct Gov (or local council) website, then inputting your details into the Turn2us online benefit checker.

A two parent household is expected to have someone in employment for at least 16 hours per week (will be 24 hours from April) to qualify for working tax credits. Self employment through the Big Issue is valid but make sure you keep very good records of your time, expenses and sales because the HMRC are clamping down on abuse of tax credits by the self employed and those with poor record-keeping will be hit hard.

You can also model the increase if you elect to stay at your parents and your partner gets her own place. She'll qualify as a lone parent as long as you live apart and don't share finances and you only have to hand over around 10% of your wages (see the CSA site for info on the current calculations).

Don't forget to factor in the money you save on travel costs if you are not employed. Note that you can't voluntarily quit your jobs or you'll be sanctioned so you have to ask your bosses to let you go.

Come back to the forum and let us know if you are better off on benefits apart, together or if it's not anywhere near your employment and benefit income (tax credits/child benefit) of at least 23k while enjoying low cost living with relatives.

It's usually lone parents and households with lots of children that get high sums of benefits that draw ire.

Coopdivi

Have you thought of selling the Big Issue to supplement your income?

gingergee

I do think the op was being hypothetical???????????? Hmmmm? x