Don't know where to turn-no money coming in need help

lindseykim13

Backround is- I look after the kids (aged 9,7 and 2) and DH goes to work full time. We live in a council house, pay all our rent, council tax, bills and get a small amount of wtc and ctc as well as child benefit.
I have recently been very ill (8 weeks now) and i am unable and unsafe to look after the kids not only am i in constant pain i keep passing out. Doctors are running tests but so far nobody knows whats wrong with me.
We have been getting by so far with DH taking holiday from work and hoping that the docs will find and fix whats wrong with me so we can get back to some normality. It's got to the stage now through where DH has run out of holiday and this week he has had to go unpaid.
I am not only scared for my health i feel it is all my fault, if i felt safe enough to care for the kids i would love to go back to normal.

DH's employers want him to go in for a meeting about the situation but we feel we are a bit stuck as he can't take our toddler with him nor can he leave her with me. They want to discuss if he can do flexi time or part time but he sees that as impossible given the circumstances. We don't want him to lose or leave his job but i fear he won't be left with much choice if i don't get better.
I am hoping to get some advice from anyone who may have been in a similar position or anyone who has any advice on what we should do next? Can we claim anything although he is still technically employed? if he does need to give up work (which i really don't want) to look after the kids where would that leave us?

sorry for the long post hope someone can help.

missmontana

You'd need to post how much he earns to see if anyone can offer advice with regards to any financial help you can get.

Have you spoken to your health visitor? They may be able to make some suggestions for helping with your little one.

Have you asked friends and family to help you out?

lindseykim13

missmontana wrote: »

You'd need to post how much he earns to see if anyone can offer advice with regards to any financial help you can get.

Have you spoken to your health visitor? They may be able to make some suggestions for helping with your little one.

Have you asked friends and family to help you out?

Thanks for the reply.
He gets £21k before tax but currently not earning anything as he is on unpaid leave.
I will look into the health visitor.
Sad as it is i have no friends, family could sit with me for a few hours so i guess dh could get to a meeting etc but doubt i/they could put up with watching us for 9hrs a day as they have their own lives to get on with.

BigAunty

There is an employment forum on MSE whose members may be more aware of your husband's employment rights and options.

BigAunty

Have a look at the Direct Gov website for Disability Living Allowance, this is something that you can apply for if you have a condition which gives you mobility or care needs that has taken place over a 3 month period and is set to continue for another 6 months.

I know it's too early for you to apply but it's just something to bear in mind if your condition isn't one that will improve soon.

If you get DLA of a certain rate,then your husband (or another person, doesn't have to be related) could receive carers allowance. See the Direct Gov website about carers allowance eligibility.

The low income from these two benefits can lead to other ones, such as housing benefit (if you are a tenant), council tax benefit, child tax credit, etc.

You can model your changed income on benefits by putting in different scenarios into the Turn2us online benefit calculator.

I know I'm being premature in suggesting all of this, but it's just a case of you looking ahead to different scenarios and being prepared for the significant changes that could happen in your household if you don't recover in the near future.

[Deleted User]

Social services may be able to help with the childcare, they found my friends 18 Month old a free nursery place under similar circumstances.

lindseykim13

BigAunty wrote: »

Have a look at the Direct Gov website for Disability Living Allowance, this is something that you can apply for if you have a condition which gives you mobility or care needs that has taken place over a 3 month period and is set to continue for another 6 months.

I know it's too early for you to apply but it's just something to bear in mind if your condition isn't one that will improve soon.

If you get DLA of a certain rate,then your husband (or another person, doesn't have to be related) could receive carers allowance. See the Direct Gov website about carers allowance eligibility.

The low income from these two benefits can lead to other ones, such as housing benefit (if you are a tenant), council tax benefit, child tax credit, etc.

You can model your changed income on benefits by putting in different scenarios into the Turn2us online benefit calculator.

I know I'm being premature in suggesting all of this, but it's just a case of you looking ahead to different scenarios and being prepared for the significant changes that could happen in your household if you don't recover in the near future.

Thanks very much thats exactly the sort of info i was after, just to have some idea of benefits available if i don't recover from this is a reasurance.

wiccanlou

Definitely get in contact with social services as they and will help in circumstances such as this.

shedboy94

If you apply for and receivie one of the following benefits you can apply for assistance towards CCC from Tax Credits

• Council Tax Benefit or Housing Benefit with

• • Disability Premium

or

• • Higher Pensioner Premium

• Incapacity Benefit at the short term higher rate or long term rate.
• Contributory Employment and Support Allowance, where that or statutory sick pay has been in payment for a period of 28 weeks, either as one continuous period or consisting of two or more periods which are linked together provided that, if they received statutory sick pay, they meet the 1st and 2nd contribution conditions set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 1 to the Welfare Reform Act.
• Severe Disablement Allowance.
• Increase of disablement pension, Disability Living Allowance, Industrial Injuries Benefit with Constant Attendance Allowance
• War Disablement Pension with Constant Attendance Allowance or Mobility Supplement

Cornish_piskie

Hi OP, sorry to hear about your circumstances - I daresay the last thing you need at the moment is worry and stress over finances

Have you got a Home Start in your area? If you are unsure, google their site and see. They use volunteers to help families - normally a number of visits per week. Could possibly allow hubby to go onto flexi/part time as his company is suggesting in the short term.

HTH

rogerblack

lindseykim13 wrote: »

Backround is- I look after the kids (aged 9,7 and 2) and DH goes to work full time. We live in a council house, pay all our rent, council tax, bills and get a small amount of wtc and ctc as well as child benefit.

Addressing some of the points that haven't been raised.
Firstly, I'm assuming you haven't worked in the last couple of years.

If you have a low/no household income, and savings of under 6K, you are entitled to means-tested benefits.
Addressing first what happens if your husband gives up work to care for you.

This means that you will get full CTC and HB (to the limit of the normal HB).
You possibly can't claim DLA yet - if your condition has not lasted for 3 months yet.
You can claim ESA, which is 102.75/week until you are assessed, which should be around the 13th week of the claim, but may be much longer.
(on various grounds, including the loss of conciousness more than once a week, which gets 15 points on its own, and the work-related group.)

Once DLA is granted, if you are given the high-rate care, there is an additional small premium (15/week) on top of your ESA.

Importantly, ESA can be backdated.
I would see if it's possible to get a backdated note from your doctor till the last time that your husband received income.