Help- Suddenly going from employed and single to self-employed, married + 3 kids

Magic133

Hi, hope someone can help me understand or get a rough idea of what's going to happen, as I'm in total dispair at the moment.

Most my life I have been in full time employment, single, and as I was still young, living with my folks.

But very shortly I'll be getting married, living full time with my mrs, and her 3 kids from a previous relationship.

At the moment she's unable to work due to illness and on disability allowance, and therefore for obvious reasons she also gets housing benefit and money for the kids. It's certainly not a lot, but they get by ok all things considered.

After being made redundant recently I'm now self employed, and as I'm really only just starting up, I'm not making much at all, 450-700 a month I'd say, but it does look like it will improve, if I survive that long.

I'm presuming things, benefits etc, will change massively once we're married and I move in, but has anyone got any idea by how much or how I can find out?!

I'm VERY worried/upset as my meagre wage would barely pay the rent, never mind pay for me and her to survive (and that's providing the money for the kids wouldnt be affected- I've really no idea.

TBH this is massively worrying/depressing and turning what should be one of the happiest times of my life in to a nightmare, and as I've never had to deal with things like benefits, self employment, and families before as I've always worked full-time and been single, I really don't know where to start.

Thanks in advance :T

sarahsarah1234

Hi
I have found this website very useful in the past to calculate benefit entitlement www. turn2us. org
The difficulty with housing benefit and self employment is that they will require you update them on a monthly basis so that they can calculate your entitlement. Child support is no longer classed as 'income' but that is assuming she gets that from her ex partner for her children.
As a couple you will be entitled to Work Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits and this will help you perhaps on the HMRC website (I cannot post links as I am new!)
On your low income it sounds like you may still get some financial support but I would advise meeting with someone from the CAB or the Council Housing Office for some advice.

sarahsarah1234

Sorry I hope that message made sense, it won't let me put links in and I had to run off to check the dinner! Turn2us is a benefit calculator website and is very useful but you will need all of your financial info from last years tax year as well and that for your partner.

Also search on Direct.gov in their benefits section.

I know this sounds harsh I do not mean it to but do not be tempted to move in without making sure you have made all the right financial arrangements, as the penalty for doing so just isn't worth it at all. Its just so much better to do as much homework as you can.

zagfles

You'll get quite a lot in benefits, your wife will lose income support if she gets it and the housing benefit may go down a bit, but assuming you're working at least 16 hours (and can prove it) you'll get WTC, the CTC your wife gets won't be affected as you earn too little. Check turn2us as above, you won't starve so don't worry.

Be warned your type of post usually results in loads of sanctimonious carp from the Mills & Boon crowd about how it's wrong to even think about money when moving in with a partner. Please ignore and don't reply, it only encourages them!