Family benefits advice after 20+ years

SkintDad_3

I've been told this is the best place for some real life advice.

I have been out of work for some months now, was a 40% tax payer, we have 2 lovely kids , an interest only mortgage, zero savings and a climbing mountain of debt owed to family. The wife works full time and earns below the 40 per cent tax threshold.

I never seriously considered jobseeker's allowance or mortgage support etc until now. Mainly 'cos I worry benefits advisers will just push me to any thing vaguely related to my profession of 15 years and this would take up some of the significant effort I put now into frantic job-hunting and risk damaging my future (tax paying!) prospects.

Does anyone know how it might work, what I might be entitled to and the obligations. Any advice very gratefully considered.

Thanks,

SkintDad but +ve about the future

pukkamum

Once you go onto jobseekers you will be expected to apply for a certain amount of jobs and attend interviews even if they are not what you would want to do.
The fact is that if you need the financial support from the government then you should be willing to take any job thats offered to you, you cannot expect to recieve benefits whilst waiting for your dream job to come along.

ilikewatch

SkintDad wrote: »

I worry benefits advisers will just push me to any thing vaguely related to my profession of 15 years

Don't worry about that, they will mandate that you apply for any job that you can reasonably do - it probably won't be anything related to your previous profession.

BigAunty

I think you may be shocked how little and how time limited the benefits are for a home-owner on a previously high income.

You should be able to claim Job Seekers Allowance (contributions based) if you've paid sufficient NI for the 2 previous tax years. This is about £65 a week and will last for 6 months, then switch to JSA income based (but your wife's income will probably rule this out).

You could check the Entitled To (Turn 2 us) website to identify if you are due any child/working tax credits, council tax benefit.

The Shelter website provides information to struggling homeowners to prevent mortgage arrears and repossession. I would think your wife's income will rule you out of the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme but do verify this.

For your debt issues, see the Direct Gov website for their debt management information and post an SOA on the Debt free wanabee board (they will show you how to do this). Download the MSE budget planner so you get to grips with your full income and expenditure.