Help can i get any benefits?

paddy83

Hi, i am 29yrs old & have 2 children. I am not with their mother & i pay her some money each month in a private agreement. She may be collecting benefits as well but im not sure. I know she isn't working though. I earn a little over 20,000 a year(working full time) but am constantly out of money after rent & bills. As well as giving their mother money each month i also have the boys every day i have off which is usually twice a week & i also pay all after school clubs, trips, uniform, days out. I doubt i can get any benefits but thought if any one could help it would the Money Saving forum. Can i claim any benefits? I go on the benefit calculators but because the children do not live with me i never know what to put. Can anyone help?
Thank you in advance

karenx

There won't be anything you are entitled too due to your income.
I would suggest you stop paying after school clubs etc as that's what the maintenance is for you are paying the mum for

samwich1979

paddy83 wrote: »

Hi, i am 29yrs old & have 2 children. I am not with their mother & i pay her some money each month in a private agreement. She may be collecting benefits as well but im not sure. I know she isn't working though. I earn a little over 20,000 a year(working full time) but am constantly out of money after rent & bills. As well as giving their mother money each month i also have the boys every day i have off which is usually twice a week & i also pay all after school clubs, trips, uniform, days out. I doubt i can get any benefits but thought if any one could help it would the Money Saving forum. Can i claim any benefits? I go on the benefit calculators but because the children do not live with me i never know what to put. Can anyone help?
Thank you in advance

I would go to your local council and get an application form for Housing Benefit. You may well be entitled depending on the LHA rate in your area. I earn a little more than you and i get about £22 a month, not much but its a help.

I presume your ex will be getting tax credits and child benefit so you wouldnt be able to claim these, so i think housing benefit is all you may be entitled to. Worth a try.

Mojisola

Work out how much the CSA say you should pay - https://www.csacalculator.dsdni.gov.uk/calc.asp

How does that compare to the total you spend - the maintenance and all the other spending? If it's more, I suggest you cut back to the CSA amount. Your ex will be getting a lot in benefits and that should be funding the clothes, clubs, school trips, etc.

BigAunty

Yours is a fairly common query.

Your child maintenance is not taken into account as expenses for the purposes of calculating any benefit entitlement meanwhile the parent with care is not affected by any payments you make, they are on top of her benefits.

If she is not working, your ex should be getting at least £200 per week in her hand from Income support (or JSA if the youngest is over 5), child tax credits and child benefit, plus what you pay. You can double check this on the Turn2us online benefit calculator.

She is likely to be getting all or nearly all of her rent paid through housing benefit depending on whether the rent charged is above or the same as her HB (many claimants have to pay a top up out of their other benefits). She will not have to pay a penny in council tax.

As you are under 35, you would only be entitled to housing benefit (local housing allowance) that is the equivalent of a room in a shared property but your income is likely to rule this out.

Your options are to reduce your expenses and/or increase your income. You could review your child maintenance contributions and/or ask for a share of the child benefit/tax credits which your ex doesn't have to consent to.

Mumto3cheekymonkeys

If you are paying your ex some money I would suggest you either stop or reduce paying for trips, afterschool clubs etc. Your ex is prob getting benefits to support your children and she should be paying for these things. I would say your being fair.

paddy83

Thank you to everyone that has replied. I will look into the CSA calculator. I shouldve come here sooner! This website is a god send & you are most definately the angels watching over it! Thank you again - Any more ideas/solutions are more than welcome.

RAS

Do you have the children overnight? If so, that may reduce the CSA you are required to pay.

But you pay that and do not pay extras unless you want to.

FBaby

Why are your kids in afterschool club if their mum isn't working?????

I think you might have a shock at what she most probably gets in benefits, ie. that her disposable income is significantly more than yours, especially if she is claiming working tax credits for childcare costs....that you are paying for...

You need to stop paying any of those things immediately, this is why you are paying maintenance for and why she gets maxi benefits for. I suspect you are being taken for a mug.

fishybusiness

Do you have the children overnight? If so, that may reduce the CSA you are required to pay.

Also, if your ex receives housing benefit, and you do manage to claim something in housing benefit, you be be due more if your children stay over with you regularly. There is a pro rate rule for children staying over with the lone parent, similar to CSA rules.

It is worth an ask at the local council office.