Seeking advice on a slightly complicated claim-to-be..

Cate1976

Being honest, your best options would be ESA (gp would have to keep writing sick notes for you) or Income Support

ESA would look at your capability to work and in my husband's experience doesn't allow for what you can't do/find difficult on bad days. It looks at what you can do on good days. I don't think it allows for being the main carer of your children. In my husband's case, they held the fact that he is able to get out to go to church against him.

Income Support on the other hand can be claimed by people in several groups and does take account of family circumstances.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018708.

This is the link to information about Income Support.

Hope this helps.

Bogof_Babe

Cate, the OP's wife works full time. Why on earth would the household be eligible for Income Support?

Surely they are simply in the same position as if he worked and she was a SAHM, only in this case he will be a SAHD.

Maybe tax credits would increase (depending on the wife's earnings), but otherwise I doubt there is anything he can claim. Perhaps contribution based ESA, but I understand this only continues for 12 months and after that period it ceases unless the household income is low.

Cate1976

Missed the bit about Op's wife working full time. In that case i think the only possibilities are contributions based ESA or applying for Working Tax Credits.

Decanus: If you go to https://www.turn2us.org.uk and put in all the info it asks for, it'll tell you what you might be entitled to.

Decanus

I'll definitely check out the turn2us site, thank you.
It looks as though the best thing to start with, as I left my job on health grounds, is to apply for ESA. I assume if, or when, they refuse that, I could then just apply for JSA
Also working tax credits and childcare as well...lets see what happens!

thanks for all the advice