Moving in with single mum...

chrisnpen

Hello there!

At the end of the year, my partner and I will be relocating and will begin living together for the first time... She is currently a single mother of two (Nearly five years old, and six) and is on all the benefits to a woman in her situation- The kids dad had openly stated that as long as he is in a position to be liable to maintenance he will refuse to work and pay only the £5 a fortnight minimum, because he is one of lifes sorry losers.

I work as a self employed sub contract electrician and my wages vary from week to week... sometimes as much as 1500 a week, sometimes as little as nothing, if i am between contracts...

The rent on a property in the area in which we want to live will be about £620 as we will need a three bedroom house as pens kids are now used to their own rooms and are different sexes.

to complicate things further we would like to have a baby as i'm getting desperately old at 37 and would like a child or children before i die!

My question, of course, is will we be liable to any benefits to make things easier for us or will i be held, as the only or main breadwinner, entirely responsible for all the bills, even though the kids arent biologically mine?

My profits for the past three years are £9000, £22000 and £23000 and the tax return just submitted for 2011/2012 i expect to be about £25000

I am asking this question because i have never had anything to do with the benefits system and when i made an initial approach to my local job centre i was bombarded with benefits spiel and confused into just standing there nodding to all the words i had never heard of.... then i ran off.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated...
Chris (n pen!)

pmlindyloo

When you move in together your partner will have to end all her single claims for benefits and you will need to put in joint claims for any benefits you may be eligible for.

You can estimate your entitlements by putting your details into the benefits calculator on www.turn2us.org.uk.

You need to look up the housing allowance entitlement for your new family. You may wish for a 3 bedroomed home but your housing benefit (if you are entitled) will be based on your housing allowance for the number of occupants. I suspect that you would only be entitled to and the amount awarded, to the two bedroomed rate based on the age of the children. You can, of course, have 3 bedrooms but you must pay the 'top up'.

I think you may be entitled to tax credits and maybe some Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit and of course, the child Benefit will remain. Difficult to know without the full details.

I suggest that your partner gets in touch with the CSA re: her child maintenance.

chrisnpen

Thank you, lindy loo... Am more than happy to 'top up'- i'm not expecting full benefits and certainly not after a free ride, am just a little nervous being the main breadwinner for a whole family, whereas up until now have only had to fend for myself... I am sure i would be able to manage but any benefits would take a little of the pressure off...

My partner has approached the csa, but he's a dosser, what can i say? and to rely on any contribution from him would be just plain daft!

Thank you for taking the time to reply

Chris

krisskross

chrisnpen wrote: »

Thank you, lindy loo... Am more than happy to 'top up'- i'm not expecting full benefits and certainly not after a free ride, am just a little nervous being the main breadwinner for a whole family, whereas up until now have only had to fend for myself... I am sure i would be able to manage but any benefits would take a little of the pressure off...

My partner has approached the csa, but he's a dosser, what can i say? and to rely on any contribution from him would be just plain daft!

Thank you for taking the time to reply

Chris

You sound a really nice bloke. I wish you and your new family all the luck in the world.

Children will be full time school so maybe Pen can find a part time job to help with finances.

pmlindyloo

krisskross wrote: »

You sound a really nice bloke. I wish you and your new family all the luck in the world.

Children will be full time school so maybe Pen can find a part time job to help with finances.

Good point.

In fact, if Pen is claiming Income Support because she has a child under school age she would lose her IS when the child starts school and have to apply for JSA anyway.

chrisnpen

Thank you team!

Penny knows that she will soon be losing her income support and has been told that she will have to apply for JS, although i'm not sure if she would get this given that she is now being supported (or will be) and she is more than happy with the idea of working part time but with a pregnancy hopefully in the not too distant future- this would only a temporary situation...

I suppose i was just hoping it would be clear cut, and someone would pop up, put my mind at ease and tell me that i should easily be entitled to £X a month given the circumstances... but we shall see....

The extra bummer is that the big money for me involves working away, and from november (When we plan to move) onwards i have been told that if i work away after dragging the tribe across the country, penny will be hugely cross with me and will go into a huff, and we don't want that now, do we?!

princessdon

Well then I recommend a part time job quickly so she doesn't miss you so much and has her own friends.

By big money you mean £25k or would this be more?

At the moment all benefits will cease other than child benefit and child tax credits.

rogerblack

chrisnpen wrote: »

The kids dad had openly stated that as long as he is in a position to be liable to maintenance he will refuse to work and pay only the £5 a fortnight minimum, because he is one of lifes sorry losers.

If you could get this in a recorded medium, or with reliable witnesses, then if the dad is claiming benefits, it would possibly result in a sanction of his benefit, due to not seeking work.

This might encourage.

chrisnpen

princessdon wrote: »

Well then I recommend a part time job quickly so she doesn't miss you so much and has her own friends.

By big money you mean £25k or would this be more?

At the moment all benefits will cease other than child benefit and child tax credits.

More than 25k but pro rata (If thats the right term) It would probably less than a years work as i work on construction projects, and my accountant would screw it down as much as possible.... but rather than it being a money thing, i really don't want to-(although i would if i absolutely had to) i have worked all over the country for many years and just want to go home every night!

princessdon

chrisnpen wrote: »

More than 25k but pro rata (If thats the right term) It would probably less than a years work as i work on construction projects, and my accountant would screw it down as much as possible.... but rather than it being a money thing, i really don't want to-(although i would if i absolutely had to) i have worked all over the country for many years and just want to go home every night!

Ok - with 2 kids you have a bit to play with anyway. So a part time job for her (so she has her own money - important to some) shouldn't affect the tc

chrisnpen

rogerblack wrote: »

If you could get this in a recorded medium, or with reliable witnesses, then if the dad is claiming benefits, it would possibly result in a sanction of his benefit, due to not seeking work.

This might encourage.

Sadly Rog, all the nasty stuff he saves for when he has his access and whispers it into the ear of a confused 6 yr old boy to pass on to mummy.

Thats what we're dealing with.