Impossible Carer's Allowance & Benefits Situation

krisskross

joyce341 wrote: »

one thing that i find totaly wrong.even though i am a pensioner and recieve houseing and council tax benefit is that.if my income rent and council tax were added together as one income i would be paying income tax back to the government but on benefit my rent and council tax benefit is tax exempt this is one reason why people on benefit are better of.the top and bottom of it is not that people dont want to work .it is because lower wages have not gone up in line with houseing costs and people are frightened of being homeless.
i would have to earn about £6000 a year more than i am on now.even though on a low income to stay the same as i am now income wise.

Indeed those paying their own housing costs are paying it from taxed income so in effect are paying more. Those having their housing costs met by the taxpayer forget that the worker has to earn the housing costs plus ~30% simply to be in the same position as those claiming benefits.

margaretclare

While I appreciate your problems, OP, I still cannot reconcile the two statements 'my partner needs constant attention' and 'we don't live together'.

You seem to be trying to argue the case for continuing to live apart, and yes, as others have said, it costs more to run two households than one - heating bills etc - but sometimes it's just a question of 'being there just in case' and the authorities accept this. Sometimes you don't have to DO anything, physically, but you just have to be there. This is what applies with DH and me, and we're each on disability benefits although not on any means-tested ones (i.e. DLA and AA are not means-tested).

SandraScarlett

krisskross wrote: »

Indeed those paying their own housing costs are paying it from taxed income so in effect are paying more. Those having their housing costs met by the taxpayer forget that the worker has to earn the housing costs plus ~30% simply to be in the same position as those claiming benefits.

You are sooooooooooo right! When I've had a tough day with DH, who has Alzheimers, I do occasionally regret not having had exotic holidays in the past, which would have meant that the money spent on those, would have reduced our savings considerably.

Then we too would have been eligible for PC, and even CA for me, which is not possible for those on SRP - unless you get PC! DH's Alzheimers club would not cost £60 a day, but just a nominal fee, but then I wouldn't have the choice of where and when he attends, which, to me, is the most important factor.

I have to give my DH constant care, such as you would give to a toddler. I can't let him out of my sight for a minute, unless he's with trained professionals. But if OP you don't even need to be in the same residence, then how's that constant care?

xx

krisskross

SandraScarlett wrote: »

You are sooooooooooo right! When I've had a tough day with DH, who has Alzheimers, I do occasionally regret not having had exotic holidays in the past, which would have meant that the money spent on those, would have reduced our savings considerably.

Then we too would have been eligible for PC, and even CA for me, which is not possible for those on SRP - unless you get PC! DH's Alzheimers club would not cost £60 a day, but just a nominal fee, but then I wouldn't have the choice of where and when he attends, which, to me, is the most important factor.

I have to give my DH constant care, such as you would give to a toddler. I can't let him out of my sight for a minute, unless he's with trained professionals. But if OP you don't even need to be in the same residence, then how's that constant care?

xx

Agreed! My husband gets AA at the higher rate but it all ends there as we have too much income and savings for Pension Credit.

I much prefer it this way as no one is scrutinising our bank accounts and we never have to go cap in hand to anyone but it seems a bit unfair that the prudent are penalised.

margaretclare

krisskross wrote: »

Agreed! My husband gets AA at the higher rate but it all ends there as we have too much income and savings for Pension Credit.

I much prefer it this way as no one is scrutinising our bank accounts and we never have to go cap in hand to anyone but it seems a bit unfair that the prudent are penalised.

It's a similar situation with DH and me, but I don't look at it as being 'penalised'. We each earned our own pension provision during our careers, and - because we're together and share all living expenses - we're better off than if each of us was living alone.

Another_Username_4

Oh you very clever people who seem to know everything yet know very little - and those of you who see reason and have common sense and understand how wrong and unfair the whole system is.

We now have all the facts and figures we need, courtesy of the Citizen's Advice Bureau and from two benefits specialists, one of whom has been a business advisor all his life. All these experts and even the local job centre advisors have offered the same information and advice, which has forced us to make the decision we have no choice but to take.

Currently I am in receipt of litle short of £170 every week - combined Incapacity Benefit and Income Support. This will drop to £71 per week with the new ESA, should I still be entitled to it. I struggle as it is to pay the bills.

The very reason my partner and I are living apart is because of the system. We were getting more and more into debt because of the unfairness of this system and had no choice but to live separately. The alternative was to become very cold in winter or go hungry. So if we did decide to get married This was my partner's decision who found life too difficult to bear at the time and ended our relationship because she thought she was ruining my life with her illnesses and the hardship we were facing.

Relationship over, I was forced to find a new address. As it is I don't have one and stay with friends some of the time. My partner and I love each other dearly and we decided to keep in touch. She suffers from epilepsy and has permanent back damage due to a car accident and further damage which resulted from her hospital treatment, for which we have been advised to sue for neglect - by the hospital!

So, relationship issues aside, it looks like we are forced to continue to live separately because the financial side is about to get much, much worse.

OK, let's do the right thing, as some of you are saying, then we WILL go hungry. We WILL get more and more heavily into debt. It's a downhill slide from which there is no return.

For your information, I have been self-employed for most of my working life and very successfully too. I have worked very hard and do not expect the state to keep me. My partner and I would both LOVE to work. Sadly this is proving near impossible because of our circumstances. We could work from home, but I doubt that will happen. Our age would only go against us anyway if we were actively seeking work as we are in our 50s. We would need a reasonable wage, nothing extreme, but the current rates of pay and benefits system makes things worse for people like us.

I seriously don't know why I am bothering explaining this as I know I will receive a barrage of abuse from some of you.

Spamfree_2

Welcome to the real word where we can't all get what we want when we want it. If you loved each other, money wouldn't come into it.

fishybusiness

The very reason my partner and I are living apart is because of the system

I don't agree. Lets say you and your partner live together in a 2 bed house, pay rent and claim benefits. No income = full housing benefit. No income = JSA or ESA. No income = full council tax benefit. Plus any health related benefits.

Also, you said you don't live together because....

This was my partner's decision who found life too difficult to bear at the time and ended our relationship because she thought she was ruining my life with her illnesses and the hardship we were facing.

Has that situation changed now?

As it is I don't have one and stay with friends some of the time

Where do you stay the rest of the time?

Plenty of people do live together claiming JSA or ESA, and get by. It ain't easy by any means. Listen, back a few years I was in a similar situation with my partner, I'd come out of uni early, my partner depressed, in a major way and I managed to start a small business and work from home. There were times when the housing benefit was used to buy goods for business, with me desperately hoping and working to have invoices paid before the rent was due so I could pay it as we had no more money.

I had plenty of sleepless nights, as I am sure you probably do. I don't see what is standing in your way.

Ideally, Smileytiger, I would like to live with my partner and work from home.

What is stopping you? Really, what holds you back? Uncertainty? Your partner?

princessdon

It's not abuse - it's the fact we can't understand.

You say you have £170 pw - a singleton under 25 would get £56. Yoy have 3 times the amount of money someone under 25 and more than double the same amount as JSA £71.

You also say you have no "home" - so I think we can all guess what that means. You have to pay bills (what bills if you have no home?) if money to friends is it not better to pay your OH that and live there financially?


Being brutually honest (and sorry this isn't aimed at you, but the benefit system in general for some groups of people) you are used to high amounts of benefits. Now they are dropping you are feeling that as are many workers with less hours and lower wages.

If you added up the benefits of you and your OH - you will have more disposable income than most of us who work full time.

Sorry but I can't work out anyone who would allow their OH to suffer and loose the care they so desparately need (your words - constant) because of a few pounds a week. How much do you pay your "people who allow you to stay". 1 meal not 2, 1 wash load not 2 etc

princessdon

Another_Username wrote: »

It's a simple question. Does anybody understand our plight? We CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE TOGETHER

So how do couples (with £111 pw) JSA survive?

You get at least double (and probably more) than that as a couple? A family earning minimum £26K and a child live on less after mortgage, council tax etc.

Why can't you survive and others can?

Is it debts or do you have a high level of luxury things you pay for?

I fail to see how you can't live on the amounts the calculators say you'd get. Is it because you are not being given the full amount the calculators say or because you are used to higher payments?

PS If you "stay over" at your GF house occasionally you run the risk of being classed as living together (especially as you have no fixed abode) and if this ever happened and you had back payments you could find yourself if further problems financially.