Newbie here looking for advice.

Mummy_Sarah

Me and my partner are having some money issues at the moment. My partner works full time (shift work) and I dont work as i stay at home with my son (he does go to playgroup 2 hours on a mon,weds and fri). We have 2 children, 4 and 2 years. And because my partner done a lot of overtime last year to pay for our childrens birthday parties, christmas and holidays we were reassessed by housing and working tax credits and told we have been overpaid by working tax by 1600. and we are dropping from £140 to £17 a month (which we cant start having until next april) . and housing we owe £120 and do not recieve any more benefit. The thing is my partner as been told there wont be no more over time left as they have employed some one new. So we calculated all our finance and im left with £74 a week after bills. How do you support a family of £74 a week? anyone else going through this? Iv been looking at part time jobs (lets face it no one can take any more of our benefits off us because we are not receiving anything anyway) The only problem I have is that I have no family for my son, basically its just me and my partner. If i left him at my partners parents he basically would be watching tv all day and dont want to do anything to hinder his development. Any advice or chat from people going through the same pardicument would be greatly appreciated.

enabledebra

If your partner's income has now gone down as the overtime pay won't be coming in you should reclaim housing benefit and let tax credits know. If the decisions you have had are based on his higher income including overtime it may change again now his income is lower.

Mummy_Sarah

I contacted tax credits and the woman on the phone was very rude and said unless there was a drop by 2500 in his earnings they wont do anything. He brings home 1050 after tax has been taken off. but some months he would get around 1200 and month before last he brought home 1450. I will ask ring about housing benefit tomorrow to see if they can do anything for me. Trust me luck they wanted to see evidence of my housbands payslips month before last when he got the 1450. he worked hard because we needed that money. Feel really upset by them. Really cant wait until the baby is in school then maybe i can get a part time job and wont need to relay on the benefits.

Pedent

Hopefully others will have useful suggestions for the short term. There are other parts of the forum where you can get advice on how to reduce your outgoings and make your budget go further. Others know about housing benefit; I don't.

On tax credits, it might be worth you posting the figures (working hours, income, deductions due to income, etc.) from your award notices for this year and the two before, so that someone can check that you're getting the right amount. You probably are, but the figures you've given don't quite make sense to me. One key figure that you need is an estimate of what your family income will be, before tax, for the current year.

If you are getting the right amount, then at least it's only a temporary state of affairs, for three reasons:

(1) A fall in income of less than £2500 won't increase your award this year, but will increase it next year. (This is to do with "income disregards", and as you're finding out it's a strange and not very helpful system, as it means that you sometimes get the most money a year or two after you needed it.)

(2) You won't be repaying the overpayment forever. Once you've paid it back (next April?), you'll get more.

(3) Your youngest will be eligible for 15 hours/week free childcare fairly soon, giving you a chance to do some part-time work (if you can find some) without incurring childcare costs.

Hopefully the award is wrong, though, because they don't have the right income figures.

Not that it helps much right now but the lesson, for you and other people, is that you really must notify tax credits about changes in income when they happen, just as they tell you to. If you leave it to the end of year and spend any extra income in the meantime, then you can up with an overpayment and a tough period to get through while you pay it back.

p00hsticks

Mummy_Sarah wrote: »

So we calculated all our finance and im left with £74 a week after bills. How do you support a family of £74 a week? anyone else going through this?

I can't help with advise on the benefits front, but as others have suggested, there are other areas of the forum (e.g utilities, 'debt free wannabee', 'old fashioned money saving') here that might be able to help suggest ways to reduce the bills / make the money go further.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=77
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=33

McKneff

There is always the chance of you working a few hours a week, in a pub, hotel, evenings in a supermarket, all of which can be worked into a routine.

[Deleted User]

McKneff wrote: »

There is always the chance of you working a few hours a week, in a pub, hotel, evenings in a supermarket, all of which can be worked into a routine.

i was thinking that but the OPs husband works shifts,maybe she could do something like avon which can be fitted round anything?

FBaby

Mummy_Sarah wrote: »

If i left him at my partners parents he basically would be watching tv all day and dont want to do anything to hinder his development.

Your child's development is not going to be hindered because he watches TV a few hours every day, especially if he doesn't watch it at home at all. Your child's development will be hindered if you can't find him proper food, or keep him warm. Your children development will also not be affected if they don't get nice presents for Christmas and birthday parties.

princessdon

As said - Tax Credits work on a year, but I *think* HB works on here and now so maybe give them a ring if you know you aren't going to get anymore.

Other than that it's a case of looking for work - check out the Tax Credit Calculator as you may be entitled to help with those costs.

If there is no option of work for you (and it can be hard with a shift working partner), then look to spend the next year getting some qualifications or experience. Your local Sure Start Children's Centre can offer help (and usually a creche), so when LO starts school you are ready to hit the job market.

Sorry other than cutting down bills I can't offer anymore advice.

BigAunty

Mummy_Sarah wrote: »

...my partner done a lot of overtime last year to pay for our childrens birthday parties, christmas and holidays ...we calculated all our finance and im left with £74 a week after bills. How do you support a family of £74 a week? ...

Erm - is this a budgeting or a benefits issue?

You have a lifestyle which includes lavish birthday parties, Christmas as a major expense and multiple holidays.

If you got a grip on luxuries, you wouldn't struggle with the basics.

Who needs to work overtime to pay for two birthday parties for a two and four year old? Parties, Christmas presents and holidays are as cheap or expensive as you make them...

Mummy_Sarah

ok guys, Thanks for all your advice I will dig out the forms and upload the details tomorrow but otherwise here is a breakdown of our incomings and outgoings.
Ok here is the breakdown of all our incomings.
1050 partners pay each month
133 child benefit
412 (103x4) Child tax

= so average is 1595

Outgoings is
rent 450
concil tax 100
gas and electric 180 (im trying to cut this down had no gas on in months)
car insurance 55
petrol for month 100
water 27
sky 52 (we are considering getting rid of tv as we pay a lot of money each month for just nick jr)
Mobile 25 (contract)
interest on overdraft 20
Tv licence 12
daughters Dinner money 42.00 a month
sons playgroup fees 88.00
Overpayment from housing 20
Loan 125
1296
1595-1296 = 299 or
74.75 left each week for food, nappies, saving for christmas etc. We dont own any store cards or credit cards. My partner has an overdraft of 1500 and we are always in it. The loan is due to end in a christmas 2013.