Can i afford to give up work to look after disabled son?

razzie

Hi, just wanted to pick peoples brains who might have more idea about all of this than me....
Current situation is I am a single parent and homeowner working fulltime. My son is 12 and has just been awarded DLA - high -care and low-mobility though we have not actually recieved it yet. He is very unhappy at secondary school, not surprising as it seems that mainstream schools are unable to meet needs of high functioning Autistic children a lot of the time...I am currently going through the statementing process but dont hold much hope of this being awarded. I get constant daily (almost) calls from school, my son also texts me and asks me to come and get him that he cant take it etc. On top of this we have therapy appts and other meetings and sometimes I feel like I'm doing 3 full time jobs!
Bottom dollar is something needs to give and it isnt going to be my son ! I have been looking at homeschooling as an option and feel my son would be far happier and less anxious. But can I afford it? I know that i can get extra premium with child tax credit now and will ring them as soon as I get exact DLA confirmation (they only told me award decision on the phone)... but what else would I be entitled to if I gave up work and is any of this possible? Please be kind... i have worked full time for 20 years and never claimed a benefit before but as much as I love my job I want to do the right thing for my son.

LunaLady

I feel for you - I have been in a similar situation.

You would be entitled to CA, which is about £55 a week because your son receives HRC.

Dunroamin

I have to ask, are you sure that you have the skills to home school a child as demanding as your son? Could you not use the additional income you receive from working to pay for some kind of specialised tutoring?

miduck

LunaLady wrote: »

I feel for you - I have been in a similar situation.

You would be entitled to CA, which is about £55 a week because your son receives HRC.

Plus (if the OP does not have over £16,000 in savings) IS, CTB, SMI, and full CTC.

razzie

Thanks for replies though not sure what SMI and IS is and how much roughly are these? Trying to do the maths... so amounts would be a help. Thanks lunalady it is tough.... but you have to just keep going dont you especially if theres no one else to help.
I am a qualified teacher, but changed career 10 years ago and tbh I think I understand my child better than most.... Also you cant just leave a specialist tutor to provide you with child care as well , I'd still have to be home for that and not able to go to work.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

as above. you maybe entitled to a grant from the family fund http://www.familyfund.org.uk/ it exxlains that you can apply yearly for this for anything that benefits him that he may want such as a laptop, PC, tablet, amoungst other things such as a holiday, washing machine beds bedding etc its all listed.

is work something that you could do from home? or go onto partime.

DWP dont like people who quite work even if its to care for a loved one sanctions could be enforced. but if you feel you have no other alternative, if its a needs must situation then the DWP might take a sympothetic view and not sanction you.

pmlindyloo

As you will be caring for a child who is receiving high rate care DLA you would be entitled to claim Income Support.

If you also claimed Carer's Allowance this would be affect any Income Support as CA is, what is called, an overlapping benefit. However, you would get certain premiums with your other benefits.

An award of Income Support would passport you to Council Tax Benefit and Housing costs (paying the interest (at a certain rate) of your mortgage but think this 'kicks in' after 13 weeks - google Support for Mortgage Interst for more info.)

Complicated isn't it?

You may like to visit CAB and ask them to do a Quick Benefit check.

There may be some clever bod on here who could work it all out for you.

If you gave up work then you would need to inform Tax Credits as you would lose your Working Tax Credit but still be eligible for Child Tax credit and, of cours, Child Benefit and Child Maintenance.

You do not say what you are earning at the moment so it is difficult to say how much worse off you would be.

If you could get some advice from a welfare and benefit advisor it would allow you to make an informed decision.

Good luck!

miduck

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

DWP dont like people who quite work even if its to care for a loved one sanctions could be enforced. but if you feel you have no other alternative, if its a needs must situation then the DWP might take a sympothetic view and not sanction you.

The OP will not be sanctioned as she will be claiming CA/ IS.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

miduck wrote: »

The OP will not be sanctioned as she will be claiming CA/ IS.

you are right, i dont know what i thought when posting that i thought was reading onother thread most prob got me confused betweenm the two (must remeber not to go for loo brake inbetween posting in threads).

good spot.

you can claim CA, but income support is means tested so the amount of carrers is deducted from income support, so the overlap given in one hand taken from the other and the amounts kind of stay about the same.

also youll get a disabled premium ontop of your child tax credits.

pmlindyloo

Have you visited here?

http://www.autism.org.uk/

Extremely useful website.

pmlindyloo

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

you are right, i dont know what i thought when posting that i thought was reading onother thread most prob got me confused betweenm the two (must remeber not to go for loo brake inbetween posting in threads).

good spot.

you can claim CA, but income support is means tested so the amount of carrers is deducted from income support, so the overlap given in one hand taken from the other and the amounts kind of stay about the same.

also youll get a disabled premium ontop of your child tax credits.

Honestly not trying to be 'picky' but don't want the OP to be put off from claiming CA and IS.

Although Carer's Allowance is taken into account when you apply for Income Support it also entitles you to a carer's premium to be added to any Income Support you receive. They would not cancel each other out entirely.

Receiving any Income Support automatically will entitle OP to Council Tax Benefit and Support for Mortgage Interest so it is very important that she should apply for both if she decides to leave her job.