Please help!

deano_b

Hope someone can advise...
I work 16 hours a week and claim housing benefit of £47 per week...

My partner lives with her parents but is now pregnant, so is wanting to move in with me....she currently works 12hours a week but is ill due to severe morning sickness, so is not earning at the moment. She doesn't get ssp....

Would she be able to get income support if I'm working 16 hours? What about long term, what help would be available regarding child tax credits etc? And once baby is here, would she be able to claim anything while I still work and she looks after little one? I've heard of a surestart grant to help with baby costs but am led to believe you can only get that if on income support? I'm scared we're not going to be able to afford things for the baby...pram, cot etc etc...

It's such a minefield and I'm concerned that we'll not be able to cope financially on my low income alone....

bestpud

Do you live in a council or housing association property?

Your partner wouldn't be entitled to income support.

You may well still qualify for housing benefit.

Once the baby is born, you can claim tax credits. You'd need to be working 24 hours between you to claim working tax credit, with at least one of you working 16 hours or more. Therefore your partner would need to keep working or you'd need to increase your hours.

You'd qualify for the surestart grant as a couple.

Really though, you need to be working full time to properly support your new family. Can you increase your hours?

deano_b

Private rented...and increasing my hours is doubtful....so is IS mainly for single people?

I imagine my current HB would be reduced due to her living here and technically "working"-even if she's ill.....


Just can't see how we're going to manage...There must be more help available? How do other people manage? At the moment my wage literally just covers the rent, and I use my HB for food, bills. How do we afford a child?

bestpud

deano_b wrote: »

Its oh so easy isn't it? Hope you guys never have to come on here for help and get callous answers thrown back at you....

Your working hours are the problem though - there is no getting away from that.

Are you under 25? If so, are you in shared housing and are you aware of all the changes taking place for housing benefits?

It's going to get tougher so it really is better to stand on your own two feet before you are forced to.

Can you get another part time job alongside your current one? That's another option.

paddedjohn

The truth hurts but at the end of the day you aren't earning enough so you need to get yourself more hours, your girlfriend can't work at the moment so you need to take up the slack and either up your hours where you are or find another p/t job to boost your income. At the present time in your situation your girlfriend is probably better off staying put at her parents.

deano_b

Bestpud-many thanks for your genuine help/replies....I'm 37 BTW.....tried getting another job alongside mine but struggling due to my shift pattern where I am at the minute....Trust me I'd love more hours!

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

xylophone

http://www.gingerbread.org.uk/factsheet/26/Claiming-Income-Support-and-other-benefits
might be a source of information.

debrag

why cant you get a new full time job, why stick with the part time one. Yes I know they are not easy to get.

dundeediva

She needs to stay where she is at her parents or you can get a 2nd job/work more hrs etc to support her and the baby. There are lots of temp jobs about at this time of year. As someone has correctly mentioned you will get CTC and CB when child is born but nothing before that time.

As someone else has also mentioned baby stuff doesnt have to be expensive, borrow baby things from friends, get stuff from ebay, local fb groups, charity shops etc. Cut your cloth to suit. Breastfeeding is free. Start buying nappies etc now so you can stock up in time for the birth, its amazing how much you can accumulate by adding a pack of wipes etc to your weekly shop!

As has also been said to get WTC you need to be workng more hours anyway, so you wont qualify for that when baby is born unless you increase your hours.

Please do remember that as a public forum people are allowed to have their opinions, you asked for help and they answered. Might not be the answer you like but its still (useful) advice. And asking for help and getting a hand out is exctly the same thing when it comes to benefits.

Robbie64

If your girlfriend is on the sick from work she may be able to get Employment and Support Allowance though any payments she receives will be reduced by how much you earn less a small amount which is ignored. ESA rate for a couple where both are 18+ is £111.45 though this is a means tested payment.

While she's living at home she can claim ESA as a single person and the rate is £71.00 (£56.25 if aged below 25). This payment can be made based on either contributions paid or on a means test.

These rates are for the assessment period of ESA which lasts 13 weeks after which an additional amount is paid once the person has gone through a work capability assessment (WCA) and a decision is made on whether the person has limited capability for work. For some pregnant women progress through the WCA is automatic with no need for an assessment where, according to official guidance:

there is a serious risk of damage to her health or to the health of her unborn child if she does not refrain from work

Of course if she returns to work then she will not be able to claim ESA. In order to get ESA she will need a medical certificate from her GP to certify her as being unable to work.

princessdon

Being pregnant doesn't mean you can't work so why ESA?

Back to op - benefit wise it's best to live separately, you won't get much help when a couple with you only working 16 hours a week.