Single parent...expecting - benefit help?

MissK2013

I am a single parent to two children and pregnant with my third. I am currently in a two bedroom but need to move to a three as soon as possible as my baby is due in June.

I have a few questions :

1.) I have found a lovely property marketed as a two bedroom but it has a box room which could easily be used for a baby. Can I claim as I two bedroom until June and then a three bedroom from when the baby is born as I will be using the property as a three bed from then?

2.) My childcare costs are going to be £385 a week...am I allowed to claim tax credits up to the maximum and then get childcare vouchers from work for some of the remainder that I can't claim for?

3.) With UC in mind, I was thinking of reducing my hours to 34 per week when I return to work in October...how will this affect me under UC?

Thank you in advance, I'm panicking

System

1. If it is marketed as a two bedroom then that is all you can claim.

Caz3121

MissK2013 wrote: »

I am a single parent to two children and pregnant with my third. I am currently in a two bedroom but need to move to a three as soon as possible as my baby is due in June.

I have a few questions :

1.) I have found a lovely property marketed as a two bedroom but it has a box room which could easily be used for a baby. Can I claim as I two bedroom until June and then a three bedroom from when the baby is born as I will be using the property as a three bed from then?
Assuming it is private let there is no restriction on what size property that you live in. You can move into the 3 bed as a 3 bed but until the baby arrives you will only qualify the the LHA for a 2 bedroom rate which will change to a 3 bedroom rate after baby


2.) My childcare costs are going to be £385 a week...am I allowed to claim tax credits up to the maximum and then get childcare vouchers from work for some of the remainder that I can't claim for?
no, if your childcare is £385 per week and you claim childcare vouchers from work then you would declare to tax credits the amount after the voucher. eg if the voucher covers £60 per week then the childcare declared to tax credits is £325



3.) With UC in mind, I was thinking of reducing my hours to 34 per week when I return to work in October...how will this affect me under UC?

Thank you in advance, I'm panicking

sorry don't know about UC

HappyMJ

If you are thinking about LHA rates then you can claim whatever you are entitled to claim...if entitled you could choose to live in the cheapest 30% of 3 bedroom houses or use that same allowance and live in a better quality 2 bedroom property. You could even choose to live in large executive 1 bedroom flat....as long as the rent is below the 3 bedroom LHA rate then your rent will be paid in full.

Gentile

I wish the tax paying workers could have this kind of option of moving into a lovely bigger house whenever they wanted or when ever they had a kid. But sadly it looks like you need to be single and not working to be able to do that.

I ask you this, you are pregnant, why isnt your partner supporting you ?

nannytone_2

the OP clearly is working as she pays childcare.

MissK2013

Thank you Nannytone and Feelthelove...yes I am working, full time and can only afford to take 17 weeks off for maternity leave.

As for my ex partner, he's currently shacked up with another lady and her three children and 'can't afford to support 6 kids!' Even though her three aren't his!

I never asked for him to leave me for someone else especially not at 14 weeks pregnant

Tiglath

I'd go after him through the CSA - good luck.

MissK2013

I was going to but lots of people said there is no point as he now has three other kids this reduces the money for our kids dramatically

I'm determined to do this alone...I work really hard and am financially quite secure.

He's actually blamed me for the whole thing...if I worked less, he wouldn't have strayed apparently! What other option did I have with two kids and a partner who would only work part time so he could play golf?

Sorry, going off subject - but I didn't deserve your rant gentile! I'm as much against claiming benefits when you are for to work as I can be and intend on ensuring that's the message my kids grow up with xx

kj*daisy

It won't reduce the money to nothing though, start the CSA claim now before you have to pay to use them. If anything they will put him straight about his view that he can swan off and stop supporting the kids he already has. All the best with your new baby.

satarical

kj*daisy wrote: »

It won't reduce the money to nothing though, start the CSA claim now before you have to pay to use them. If anything they will put him straight about his view that he can swan off and stop supporting the kids he already has. All the best with your new baby.

Given the fact that the ex considers that it is quite acceptable working part time for social reasons, I would imagine that he would be quite adept to having the CSA chase their tail in trying to catch up with him!!

I do wish I had done that when I was younger - working part time with a round of golf thrown in for good measure sounds like the ideal working day to me.