Local Council Tax Support

tctracy

this his going to get so bad people will be robbing to get there food

Own_My_Own

I just find the whole post code lottery a bit much.
You will get people living a mile apart on the same income getting completely different help with their CT.

BigAunty

Own_My_Own wrote: »

They may have a high number of single parents on benefits. When the oldest child leaves education, the parent not only loses all the income benefits for that child/young adult, but also the 25% CTB deduction for being the only adult in the home. Having to pay more than that on top may make some not so Good parents ask they child to leave.

ah, right. Among working families who don't get benefits, perhaps keep from children is more typical a practice? In that, the parents didn't get any or much in the way of benefits for them so have suffered no loss and the children don't feel forced or obligated to pay towards their keep because of hardship so are happier to do this on a more voluntary footing, something they choose to do out of pride or greater sense of independence? Just musing.

I don't think it's specific to single parents but definately the forum gets inundated at school/college leaving periods by parents who are shocked that they lose child benefit and child tax credits, perhaps a bit of HB and that they have to seek keep from their child's student income, employment/apprenticeship income or JSA. They resent the transfer of income from them to their child and don't relish trying to wrestle payment towards bills from their children.

I forgot how many posts we see along the lines of 'I'm losing £65 - 100 per week from benefits and all my kid gets is £50 JSA/£70 student grant/£90 apprenticeship/part time wage of £100 what am I supposed to do?'.

Own_My_Own

BigAunty wrote: »

ah, right. Among working families who don't get benefits, perhaps keep from children is more typical a practice? In that, the parents didn't get any or much in the way of benefits for them so have suffered no loss and the children don't feel forced or obligated to pay towards their keep because of hardship so are happier to do this on a more voluntary footing, something they choose to do out of pride or greater sense of independence? Just musing.

I don't think it's specific to single parents but definately the forum gets inundated at school/college leaving periods by parents who are shocked that they lose child benefit and child tax credits, perhaps a bit of HB and that they have to seek keep from their child's student income, employment/apprenticeship income or JSA. They resent the transfer of income from them to their child and don't relish trying to wrestle payment towards bills from their children.

I forgot how many posts we see along the lines of 'I'm losing £65 - 100 per week from benefits and all my kid gets is £50 JSA/£70 student grant/£90 apprenticeship/part time wage of £100 what am I supposed to do?'.

I am a single Mum so I wouldn't just have a pop at them, but if the parents are in a relationship they wouldn't get the 25% discount anyway.
There is not a lot of work for the young in that area, and every penny can count.
When my ds left education , I lost his CB,CTC, the 25% CT discount and he has to pay £11.25 a week CT from his ESA. I work, so have been able to manage with this drop in income. If I wasn't it may not be so easy.

dktreesea

princessdon wrote: »

It seems very unusual that someone with that education, field of expertise and job history cannot get interviews.

Education, when it comes to getting a job, can be a double edges sword. If you are going for jobs in your field and are fortunate enough to find one, then it is very helpful. But once you are outside your field, especially if looking for less qualified jobs, that education can really hold you back from even getting interviews, let alone getting the job. Employers realise that you won't be there for the longer term, just using the job as a stepping stone to go onto a better paying and more appropriate job as soon as it comes along/the economy improves.

With school leavers it's a bit different. When you take on a school leaver, you do so realising that at some point they will move on/move away/get a job more appropriate to whatever it is they are studying if doing their higher education part time.

But with older, qualified people, even if you would take on someone with no experience, you want to find someone for whom the job is a good fit to their qualifications, so someone's first choice of job, not 13th choice because they cannot get something more appropriate to their qualifications and skills so you are their last resort.

dktreesea

BigAunty wrote: »

ah, right. Among working families who don't get benefits, perhaps keep from children is more typical a practice? In that, the parents didn't get any or much in the way of benefits for them so have suffered no loss and the children don't feel forced or obligated to pay towards their keep because of hardship so are happier to do this on a more voluntary footing, something they choose to do out of pride or greater sense of independence? Just musing.

I don't think it's specific to single parents but definately the forum gets inundated at school/college leaving periods by parents who are shocked that they lose child benefit and child tax credits, perhaps a bit of HB and that they have to seek keep from their child's student income, employment/apprenticeship income or JSA. They resent the transfer of income from them to their child and don't relish trying to wrestle payment towards bills from their children.

I forgot how many posts we see along the lines of 'I'm losing £65 - 100 per week from benefits and all my kid gets is £50 JSA/£70 student grant/£90 apprenticeship/part time wage of £100 what am I supposed to do?'.

If there was just a straight transfer of income from the parent to the now independent adult, then fair enough. But that isn't what happens. The "independent adult" still lives at home, but gets no help for their housing and the parent gets a cut in their housing benefit. The same thing happens with council tax benefit, i.e. no help for the "independent" child because they live at home, but the benefit is reduced, and by a huge amount if you are a lone parent.

As for the jsa, IF they child qualifies for it (they may not if they are under 18 and between school and college) at the full rate, you could be looking at a drop in household income from £92 a week (CTC and CB) down to £71 a week. In areas where EMA is still paid that drop in household income would be even worse, from £122 a week to £71 a week.

How is it that the parent is expected to still provide for the child by providing a roof over their heads, but on a reduced subsidy, even though the child may not be earning/able to afford to cover the shortfall?

It's all well and good to say things like the parent should have known this was coming and made appropriate arrangements to get more work/move to a cheaper place/reduce their outgoings etc. And plenty probably do. But people on benefits are in the opposite position to families where the child is leaving education financially.

Think what happens in a family which doesn't get benefits. Their child leaves school and, say, goes on the dole. The rate is probably reduced at that age, but say it's £71 a week. In terms of household income, that'a a real rise in the income. That's £30 every fortnight in a travel pass, for example, parents don't have to find, or going out money on the weekends, because dear johnny now has his own income.

FBaby

dktreesea wrote: »

It's all well and good to say things like the parent should have known this was coming and made appropriate arrangements to get more work/move to a cheaper place/reduce their outgoings etc. And plenty probably do. But people on benefits are in the opposite position to families where the child is leaving education financially.

A single parent has no excuse for not looking for a full-time job after their child is 12/13. That means that they have between 4 and 6 years to find a full time job....that's a VERY long time to prepare.