Some help & advice

not*sure

Hi there first post so be gentle please

My DH and I separated in 2011, he moved in with his mother and I continued with our private tenancy. I was working fulltime and receiving child & working tax credits for our daughter who is now 2.5 years old. He worked on and off but is own on ESA due to a recurring back problem and I am also now on ESA for severe depression although I am happy to say that I am now feeling much better and I am hoping to get back to work as soon as I can.

I am now receiving ESA @ 71 pounds per week and CTC @ 56 per week, alongwith my CB.
He is receiving ESA @ 56 per week as he has a private pension of 57 a month so they are taking money off of him for that.

We have decided to give our marriage another try and although we are not living together at present we have just been offered a council house through a new council scheme. We should be moving within the next 6 weeks.
Now obviousley I want to contact all agencies to confirm our new arrangements and add my DH onto my tax credits claim but im confused with it tbh. Will my single claim stop and therefore my weekly payments stop until they add him on? How long does this roughly take?
Also what is the best way to deal with ESA should I add him to mine or he adds me to his? I've tried to look online but im maybe not looking in the right place.
I do not want to defraud the system in anyway so I am wanting to make sure that we do everything correctly as this move is going to be a fresh start for us as a family and I do not want anything to go wrong.

Any advice at all would be most appreciated.
Thanks xx

Horseunderwater

With Tax credits you only need to do a joint claim once you move into together and yes the single claim will stop.
As to the ESA it would be best to see if you both get through the actual Work capability assessment first then sort out putting it right re income related or not. It may be that for the time being it would perhaps be better for you to stay separate that way, until you know for certain that it will all work out.
I hope that it works out for you both.

pmlindyloo

Horseunderwater wrote: »

With Tax credits you only need to do a joint claim once you move into together and yes the single claim will stop.
As to the ESA it would be best to see if you both get through the actual Work capability assessment first then sort out putting it right re income related or not. It may be that for the time being it would perhaps be better for you to stay separate that way, until you know for certain that it will all work out.
I hope that it works out for you both.

I am not sure that the OP can do that. My understanding is that if you live together the you have to make a joint claim for ESA or am I wrong?

Either of them can ask for the other person to be added to their claim but OH's pension will be deducted from the joint amount awarded as it is classed as joint income.

not*sure

Thanks very much for your help. I believe that I would have to be in a joint claim with my hubby to keep things correct. I will contact them once we have actually moved into the property that way the change of circumstance has changed.

Thanks again

Horseunderwater

pmlindyloo wrote: »

I am not sure that the OP can do that. My understanding is that if you live together the you have to make a joint claim for ESA or am I wrong?

Either of them can ask for the other person to be added to their claim but OH's pension will be deducted from the joint amount awarded as it is classed as joint income.

Only when it is income related. If both are on Contributions based ESA then for the time being it does not matter. What I was suggesting was finding out whether the OP passed the WCA first and then if not, they could sort out income related ESA at this point. I think he must already be sorted though.

not*sure

I am pretty sure that we are both on income related but I will double check with ESA I need to call them on another matter today.
What is the WCA? I haven't been asked anything about that but I do know my husband had to sign a medical form but as of yet I haven't had anything like that and I have been on ESA since 27th December 2012.