Desperate Help - Benefits!!!

rose7t8

Hi everyone,

Am new to this (this is my first thread - someone at work recommended it to me).

I'm hoping someone might have either a)been unfortunate enough to be in my situation and know how this works or b) be knowledgeable in this and be able to advise me!

My situation is this...

I'm 28 and have a 3 year old daughter. I work 30 hours per week in employment where i've been for the last 6 years as a permanent member of staff. My mum looks after my daughter 3 days per week and she goes to nursery on the Thursday which costs me nill for my mum (she does it FOC as she loves it and £31 per week for nursery).

My partner has just left me (in the perverbial) with quite a lot of debt that i didn't realise we had. As i've been left in the house (and don't know where he is) i'm going to have to pay our £650 per month mortgage on my own. My salary is £13,800 per year so i pick up about £740 (money for nursery goes out £124 per month direct from salary before tax). I've never claimed any benefits or anything and previously with my partners salary we were never eligible for any other sort of tax credits etc (never applied as assumed not). So, in total my income is £740 from job and £72 child benefit. This doesn't leave me with a lot to play with once i've taken council tax,gas,electric,water etc out plus expenses to get to work ( i don't drive so have to take the train).

I've looked on the entitledto.co.uk so know what i'll probably be entitled to there but i'm not sure what if any entitlemetn i'd be able to claim against my mortgage. Is it possible to claim somethign towards this as people have told me i may be able to claim income support but having never been in thsi mess before i'm just not sure but i don't want to get into arrears as i know i'll probably not be able to keep up the £650 payments what with everythign else.

Please could someone tell me whether if anything i'm able to claim for housing / council tax and if so where i go and what do i need to do.

Thank you so much in advance to anyone who can help!!!!

Rose

tigtag02

HI there

I'm not too up on benefits so please take what I say as provisional until someone else pops along - I just wanted to reply to you

I dont think that you will qualify for HB or CTB BUT you should get a reduction in yout CT by 25% for now being the only adult in the house - I would speak to the council asap and have ex's name removed.

You should also qualify for tax credits - they may not take your childcare into consideration as it sounds like you are in receipt of childcare vouchers and I believe that one offsets the other - however, I think your circumstaces would dictate that you should receive some award.

If the entitledto calc is not making sense to you then call the tax credits first think and I'm sure that they will be able to give you a ball park figure (they did with me and were right - the calc was £20 out!!)

Tax credits number is 0845 300 3900

Sorry to hear that you have been left in the lurch - I hope that everything works out for you and DD

EDIT: had a thought - does your house have enough rooms to take in a lodger?

Elle00

I posted before then realised you HAVE stated your income so I can be a bit more specific!

Okay firstly you've got your £13,800 income a year. Then you are also entitled to £18.10 a week Child Benefit and around £45 a week Child Tax Credits (which you should already be receiving?).

On top of this, ring Tax Credits IMMEDIATELY as you are entitled to Working Tax Credits on that income also of something in the region of £65 a week. You should also receive around £15 - £25 a week towards your nursery fees.

You are automatically entitled to a 25% single persons discount for council tax but only from the date you inform them of the change so do so immediately.

For housing you need to contact the housing benefit department at your local council ASAP to make a claim as you should find they will pay most of your rent or mortgage (if it is interest only I believe).

With regards to debt I'd advise you consult the CAB or post on the debt board on this forum as a separate issue because it won't affect your benefits and you won't receive benefit help for it. People who use the debt board might have more information on the subject and the same goes for the CAB.

If you find yourself struggling to get your head around all these dribs and drabs of incomes and outgoings then you can call your local job centre plus and ask to speak to a lone parent advisor. Sometimes they can be helpful and other times they're, well, not nice people but regardless they have a better benefits calculator than entitledto (which has yet to produce an accurate calculation for me).

On a personal note, do keep working the 30hrs a week and things will get easier in the end. You'll have a little bit more to live on that if you stopped working to claim Income Support and you just get abuse off most people for taking any time out. Working 30hrs a week or more gives you the highest payout of benefits when you're a lone parent earning a low salary so don't be tempted to cut back on the hours unless you can live on the lower income. At least you've got your Mum on hand to offer support and hopefully the occasional night out too.

Chin up, I promise life gets better and even though I get down sometimes I am still a lot happier than I was being in a miserable relationship - as is my baby.

tigtag02

Elle

As I said before - I'm not too up on benefits but are you totally sure the above is correct?

It appears that OP receives childcare vouchers - I beleive that this will effect her tax credit payments. First of all her gross pay will not be £13,800 when calculating payments as it is not all a taxable sum. Also, I'm not sure that childcare will be taken into account by HMRC as this is been taken care of by the vouchers.

Also - I dont think that HB paying the interest on your mortgage is as simple as you make out above. I have been a working single mum with a mortgage and NEVER been entitled to HB - even if you are fully on benefits I think there is a specific length of time before you can claim for the interest to be paid.

Of course if you are an experiened benefits advisor with *insider*;) knowledge or have CAB experince then I apologise - I just dont want the OP to think that she will be getting more than she really is entitled to.

Respectfully
tigtag

Elle00

tigtag02 wrote: »

Elle

As I said before - I'm not too up on benefits but are you totally sure the above is correct?

It appears that OP receives childcare vouchers - I beleive that this will effect her tax credit payments. First of all her gross pay will not be £13,800 when calculating payments as it is not all a taxable sum. Also, I'm not sure that childcare will be taken into account by HMRC as this is been taken care of by the vouchers.

Also - I dont think that HB paying the interest on your mortgage is as simple as you make out above. I have been a working single mum with a mortgage and NEVER been entitled to HB - even if you are fully on benefits I think there is a specific length of time before you can claim for the interest to be paid.

Of course if you are an experiened benefits advisor with *insider*;) knowledge or have CAB experince then I apologise - I just dont want the OP to think that she will be getting more than she really is entitled to.

Respectfully
tigtag

She said her salary is £13,800 and that has absolutely nothing to do with gross or taxable pay! It makes her eligible for the higher rate CTC of £45 a week and she will be eligible for WTC including the lone parent element on that income which equals around £65 a week. And £31 childcare fees are relatively little in the grand scheme of things and would only have an effect on the additional childcare element anyway.

Thanks for your "concern" but as a single Mum about to start work on £14,500 a year yes I DO have the knowledge to answer this question having recently made enquiries for myself. Similarly I have previously worked part-time and know what benefits one is entitled on minimum wage doing a 16hr week so would happily post for that.

On an income of just £13,800 a year no she will not be expected to pay her mortgage in it's entirety. If her mortgage is not suitable for interest only housing benefit payments or similar she will be asked to put the property on the market, rent somewhere with the proceeds and then start claiming for HB when her savings fall under £16k. There are of course a variety of variables that the council will assess in making any decision and it may there was a good reason to refuse your personal HB application such as a higher salary or large sum of capital in the property. The council will try to keep people in their homes where possible because of the housing shortage and the upheaval to children however this is dependant on individual circumstances. Ohhh and my Dad was the area housing manager for a london borough for 25yrs so he likes to keep me informed on the rules and regs my local council should be applying etc so yes I do have a fair idea of the situation even if I don't know the ins and outs in their entirety.

OP as I have said, contact Tax Credits and the local Council ASAP. If you would like affirmation of what you will be entitled to then also speak to a lone parent advisor at your local job centre plus. Please don't let people worry you because no matter how things pan out in the end and what exact amounts of money you receive you will be better off for being out at work. The system isn't always fair for everyone but it does pay off for lone parents earning less than £16kpa for 30+hrs work a week. You might not be able to enjoy the standard of living you've been accustomed to in the past but you'll find you have enough money for all your essentials and a bit of fun too if you're careful and get your debts sorted. Best of luck.

Morglin

Your local CAB will do a full benefits and tax credits assessment for you, and tell you exactly what you should be claiming for.

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/getadvice.htm

Lin

bobblebot

Sorry to hear about your ex. In similar situation have £780 mortgage but HB will not pay it, you would have to wait 9 months before they will pay any interest on your mortgage I have sadly realised that i will have to lose my house-sorry being the bearer of bad news. But do claim your tax credits and workling tax credits.

tigtag02

Elle83 wrote: »

She said her salary is £13,800 and that has absolutely nothing to do with gross or taxable pay! It makes her eligible for the higher rate CTC of £45 a week and she will be eligible for WTC including the lone parent element on that income which equals around £65 a week. And £31 childcare fees are relatively little in the grand scheme of things and would only have an effect on the additional childcare element anyway.

Thanks for your "concern" but as a single Mum about to start work on £14,500 a year yes I DO have the knowledge to answer this question having recently made enquiries for myself. Similarly I have previously worked part-time and know what benefits one is entitled on minimum wage doing a 16hr week so would happily post for that.

On an income of just £13,800 a year no she will not be expected to pay her mortgage in it's entirety. If her mortgage is not suitable for interest only housing benefit payments or similar she will be asked to put the property on the market, rent somewhere with the proceeds and then start claiming for HB when her savings fall under £16k. There are of course a variety of variables that the council will assess in making any decision and it may there was a good reason to refuse your personal HB application such as a higher salary or large sum of capital in the property. The council will try to keep people in their homes where possible because of the housing shortage and the upheaval to children however this is dependant on individual circumstances. Ohhh and my Dad was the area housing manager for a london borough for 25yrs so he likes to keep me informed on the rules and regs my local council should be applying etc so yes I do have a fair idea of the situation even if I don't know the ins and outs in their entirety.

OP as I have said, contact Tax Credits and the local Council ASAP. If you would like affirmation of what you will be entitled to then also speak to a lone parent advisor at your local job centre plus. Please don't let people worry you because no matter how things pan out in the end and what exact amounts of money you receive you will be better off for being out at work. The system isn't always fair for everyone but it does pay off for lone parents earning less than £16kpa for 30+hrs work a week. You might not be able to enjoy the standard of living you've been accustomed to in the past but you'll find you have enough money for all your essentials and a bit of fun too if you're careful and get your debts sorted. Best of luck.

Elle

From other discussions with you and reading other posts I have to ask Why are you so devensive all the time? I started my post apologising for my possible lack of knowledge and signed off *respectfully* yet you are still very rude!!

The Tax Credit work out your entitlement on your GROSS TAXABLE PAY - £13,800 is not the OP's gross taxable pay because of the childcare vouchers.

Please dont play the single mum card at me - if you read my post you will see that I have walked in those shoe's and did not receive HB - it is NOT an automatic benefit for a loan parent.

OP - please contact CAB or/and tax credits and your local council/DWP asap so you can be advised correctly of your entitlements.

bobblebot - thank you for your input and clarification on the HB front - I am sorry that you find yourself in this position - jave you posted your SOA on the DWP boards to see if there is any way of cutting back and keeping your house?

Scarlett1

rose contact tax credits and claim for wtc and ctc, you wont be entitled to income support as you work 30 hours, and you wont be entitled to housing or council tax benefit either, good luck

bestpud

I have to agree, you need to contact the CAB, council, and tax credits people and get proper advice. The CAB are particularly good in situations like yours - a mine of useful info in my experience and they usually know the best contacts within the council etc. May save you being passed from pillar to post and back again!

It's awful to think you may get all sorts and then find it's not quite so simple - that's the last thing you need right now! I'm not sure you will get a lot, if any, help with your mortgage.

There are things you could (and should) be claiming though, so get all the applications in asap Most things will be backdated to the date you originally claimed and that will be a big help to you, however long it takes to start paying you. Do this even if you don't have ALL the info/evidence they require as you can send it later, but gave to get the form in to get yourself in the 'system'.

Hth

Bestpud

Kimitatsu

Please go and see the CAB ASAP.

If the debt is not in your name then DO NOT pay it. You can explain that you dont know where he is, but do not be bullied into paying anything you dont have to.

Lone parent advisors at the Job Centre are excellent - they can fast track your application to the HMRC for your tax credits and will help you claim anything from the local council. Keep working 30 hours a week as you get an extra payment for 30 hours and over.

Talk to your mortgage company and explain the situation, see if there are any payment holidays that you can take, or can you pay just the interest off in the meantime. If you dont know where your ex is you cannot legally sell the house if it is in joint names, without his permission, or a court order.

File a claim with the CSA regardless, they will find him eventaully, and maintenance will be due from the day you claimed.

But most of all - look after yourself. Its hard when you are left with all of this to do, so take time out every day to be kind to you, whether it be a hot bath, walk in the park, lunch with mates.

I have been there and done it and its not easy, but you do come out of the other end.

((((Hugs))))