are we entilted to benifits as a couple?

bthebees

hi,

my wife works 24 hours a week and I am in full time education, for the past 2 years we have struggled with rent, child care and all other daily costs. I have been informed that my wife could claim working tax credits and housing benefit, I was under the opinion that we were not entilted to anything because i am a student ,

If any one can advise me with regards to our situation I would be very grateful

regards bthebees

Torry_Quine

Whether or not you are entitled depends very much on the household income.

You need to check that.

shop-to-drop

Why not just make an joint aplication for ctc and hb i'm sure you would be able to claim something probably quite a lot? Surprised you haven't claimed before how have you managed?

Dovah_diva

Put your details into the Turn to Us website. That will give you an idea

pmlindyloo

Dovah_diva wrote: »

Put your details into the Turn to Us website. That will give you an idea

Unfortunately the website isn't relevant if you are a student.

It is very difficult to tell you what benefits you might be entitled to without any figures.

Your wife is doing enough hours to claim working tax credits (and child tax credits.)

You could also put in a claim for Housing Benefit and Council Tax support.

If you are receiving any grants/loans these may be taken into account for HB and CTB but some are disregarded for tax credits.

Complicated so.........

1. Check with your student welfare officer that you are claiming all the grants/loans that you are entitled to. Do this first as some means tested benefits will treat your claim as if you are receiving all the grants/loans you are eligible for, even if you aren't

2. Put in a claim for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.
(You will need an exemption certificate for Council Tax from university so your partner is entitled to the single person's discount)

3. Telephone tax credits and put in a claim.

pmlindyloo

shop-to-drop wrote: »

Why not just make an joint aplication for ctc and hb i'm sure you would be able to claim something probably quite a lot? Surprised you haven't claimed before how have you managed?

I believe that if the OP is a full time student then it is the partner who makes the claim on their behalf.

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/default.aspx?page=19668

bthebees

thanks for your advice ! we will phone and find out , shop to drop: it has been a struggle our rent is £600 a month and nursery fees £80 a week we earn about £1200 a month add fuel costs and food = strain and worry, as a couple we have never been out for a meal or had a night out for 2 years, we even started christmas shopping last month,

when we use the tax calculator we seem to get no where when one of a couple is a student.

thanks to all that posted , will let you know outcome . thanks again!

Caz3121

unless you also work over 16 hours per week there will be no help from tax credits towards childcare costs but you should certainly be receiving child tax credits and possibly some working tax
Housing benefit will use some of your student funding in the calculations for household income together with your wife's income and tax credits but you may still get some assistance