Benefits and spousal maintenance

holliea

Hello I hope you can help. I'm getting divorced and my husband and me have agreed 12 regular payments a month for 12 months. I'm getting JSA and housing benefits that will total £500 a month which doesn't cover all my rent or bills because I'm under 35, I'm still down £400 for rend, gas, electric, all the other nitty grittys so I'm borrowing off family which I need to pay back,

The total sum of maintenance I think can be paid in one go (it's £8000 as a lump sum) so it's still under the savings threshold of £16,000, or it can be paid monthly for 12 months. £2000 of this will immediately go back to my family as the loan needs to be paid back. I have no other source of income but I might have a job interview next week if the recruiter ever lets me know. I'll be getting £666 lol a month which doesn't cover my rent and bills by a long way.

I just want to know if I have it paid monthly will my benefits stop? Is it better to get it all in one go, pay off my debts and then live off what I can for a month until I get a job? Thank u

Dunroamin

Although child maintenace doesn't affect means tested benefits, spousal maintenenance does.

Is there any reason why your husband is paying money to support you now you've separated?

holliea

All money I earnt when we were together went straight into his account and I had an allowance of that. This is me getting that back now I don't have a job

Mojisola

holliea wrote: »

All money I earnt when we were together went straight into his account and I had an allowance of that. This is me getting that back now I don't have a job

So he's not giving you spousal maintenance - you're getting your own money back?

Mojisola

holliea wrote: »

The total sum of maintenance I think can be paid in one go (it's £8000 as a lump sum) so it's still under the savings threshold of £16,000,

Benefits start to be affected by £6k of capital. Entitlement ceases altogether if you have £16k.

holliea

So would this be a reduction in benefits or stopping all together if it's a lump sum OR a monthly payment?

I'm just hoping this job comes through, this is all so confusing

holliea

Mojisola wrote: »

So he's not giving you spousal maintenance - you're getting your own money back?

Is there a difference? the consent order just says he'll pay a lump sum in 12 installments

paddedjohn

For 12 months you will be getting an income of roughly £666 that needs to be declared to claim any income related benefits, the sooner you find a job the sooner you will feel the benefit of this extra income.

Mojisola

holliea wrote: »

The total sum of maintenance I think can be paid in one go (it's £8000 as a lump sum) so it's still under the savings threshold of £16,000, or it can be paid monthly for 12 months. £2000 of this will immediately go back to my family as the loan needs to be paid back. I have no other source of income but I might have a job interview next week if the recruiter ever lets me know. I'll be getting £666 lol a month which doesn't cover my rent and bills by a long way.

holliea wrote: »

Is there a difference? the consent order just says he'll pay a lump sum in 12 installments

Not if you've got a consent order - what's been agreed will have to stand.

I wouldn't have gone down the route of an ex paying me my own money back! I'd have wanted my own money back from his account.

By the way - why did you end up paying your money into his account? We've always had a joint account but, if we hadn't, we would each have an account in our own names. I wouldn't want my OH to have complete control over my money and I wouldn't want control over all his money.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

The £666 per month will be your income that you declare to the DWP and Local Authority. You will still be able to claim help towards your rent and council tax but it may be reduced due to the £666 per month income.

holliea

Mojisola wrote: »

Not if you've got a consent order - what's been agreed will have to stand.

I wouldn't have gone down the route of an ex paying me my own money back! I'd have wanted my own money back from his account.

By the way - why did you end up paying your money into his account? We've always had a joint account but, if we hadn't, we would each have an account in our own names. I wouldn't want my OH to have complete control over my money and I wouldn't want control over all his money.

lol then you're getting a good idea of why the relationship broke up. the house is in negative equity so but that's in his name so I missed out on that but he can afford a percentage of his earnings to pay back a bit of what i brought to the relationship. in hindsight it was a bad idea, but who things a relationship will break down when you're in love lol