Help, what benefits can we claim?

bev77

I'm hoping someone can help me. I have a few questions.

My husband is currently off work sick (he's torn his Achilles Tendon). He's been off since April 19th, and has just been told by his consultant that it could be another 2-3 months before he is ready for work again.

His employer doesn't pay company sick pay, so he is on SSP. I work part time (22hrs) in a local supermarket and we have 3 children. We currently get child tax credits of around £75 a week and child benefit around £180 every 4 weeks. We get a small amount of housing benefit and even smaller amount of council tax benefit (£1-something a month!)

I was wondering if there is anything else we could be claiming? He has applied for income support but has been told that he doesn't qualify for it. We are starting to struggle money-wise.

My 2nd set of questions may be a little bit more difficult to answer. He and his consultant has agreed that it would be fairly dangerous for him to go back to his current job (he is a printer, running around and on his feet for 10hrs a day) as he is at a high risk of re-rupturing his tendon. Therefore he is looking at quitting his job (or seeing if they will dismiss him on grounds of ill health), and re-training in something else. He left school at 16, with little qualifications and went straight into his job. Therefore he has relatively no qualifications, so wants to go to college and do his GCSE's so that he has a better chance of getting another job.

I'm just wondering if we can afford it? i.e. what difference would it make to our benefits? What would he claim? I'm assuming that he couldn't claim jobseekers as he'd be studying? If I am the only adult working, I'd assume that the benefits would reflect that, but when I rang the tax credits helpline earlier (they were NOT helpful at all), the guy said that if I worked 24hrs, I would get MORE tax credits or I'd at least qualify for the working element of tax credits (I currently am not eligible), which doesn't make sense to me?!?!

Its making me more confused. I've done all the benefit calculators, but none of them are specific enough for our situation. We are going to CAB in the morning, but thought I'd just have a quick post here tonight to see if anyone knows anything.

Thanks in advance

Indie_Kid

Have you told housing and council tax about your husband being off work? You may get more help.

bev77

Yes I have Indie, but as its based on his wages (and they are currently rolling down every month or so), thats all we are entitled to.

You hear about 'Benefits Britain' and those who know how to play the system seem to get everything, yet those who have worked all their lives, paid all their tax and ni, get shafted! Makes me so annoyed

sleepless_saver

bev77 wrote: »

If I am the only adult working, I'd assume that the benefits would reflect that, but when I rang the tax credits helpline earlier (they were NOT helpful at all), the guy said that if I worked 24hrs, I would get MORE tax credits or I'd at least qualify for the working element of tax credits (I currently am not eligible), which doesn't make sense to me?!?!

HMRC gave you the correct information. https://www.gov.uk/working-tax-credit/eligibility

And if you are the only non student adult in the house, you can get the single person discount of 25% for council tax.