Mooloo's "Making my future, one stitch at a time"?

Tescodealqueen

I understand the system does not appear to be working for DS but from your last post it seems they are operating two separate claims rather than claiming as a family . there will be a lot of tooing and froing between two departments if that is the case to make sure the claims are assessed correctly .
Hope you have a good trip

Savvy_sewing

I am told that he has applied for the Tax Credits etc, but that she still has to sign on for JSA. I'd no experience of that so couldn't advise.
The problem he is having is the fact he has two part time jobs, both taxing him highly, dispite trying to get his tax split between them, then as they are not regular hours the Tax Credits are not sorted out yet.
Seems very odd to me.
I give up!
I also am fed up of bailing them out late in the evening. Dragging DGD around the shops and to them with food parcels, meaning we don't get our dinner until late.
New Baby cuddles, lovely. Met the "inlaws", who have taken Twin1 in. The Mum seems Ok. chatted for a few hours while twin1 took DGD and Dgs5 out to the park.
The Trip went ok. The B & B was comfortable, and although in the middle of the forests it was lovely, but thank goodness for Sat Nav!
The shop is ticking along at a pace, loads of work coming in, and there have been 4 thermal bags ordered this week. So that's my evenings taken for tonight, and the weekend plus.
Time to get DGD ready for her return to school.
She will need to catch up with her classmates now.

Tescodealqueen

Might be worth them checking with CAB as its not the usual situation and two claims is always more complicated and can get confusing when Housing Benefit come into play. My tax code was sorted out pretty quickly and split into two by one call to HMRC so something doesn't seem right and it is not fair for you to have all this put on you. An independent advice agency might help get it resolved.

Eager_Elephant

Mooloo,


I am worried that DS and GF are being led a merry dance by the DWP.


Can you (either publically or in a PM) confirm how many hours DS works on average per week and what he is paid per hour and also what his GF did before maternity leave and whether she has had any full time jobs (not cash in hand) in the last 2 years.


If I have this information I can let you know whether GF should be claiming JSA or something different.

*Robin*

Glad to hear that your and DGD's visit to Twin1 went well, Mooloo, let's hope it reassured DGD too. Also great that you got on well with DGS5's other Grandma - hope that builds into a friendship between you both.

Must admit to being confused about DS & GF's claims: They're a couple who live together and have a baby - why aren't they claiming as a single unit? Surely because GF has a new baby she's not available for work so JSA isn't the right benefit for her anyway?
(I admit I know very little about claiming benefits - EE is the expert whose advise will be valuable - I'm just curious as to how the system works. Or should work, perhaps).

Tescodealqueen

Eager_Elephant wrote: »

Mooloo,


I am worried that DS and GF are being led a merry dance by the DWP.


Can you (either publically or in a PM) confirm how many hours DS works on average per week and what he is paid per hour and also what his GF did before maternity leave and whether she has had any full time jobs (not cash in hand) in the last 2 years.


If I have this information I can let you know whether GF should be claiming JSA or something different.

Thanks EE. I am long away from the system but this should be able to be resolved quicker than this and depending on hours I would have thought HMRC for Child Benefit Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credits and LA for Housing Benefit seem most appropriate unless Universal Credit is in force in the area for all clients. I know from experience that if conflicting claims exist it becomes a nightmare to unravel. Might even be worth making a complaint about delays so one individual at an agency can look at the case. Sorry to hijack Mooloo.

duchy

I love auto correct typos
Emergency fashions gave me this mental picture of you draping them in sausages

Is DS's GF actively looking for work ? Sounds like if she isn't yet then they might be better simplying the claim to claim as a couple but with maximum child tax and working tax credits ?

Savvy_sewing

I spoke briefly to DS last night. ( had to go to collect a dummy from Stony Stratford, and DGD needed the loo so we stopped at the football club where DS works).
He works two jobs, irregular hours.
He gets £67 a day when marshalling at Delta Force. - sometimes he gets two days a week but not always.
Then he works as needed at the bar, £6.50 an hour usually earns about £50 a week there.
She is claiming the benefits etc, or should I say was supposed to be claiming them. It appears she is Lazy, ( his words). When her maternity time ran out she didn't sort it out, housing benefit, child tax credits the lot stopped paying. They are some £700 odd rent arrears now.
He's at his whits end was is a walking skeleton now.
Her claim is supposed to be sorted by Wednesday.
I too don't understand the claims being seperate. Well he isn't claiming, she is. But the pair of them are useless. I can't keep helping but also you know me, I can't see them hungry. ( well I could her!), she was low in my opinions before, but the last time that I visited, I could honestly say I struggled to be nice.- I have always hidden my feelings around her, for DS's sake. But not easily now!)

Eager_Elephant

Mooloo wrote: »

I spoke briefly to DS last night. ( had to go to collect a dummy from Stony Stratford, and DGD needed the loo so we stopped at the football club where DS works).
He works two jobs, irregular hours.
He gets £67 a day when marshalling at Delta Force. - sometimes he gets two days a week but not always.
Then he works as needed at the bar, £6.50 an hour usually earns about £50 a week there.
She is claiming the benefits etc, or should I say was supposed to be claiming them. It appears she is Lazy, ( his words). When her maternity time ran out she didn't sort it out, housing benefit, child tax credits the lot stopped paying. They are some £700 odd rent arrears now.
He's at his whits end was is a walking skeleton now.
Her claim is supposed to be sorted by Wednesday.
I too don't understand the claims being seperate. Well he isn't claiming, she is. But the pair of them are useless. I can't keep helping but also you know me, I can't see them hungry. ( well I could her!), she was low in my opinions before, but the last time that I visited, I could honestly say I struggled to be nice.- I have always hidden my feelings around her, for DS's sake. But not easily now!)

I am not sure why GF has been told to claim JSA unless she really is looking for work and intends to find a job - who will look after the baby - she will not be able to restrict her hours to part time as they will assume DS will look after the baby while she works??


If DS does his deltaforce job (2 shifts) and his bar job (and is not taxed) then she would not be entitled to any JSA in that week.


If he only did 1 shift for DF and his bar job then she would get a few pounds of JSA and if he just did his bar job that week then she would get the JSA made up to the couple rate.


The problem is that as soon as DS does over 16hrs in one week the JSA claim will be closed down and when he reduces his hours she would have to reapply.


I can't see her doing this and I assume you would have to drive them to the nearest town to sort the claim.


I am concerned that she is lazy, I assume she does not want to work and will bring up the baby. The problem with JSA now is that they are so strict and people are sanctioned for small misdemeanours.


Hopefully the Child Benefit is sorted - the wait time on this is 12 weeks.


Child Tax Credit should have been applied for - I appreciate his hours are irregular but if he has worked out an average over 4 weeks and it is less than 24hrs per week then they would only be entitled to Child tax Credit of approx. £68 per week.


If his average is over 24hrs per week then they would be entitled to Working Tax Credit and GF cannot claim JSA.


Personally I think they should not be claiming JSA, instead they should claim CTC and rely on DS' wages and then get HB. The reason I say this is because if her JSA is stop/start then her HB will be as well and that will get them in an even bigger pickle.


I know DS is saying that GF did not sort HB and Tax Credits but there is nothing to stop him sorting these out.


CTC should not have stopped just because her maternity leave ended, usually it just carries on. There is nothing stopping DS from ringing and sorting this out.


Same as HB, although the claim might be in GF name, there is nothing to stop your son taking down info or writing a letter to confirm changes as they happen.


Have you got any organisations that offer housing related support that they could be referred to?

Brighton_belle

Eager_Elephant wrote: »

Same as HB, although the claim might be in GF name, there is nothing to stop your son taking down info or writing a letter to confirm changes as they happen.

Great supportive post EE. I just wanted to add that I believe he has quite bad dyslexia which would affect his ability to take notes/write letters and also organise himself.