Housing Benefit Married and Working Abroad / Away Long Term

Housing_Benefit_Officer

Icequeen99 wrote: »

That might be the case for housing benefit but not for tax credits.

For tax credits, after the first 8 weeks of the absence, the wife would have to make a single claim and his income would not be taken into account. This is because he is not treated as 'in the UK' for tax credit purposes.

Forces personnel are treated as 'in the UK' so it wouldn't apply to them.

When he comes back, she will need to end the single claim and make a joint claim and then do the same in reverse after the first 8 weeks he is gone.

see http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/tctmanual/TCTM09372.htm

IQ

Different rules for HMRC Tax Credits and DWP benefits. I wonder how they will square this circle when claiming Universal Credit?

Icequeen99

Housing_Benefit_Officer wrote: »

Different rules for HMRC Tax Credits and DWP benefits. I wonder how they will square this circle when claiming Universal Credit?

I suspect the differences will cause many problems for transition.

You can see how people can get themselves into trouble when one benefit is saying you are a couple and another saying you are not.

IQ

goingbald

Thanks for all your feedback everyone.

I am struggling to seek professional work in the UK in my local area, my logic is that if I am going to relocate somewhere in the UK, I might as well go the full way and earn good money outside the UK.

I guess she will not be entitled for housing benefit but I was hoping she would be.

FBaby

So you are planning on playing the system, ie. earning a good income abroad whilst your wife claims benefit as a single parent, which she isn't. Nice....I have to say, I would much prefer my husband to be home with me and my babies but I guess we all have different needs!

NYM

goingbald wrote: »

Thanks for all your feedback everyone.

I am struggling to seek professional work in the UK in my local area, my logic is that if I am going to relocate somewhere in the UK, I might as well go the full way and earn good money outside the UK.

I guess she will not be entitled for housing benefit but I was hoping she would be.

Have you not considered taking your family with you?
Your children will have much needed contact with you and your partner will have the support she needs.

Or were you planning on returning home regularly?

tomtontom

goingbald wrote: »

Thanks for all your feedback everyone.

I am struggling to seek professional work in the UK in my local area, my logic is that if I am going to relocate somewhere in the UK, I might as well go the full way and earn good money outside the UK.

I guess she will not be entitled for housing benefit but I was hoping she would be.

Why were you hoping your wife and children would be entitled to benefits whilst you are earning "good money"?

konark

As already pointed out CTC has very different criteria to other, DWP administered benefits.
For CTC if you are not living together for over 8 weeks , even if you are still a couple, you are deemed single! So your wife possibly will be able to claim CTC whatever your income. My wife spends long periods each year abroad and it's a right charade changing the claim from sole to joint , then back to sole, and they seem to think this is really important!??

Other benefits will be dependent on income your wife receives from you, if she said you had left her and send her nothing she would qualify, but how would you send her money, the DWP would see your wage hitting the (presumably) joint account every month and smell a rat. Even if you did it some other way there's a high chance that the DWP would find out; they're not totally stupid!

duchy

HappyMJ wrote: »

Are you absolutely sure of that? You've got me really worried now.

I really do need evidence of this as I might be in the same situation so my partner will definitely end up homeless if she cannot claim benefits. She cannot accompany me, cannot work due to her chronic medical condition which would normally entitle her to ESA and my income will not be able to support her as well as me.

Then you can't afford to work away and would be better off staying here and supporting you sick wife and little baby.

(I'm a little bemused why you'd want to leave them for such an extended period if you wouldn't be earning enough to support them anyway especially as they appear very vulnerable )

People tend to work away to support their families -not leave them worse off and expect the state to support them. Why would anyone even consider working away and risk leaving their family homeless ? Surely you'd be better finding work in the UK even with a benefits top up ?

mickey54

HappyMJ wrote: »

Are you absolutely sure of that? You've got me really worried now.

I really do need evidence of this as I might be in the same situation so my partner will definitely end up homeless if she cannot claim benefits. She cannot accompany me, cannot work due to her chronic medical condition which would normally entitle her to ESA and my income will not be able to support her as well as me.

Sell your other house .. That should keep her for a while..why should we??

duchy

HappyMJ wrote: »

Are you absolutely sure of that? You've got me really worried now.

I really do need evidence of this as I might be in the same situation so my partner will definitely end up homeless if she cannot claim benefits. She cannot accompany me, cannot work due to her chronic medical condition which would normally entitle her to ESA and my income will not be able to support her as well as me.

Rather at odds with your sig below this post

Retired Early (40's) & Comfortably enjoying ourselves on £12,000/year Landlord of a rented house, no car.

Evict your tenants and your wife won't be homeless - simples