What benefits can my mother claim?

PlanHappy

Hi,

My mother is a teacher who starts a new (part-time; 80%) permanent contract in September. She currently does temporary or supply work, and won't be paid over the summer. She lives in a housing association property, and we have recently had to bail her out of an eviction due to rent arrears. I'm now looking at how she can manage the next few months before her permanent contract starts and she's back on an even keel.

I'm seeing her this weekend to work out a financial plan with her, so I don't have all the information yet e.g. exact current income, exact income from September, exact start date, etc. But I'd like to get a head-start by understanding what kind of benefits she may be entitled to claim over the summer, so that I can narrow my focus when we start putting the info together.

My guess is that she currently earns perhaps £500 (gross) a week, and this will end in the first couple of weeks of July. From the beginning of September she will start earning this again. She is single, under state pension age, and has no dependent children. She has no capital or savings and no income from any other sources. She is not disabled.

The obvious candidates for benefits during the summer (provided she can't find work during those 6-8 weeks of course) are JSA and Housing Benefit (which will be reduced because she has an extra bedroom). However, a little research suggests that she may be eligible for Universal Credit if she doesn't take JSA, which appears to be higher, and exemption from council tax. (I have checked that UC applies in her area to single people.) I am a complete novice to benefits and have no idea what else might be out there, or whether I'm missing something really basic about the benefits I've already researched.

Can anyone give me any pointers on whether I should be pursuing Universal Credit or JSA? Are there any other benefits that might be available to someone in her situation?

(I have used various benefit calculators to find out what she could claim, which is where this information about UC comes from.)

Many thanks.

McKneff

Why is she not doing all this research for herself
Surely, as a teacher she can work out a financial plan for herself......

Almost-free

McKneff wrote: »

Why is she not doing all this research for herself
Surely, as a teacher she can work out a financial plan for herself......

Maybe she is, but the poster just wants to be helpful and check she has covered all angles ? I would always do that for my parents.

borkid

PlanHappy wrote: »

Hi,



I'm seeing her this weekend to work out a financial plan with her, so I don't have all the information yet e.g. exact current income, exact income from September, exact start date, etc. But I'd like to get a head-start by understanding what kind of benefits she may be entitled to claim over the summer, so that I can narrow my focus when we start putting the info together.

My guess is that she currently earns perhaps £500 (gross) a week, and this will end in the first couple of weeks of July. From the beginning of September she will start earning this again. She is single, under state pension age, and has no dependent children. She has no capital or savings and no income from any other sources. She is not disabled.

With that amount as a future reliable salary I'd be looking at loan from her bank/ building society.

PlanHappy

With that amount as a future reliable salary I'd be looking at loan from her bank/ building society.

Unlikely, unfortunately. Credit history will be non-existent. Besides, she's appalling with debt and I really want to keep her out of any more trouble. She already owes me a substantial amount. You can see from this thread a bit more detail about her money skills. I'm not trying to get into a conversation about whether she should be a big girl and work all this out for herself - I know she should! - but the situation is simply that she won't, or at least not in time for the summer, and I would like to help her. So I'm just looking for some info about how I can help her claim whatever benefits she may be entitled to.

PlanHappy

Why is she not doing all this research for herself
Surely, as a teacher she can work out a financial plan for herself

This is not exactly helpful. I'm well aware that my mother should be in control of her own finances. But she isn't. The request I am making on this thread is not "please judge my irresponsible mother". It is "please give me the information I need in order to help her through the next couple of months". There are much bigger issues with her general state of mind and money management, and we will deal with those, but I'm on a benefits forum specifically to find out about benefits.

So please respond if you have any tips about benefits. Other comments may not be of much use to me.

beecher2

Would a visit to Citizens' Advice be feasible? I wonder if there are any benefits your mum can get for her mental health issues.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/benefits-introduction/what-benefits-can-i-get/

Good luck, your mum's really lucky to have you trying your best for her.

marliepanda

Supply teachers are paid holiday pay in their wages through out the year to cover for the time off. Thas why their weekly wage comes out slightly higher than permanently employed teachers.

She won't be able to claim JSA during the summer holidays as she has in effect already been paid for it.

beecher2

I'd recommend posting on the TES forum

https://community.tes.com/threads/signing-on-for-the-summer-holiday.720025/
gives some information which might help you.

PlanHappy

Supply teachers are paid holiday pay in their wages through out the year to cover for the time off. Thas why their weekly wage comes out slightly higher than permanently employed teachers.

She won't be able to claim JSA during the summer holidays as she has in effect already been paid for it.

She isn't habitually a supply teacher. She is an unemployed teacher who has been doing whatever teaching work she can get her hands on until a permanent contract can be found, which has been (rather patchy) temporary and supply work. This may be a semantic/philosophical difference but I feel it's important. Particularly as she hasn't had anywhere near a full working schedule over the last year or so.

Beecher2, I'll try to book a session with CAB but with her reluctance to face any of this stuff and my geographical distance from her, it's a bit tricky. As for the mental health issues - I think it's going to be a fair while before we can even get her to start seeing a doctor again, so this probably won't play a large factor in the next couple of months. But of course I'll bring it up if we can get some help from CAB or the HA's outreach people.

I'll also look at TES - thank you.

Still, assuming that she can claim benefits, any ideas about UC vs. JSA?

beecher2

The Outreach officer might actually be the best person to do a benefits check. Hopefully they'll do home visits, if your mum would allow it.