Benefit Advise Single Dad

stavros_uk

Hi All,

I am looking for some help and guidance on the following.

I have just split form my partner to whom i have one daughter (2years old). My ex has agreed for me to have her overnight 3 times per week. I am also happy to pay the required maintenance. My current earnings are £34000 per year. I travel 2 hours each way to work though currently every day. Down side is my time with my daughter will be very limited because of my work travel. My employer has informed me that there are some jobs coming up in at a site 5 miles from me, however the job only pays 16500 per year. If i was to take this then i can be around for my daughter more and better in the long term. I still have to pay maintenance leaving me with 12 left each month once i have payed my household only bills. My ex will receive child benefit of 82 every four weeks. She earn 27000. Question is would i be able to claim anything to help out? I have never claim before. Struggling to decide what to do for the best short term/ long term

tykesi

I'd suggest asking for this to be moved to the benefits thread, this isn't the ideal one for your query.

Kayalana99

I'm pretty sure because you're not the main carer that you wouldn't be able to claim anything in benefits for the child, whether you'd be entitled to other benefits is another matter (although earning 16k I think even if you were entitled it wouldn't be a high amount)

Now you could claim you were the main parent but that would mean actually being the main parent - having her 4 or more nights a week and also claiming child maintenance of the mother so I doubt she will agree to that.

Can you find some sort of middle ground? If you are getting paid over 30k now, perhaps keep an eye out for jobs that pay more that are closer?

Also, child maintenance would be lower if you earned less which last time I checked for one child is 15% of your wage so you'd be on 13.6k (worked that out from 16k can't remember if you said 16k or 16.5k)