Need some advice for my mum please

Glen_Clark

JPS wrote: »

there really isn't much support for people that fall into this category is there?

Unfortunately not.
The system is set up to reject as many people as possible to meet the benefit cuts.
Single people of working age (including women but especially men) are the 'low hanging fruit', easiest to reject because they attract the least public sympathy. Its assumed they can look after themselves

FBaby

If it was, what would be the incentive for anyone over 50 on lower income to work to support themselves? Everyone would just get 16 hours and really on benefits to make up the difference.

elsien

Have your parents divorced and has there been a proper financial settlement with regards to marital assets accrued during their marriage?

Marshmallow58

Hi everyone and thanks for all your replies/suggestions - I am the mum in question.

My son knows how worried I am now about my situation as I have nearly worked my way through the money that my husband and I split between us when we sold our house - we had to sell it as couldn't afford to keep it anyway - and we owed a lot to the bank so didn't make money from the sale.
To put things in some more context and address some of your suggestions: I've been using the house sale money to top up my part time salary to pay bills etc. And before this flat I rented a bungalow for a year which was expensive and turned out to be damp but was local to our old house - the upheaval and shock of separation after 30 years led me to stay in the comfort zone of a familiar area. And then I moved to this reasonably priced rented flat. I can walk to work from here too.

I have never claimed benefits and really don't want to be in the position where I need to. I've worked all my life since leaving school. Part time since my children were born and had been looking for full time work for a long time before separating from my husband. I've had a few interviews but find it is a lot harder to get that job offer than it used to be. Having worked for over 10 years in my current job, it probably doesn't help in that I've lost some skills needed in other offices that I don't use now. Yes, I can upskill myself but there's always a younger person that already has those skills in my experience.

I can't take in a lodger in a rented flat. The retirement flats really do look like a stepping stone to an old age home and I've a lot of life left in me yet!

I work for a small not for profit organisation and we've only recently become so busy that I was able to ask for extra hours. Not full time because the budget probably won't allow it. I will keep looking for a full time or extra part time job which I do every day. Although my job is relatively well paid, just not enough hours.

So I just wonder what people in my position are meant to do to cover bills, rent etc.
I will be making an appointment with my local council Welfare Rights Unit in the new year.
I guess I've been burying my head in the sand until my savings have practically gone as I never wanted to be in the position where I had to think about claiming benefits.
My husband and I are separated not divorced and he has now been signed off work by his doctor and is in similar financial situation to me I believe.

If you've stuck with reading this, then thank you. The suggestions mostly confirm what I thought was the case - just when you've worked all your life and suddenly find yourself in this situation when it seems other people can claim benefits to help them live you wonder if you are missing something.

bspm

FBaby wrote: »

If it was, what would be the incentive for anyone over 50 on lower income to work to support themselves? Everyone would just get 16 hours and really on benefits to make up the difference.

Because that's what an awful lot of people under 30 do.

:T

Londonsu

Marshmallow58 wrote: »

Hi everyone and thanks for all your replies/suggestions - I am the mum in question.

My son knows how worried I am now about my situation as I have nearly worked my way through the money that my husband and I split between us when we sold our house - we had to sell it as couldn't afford to keep it anyway - and we owed a lot to the bank so didn't make money from the sale.
To put things in some more context and address some of your suggestions: I've been using the house sale money to top up my part time salary to pay bills etc. And before this flat I rented a bungalow for a year which was expensive and turned out to be damp but was local to our old house - the upheaval and shock of separation after 30 years led me to stay in the comfort zone of a familiar area. And then I moved to this reasonably priced rented flat. I can walk to work from here too.

I have never claimed benefits and really don't want to be in the position where I need to. I've worked all my life since leaving school. Part time since my children were born and had been looking for full time work for a long time before separating from my husband. I've had a few interviews but find it is a lot harder to get that job offer than it used to be. Having worked for over 10 years in my current job, it probably doesn't help in that I've lost some skills needed in other offices that I don't use now. Yes, I can upskill myself but there's always a younger person that already has those skills in my experience.

I can't take in a lodger in a rented flat. The retirement flats really do look like a stepping stone to an old age home and I've a lot of life left in me yet!

I work for a small not for profit organisation and we've only recently become so busy that I was able to ask for extra hours. Not full time because the budget probably won't allow it. I will keep looking for a full time or extra part time job which I do every day. Although my job is relatively well paid, just not enough hours.

So I just wonder what people in my position are meant to do to cover bills, rent etc.
I will be making an appointment with my local council Welfare Rights Unit in the new year.
I guess I've been burying my head in the sand until my savings have practically gone as I never wanted to be in the position where I had to think about claiming benefits.
My husband and I are separated not divorced and he has now been signed off work by his doctor and is in similar financial situation to me I believe.

If you've stuck with reading this, then thank you. The suggestions mostly confirm what I thought was the case - just when you've worked all your life and suddenly find yourself in this situation when it seems other people can claim benefits to help them live you wonder if you are missing something.

I would also contact Age UK (they help anyone over 55) they have a pretty good benefit advise service, have you looked at claiming HB you don't have to be on benefits to claim, in fact one of the largest group claiming are working people on a low income, all councils have different rules but its worth claiming, likewise with council tax relief you may qualify under low income.


You can also look at claiming help with prescriptions, dental work and eye tests under the NHS low income scheme.


It IS possible to get a job in later years, I got my latest one at age 59, I started at 28 hours then and have had 2 promotions and an 8k pay increase in the 2 years I have been there my hours are now full time you just have to keep at it.


I would also check your future pension entitlement the new basic rate will be based on 35 years of contributions, your part time work and time spent bringing up your children may mean you don't have sufficient contributions to qualify for the highest amount, at 58 your pension age will be at 66 maybe 67 so you are a bit away from that and its best to know now what you will be expecting when you do get your pension.

FBaby

You can't change the system and won't get tax credits if you work under 30 hours, so there is no point focusing on this. Your focus should be on increasing your hours. No-one is saying it is easy, but if you've tried for over 10 years on a daily basis without success, then it has to be down to how you've gone about it. Have you looked for week-end hours? In a shop or caring role?

I do appreciate that it must be hard to contemplate going to work FT when you've only ever worked PT, but the majority of people do so because working PT is a luxury most can't afford.

Darksparkle

WTC rules are different if over 60, then you only need to work 16hrs to qualify. So there is help for those who are older and perhaps find it more difficult to work.

I know that it's not necessarily easy but I do find it surprising that after the number of years, you can't find any full time or an additional part time job in order to work full time overall.

Even for some of the year like a Christmas temp. I know in the shopping centre near me they take on loads of extra staff and not all of them are young.

As I mentioned before is there no self employed work you could do? Cleaning? Ironing? Taxi Driver? Dog Walker?

Glen_Clark

FBaby wrote: »

If it was, what would be the incentive for anyone over 50 on lower income to work to support themselves? Everyone would just get 16 hours and really on benefits to make up the difference.

The incentive should be more money for those who work. But the Government has created another problem by creating the housing crisis. Benefits have to cover housing costs which in many cases are higher than wages. Which sometimes removes the financial incentive to work. We need to allow more house building to bring housing costs back into proportion to the rest of the economy. Unfortunately that means the Landlords Party making less money.

WillowCat

It has been mentioned above, but to reiterate, the main benefit to claim is housing benefit, and the associated council tax benefit.

These look at your income only (assuming you are below the capital limits which it appears you are) and don't have any specific minimum hours limits.

The maximum you would be entitled to would be the local housing allowance (LHA) rate for a one bedroom property - you should be able to find out how much this would be from your local council website.

https://www.entitledto.co.uk is a good site to get a calculation of what you are entitled to.