How Do I Do This? Confused By Income Support Etc!

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi Me Again!

Dont know if anyone can help me?

Basically, Im having to go onto Income Support in the next couple of weeks due to my disability worsening etc. I havent paid enough NI contributions for incapacity benefit (SE earinings have been under limit) and husband claims Carers Allowance for looking after me-he doesnt work. Here are my questions:

(1)Should hunbby or I claim IS or doesnt it matter?
(2)My date for closing my SE business Ive set is 17th June 2005-should we put a claim in on that day for IS or when etc?
(3)We already get a little housing benefit-do I tell them once our claim for IS is sorted or straight away?
(4)How long will the claim take, as we will only have the CTC to live on?
(5)What procedure would be best? Contact Tax credits first, take in IS forms etc?
(6)I have the IS forms already here, is there anything I should prepare beforehand like bank statements etc? Ive noticed they require my Income & Expenditure being SE, how far back will they want?

Sorry about all the questions, but want to do this correctly and to run as smooth as possible. Im so confused by all this! I receive DLA at high care and low mobility.

Any help would be welcome. :T

Penny-Pincher!!
xxx

jenpoptab

HI,depending on where you live you may require an appointment for claiming Income support, this is if you live in an area where it is now a Jobcentreplus office rather than Jobcentre and Social Security. I would contact your local office asap to check procedure as income support can generally only be claimed from date of contact. Anyway I'll help with your questions as best i can
1. It doesn't matter who claims but as husband already receives carers allowance for you he can be main claimant,
2. You will need to claim from day after work ended, however you can apply for Income support up to one month before your circumstances change- please make it clear about the business ending on that date if you do apply from now.
3. Tell housing benefit straight away that you are applying for Income support however unlikely to adjust until you have an Income support award letter.
4. Claim depends on where you live, so ask at local benefit office.
5. Contact tax credits asap as any overpayment by them may put you out of pocket in the long run
6. Take all info like last years bank statements, also if you have over £2500 in savings you will need to show them to benefit office, along with i.d for you and husband and tax credit and child benefit info. If in doubt ask at local benefit office, they are usually quite nice, believe me!

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi Jenpoptab

Have had another look through the IS forms.

Regarding the bank statements, they only ask if we have savings over £2500 (which we don't!)and don't ask for any statements. I shred mine each month after looking at them.

So, I could put a claim in say this week and let them know the end date? Should I contact Tax credits too now if im putting a claim in for IS?

They gave my husband claim forms for IS with a pre-paid envelope for Ireland-Is this where most IS claims get sorted? We live in Kent.

Also, they ask in the IS forms about self-employment. I need to send my accounts, would this just be income/expenses/profit or loss etc?

Thanks again

Penny-Pincher!!
xxx

Fran

Penny-Pincher!! wrote:

Hi Jenpoptab

Have had another look through the IS forms.

Regarding the bank statements, they only ask if we have savings over £2500 (which we don't!)and don't ask for any statements. I shred mine each month after looking at them.

So, I could put a claim in say this week and let them know the end date? Should I contact Tax credits too now if im putting a claim in for IS?

They gave my husband claim forms for IS with a pre-paid envelope for Ireland-Is this where most IS claims get sorted? We live in Kent.

Also, they ask in the IS forms about self-employment. I need to send my accounts, would this just be income/expenses/profit or loss etc?

Thanks again

Penny-Pincher!!
xxx

Pre paid envelope for Ireland! That sounds wrong for Income Support, it's normally your local Jobcentre that deals with it - I'd give them a ring to check. In fact if you ring them tomorrow you can ask your other quesions to so you are sure. While applying for benefits I would hang on to 2 bank statements in case you need to prove income (you don't want to end up paying for a copy!!).

jenpoptab

Fran is right, Ireland definitely sounds wrong as I work at Jobcentreplus in suffolk and claims are all still dealt with in this area. Definitely check though in local area as if it works on an appointment basis because you live in Jobcentreplus area, the longer you leave it the longer it will be before you are seen and this then will extend time to process claim etc.

Best of luck and hope this helps.

Jen

Curry_Queen

I'm just wondering whether Penny would be better putting the IS claim in her name, as she is in receipt of DLA and will be entitled to disabilty enhancements, or doesn't this matter and would she get them anyway even if her hubby was the claimant?

Fran

I think if it's a joint claim it doesn't matter who puts in the claim.

penrith

Fran wrote:

I think if it's a joint claim it doesn't matter who puts in the claim.

Don't quote me, but i am sure i have read somewhere that it can matter whose name the claim is put in. At 2am i can't get my brain to work but i know of someone who was on DLA and their partner wasn't and they were advised to put their IS claim in the DLA receiptiants name - but i forget the reason why.. but there was a reason!

Sorry i can't be more fluent at 2am!

mandym

In a joint IS claim, the claimant must have the entitlement to IS eg. be a carer or sick or disabled. In this case, both Penny and her husband have entitlement to IS so either can be the main claimant.

I would suggest that her husband make the claim for both of them as it would make things easier if Penny ever loses her entitlement to IB, eg if she failed her PCA.

mandym

No probs Zziggy

CA doesn't need an entitlement to IB. To get CA, the person who is being cared for has to have an entitlement to the middle or higher rate of DLA (or Attendance Allowance or Constant Attendance Allowance).

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi There

I dont receive IB, just DLA & CA for daughter! I havent paid enough NI to qualify for IB.

We have decided hubby will claim the IS, although I could if I chose too. We felt it would be easier this way as my health is quite bad at the moment and the last thing I need is to start filling in forms, making calls, writing letters etc-so hubby can do it all..lol.

Penny-Pincher!!
xx