Foster carer claiming benefits

jackie_w

I’m trying to work out how much benefits we will be entitled to as my husband may lose his job due to redundancy.  I am a foster carer therefore self employed.  I have looked at the turn2us website and it asks if I am a foster carer and tells me not to put in my fostering allowance as this is ignored, but it doesn’t let me put in my fostering fee (basically my wage for fostering). So the amount it’s telling me I’m entitled to claim for benefits must be wrong.  Another website i looked at (I think it was entitled to) asks what my employment is, so I say self employed, and it asked me to put in my turnover then expenses, well if I do it that way its asking me my profit but my profit is hardly anything as I don’t pay tax as it don’t earn enough and  tax is Calculated differently for foster carers.

can anyone please advise?  

poppy12345

It will be universal credit you'll need to claim. Fostering allowance is ignored when claiming UC. https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Foster-carers-and-benefits/Can-I-claim-Universal-Credit

A claim for UC will end any tax credits you may already be claiming and you won't ever be able to go back.

Savings/capital of £16,000 will exclude you from claiming.

jackie_w

Thank you Poppy, I don’t receive any tax credits at all.  It’s only what I earn from the fostering and my husbands wage.  So should they be taking into account my fee for fostering because that is something I receive above the fostering allowance but as I said the sites aren’t letting me put this information in? 

calcotti

jackie_w said:

Thank you Poppy, I don’t receive any tax credits at all.  It’s only what I earn from the fostering and my husbands wage.  So should they be taking into account my fee for fostering because that is something I receive above the fostering allowance but as I said the sites aren’t letting me put this information in? 

I don’t understand what you mean by the calculator will not let you put the fee in. When you say you are self employed isn’t there a box for you to say what your earnings are?

Icequeen1

jackie_w said:

Thank you Poppy, I don’t receive any tax credits at all.  It’s only what I earn from the fostering and my husbands wage.  So should they be taking into account my fee for fostering because that is something I receive above the fostering allowance but as I said the sites aren’t letting me put this information in? 

You will most likely have to claim universal credit. I believe both your fees and allowances from fostering are disregarded https://www.thefosteringnetwork.org.uk/advice-information/finances/claiming-benefits/claiming-benefits-advice-members. Unlike tax credits, you won't be treated as self-employed for UC. However, your partner will be required to look for work and you may have to attend work focused interviews depending on the age of the child you are fostering. 

See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-self-employment-quick-guide/universal-credit-and-self-employment-quick-guide#foster-carers which confirms foster carers are not self-employed for UC

whizzywoo

calcotti said:

I don’t understand what you mean by the calculator will not let you put the fee in. When you say you are self employed isn’t there a box for you to say what your earnings are?

If OP is talking about the various Benefits Calculators then no they don't usually have a box to put self employed earnings in.  Or they never did when I used to use them for myself.  I used to estimate how much my self employed profit would be and then "pretend" it was wages under PAYE.  You need to be careful though because not all taxable expenses are allowable for some benefits.

calcotti

whizzywoo said: If OP is talking about the various Benefits Calculators then no they don't usually have a box to put self employed earnings in.  

That's a bit daft really!

whizzywoo

calcotti said:

whizzywoo said: If OP is talking about the various Benefits Calculators then no they don't usually have a box to put self employed earnings in.  

That's a bit daft really!

I always thought so too.  I think it's because what the various Benefit Departments calculate self employed earnings as, are not necessarily the taxable profit etc.  To be fair most Benefit Calculators do qualify themselves at the beginning saying they are not suitable for self employed.

calcotti

whizzywoo said:To be fair most Benefit Calculators do qualify themselves at the beginning saying they are not suitable for self employed.

Never noticed that!

Icequeen1

calcotti said:

whizzywoo said:To be fair most Benefit Calculators do qualify themselves at the beginning saying they are not suitable for self employed.

Never noticed that!

I thought Entitled to and policy in practice covered self-employment - not sure about Turn 2 us. Which ones don't cover self-employed?

whizzywoo

Icequeen1 said:

calcotti said:

whizzywoo said:To be fair most Benefit Calculators do qualify themselves at the beginning saying they are not suitable for self employed.

Never noticed that!

I thought Entitled to and policy in practice covered self-employment - not sure about Turn 2 us. Which ones don't cover self-employed?

It's a few years since I've needed to use them so my experience might be out of date now.

Just looked at Age Concern who use Entitled 2 and that seems to be very up to date now and differentiated between self employed and ltd company directors.  Not sure about the others will look later when I am on laptop and not phone.