Massive change in circumstances, please assist in navigating the benefit minefield 20 September 2022 at 12:39PM in Benefits & tax credits 1 reply 272 views

PeggySueSue

Thanks for reading, any assistance would be gratefully appreciated.

Previously I was claiming both WTC & CTC

I receive Child Benefit

No longer claiming WTC as a deterioration in illness has resulted in me no longer being able to work (that's not to say it will mean it's long term, fingers crossed).

To date I have successfully, with help, applied for ESA & very quickly was awarded Cont based ESA & have  been placed in the Support Group

I was already receiving PIP, enhanced rate care/support and the lower rate of mobility and still am

I am a single parent to a sixteen-year-old who is in 6th Form

I own my home but with a mortgage

I do not have a great deal of money

I have used a benefit calculator but I cannot make sense of it, though I believe I can claim some help with Council Tax. Also, it seemed there was conflicting information because it mentioned something regarding Income Based ESA but not at the same rate as the Cont Based.

I cannot afford to live with just the income I have pointed out above.  I have no-one who can help, no other source of income, the decrease in funds from working to where I am now is a great deal. This situation is not my choice but it is what it is.

Claiming benefits is not something I'm happy doing, but have little choice at the moment.

Is there any advice you can give? I am a mess mentally with the worry.

Thank you.

calcotti

You cannot claim income based ESA. It has been replaced by Universal Credit. If you have no other income you will qualify for some UC to top up the ESA unless you are excluded from UC by having capital over £16,000.

However if you claim UC that will end your Child Tax Credits which you are presumably still receiving. You need to use a calculator to check whether the UC would be more or less than the CTC. If you are having difficulty with the calculators see if there is an advice agency you could contact.
https://advicelocal.uk/