tax crdits stopping as getting back with hubbie

tracytaxi

Hi I have been claiming tax credits as a singke mum for about 2 months, but hubbie and I are talking off getting back together.
Rang tax credits who said I would have to be sent a claim pack and do a whole new joint claim, it would take 5 weeks approx from when they send the forms out. Hubbie and one daughter out of my 3 children are disabled, how will I support us all on my wage of £150 per week, his incapacity £92 and child benefirt£42 and his dla £60 per week.
My rent is £76 per week council tax £145 per month ,
electric £40 per month
gas £40 ""
phone/internet/ piper £80 per month
water £62 ""
thats without food , insurance car insurance etc.
Could I claim housing benefit whilst I am getting no tax credits, but then I could be overpaid if tax credits back date?? Also can they issue emergency paymnets still at the local offices?? can any one help??

vicki_b

whenever i have been in this situation i have always rung the council and explained the situation and said i will pay my rent+council tax when my arrears of tax credits are paid..

System

Enquiry centres generally don't give hardship payments where a claimant is working. I have noticed that in some cases TCO are processing applications over the phone but you will have to sign and return the first award notice otherwise payments will cease. Whether they are able to do this at the moment is uncertain given how busy the phone lines are with claimants trying to do their annual renewal over the phone.

tracytaxi

Hi they told me they only do it over the phone if you are becoming a single parent, but thanks

wornoutmumoftwo

Do you receive DLA for your disabled daughter? and also the extra element of child tax credit that you can claim if your child receives DLA?

Have you checked the entitledto website to check you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to?

Conor_3

I'm sorry but if you can't manage for a short time on £340 a week there's something wrong. Your rent is £200 a month less than my mortgage but we manage to run our house for £1300 a month including paying for everything.

Perhaps you should look at where you're wasting your money and decide what you can do without.

I can't believe that someone with the low cost of housing you have can't survive on £1300 a month - it's just ludicrous.

hotblu

Hello tracytaxi,

With regards to your Tax Credits claim I would advise you ring a week before you and your partner move in, go through the eligibility calculator and ask for application pack to be sent then (to save time). Then I would send it back (via 1st class recorded delivery) the day you call helpline and end single claim. It takes TCO approximately 2 weeks (10 working days) to log an application onto the system, but with it now being the renewal period it may take longer. After that their is NO timescale as each application is dealt with individually and no application takes priorty over someone elses. So it could be 2 weeks after your application is logged for you to get payments or 4 weeks, their is no timescale. With regards to hardship payments, if you are working then one will not be made to you, and as far as I am aware if you don't have an award issued claim no hardship payment is made. You need to remember a HMRC local office deals with HMRC as a whole and are not obliged to make a Tax Credits payment.
With regard to Housing benefit, if you advise them of the knock affect you waiting for TC payments will be, they can normally calculate your entitlement on estimates and help towards rent & council tax until your Tax Credits claim is calculated. Also, when TC backdate your claim as far as I am aware HB do not take the one-off payment into account, only your regular payments.
I cant judge you on your incomings/outgoings and what you do or dont need to survive, but understand that TC is a national benefit which alot of people claim and therefore the number of claims being processed at anyone time is high so it is waitng game im afraid. Good luck and hope it is all sorted soon.

HTH

Hotblu

tracytaxi

in reply to Conor I don't waste money and I am now sat here in tears so as I feel I am being judged i will explain I hav three children one who is disabled.
out of the £1,300 income i have
Rent, £329 and [plus £10 off £60 arrears
council tax £145
electric £40
gas £40
bt £80
water £62
housekeeping/food/clothes £500
contact lenses £22
houseinsurance £12
car insurance £30
petrol £40
bus to school £40
sky £32
three mobile £25

this is without any of the debts or childcare costs for my children, or the warranty for the freezer or breakdown insurance. Cost of living is high doiwn here fuel £1.35 a litre yesterday. I don't smoke and have never been abroad and don't go out and yes probably going bankrupt soon after both my husbands and my ex went bankrupt, which means we got all the debt.
sorry just felt so hurt some one could judge without knowing the above out goings,and to hotblu thanks I thought along the sam elines as you but they said they can't send the form out in advance, but I will try your suggestion, many thanks to you, now off to work feeling totally stressed.

shortbread

Hi there Tracy taxi,

It is an awful struggle when you are waiting to get benefits sorted................I waited 11 weeks to get my TC changed from single parent to couple claim. Have a word with whoever you pay the rent to and let them know you will catch up asap. I hope you get it sorted as soon as possible!!!!!

I think it is so so sad that some people feel they have the right to judge others on here............they read what you have written , often in desperation of some support and advice and feel they have centre stage to bash someone about some aspect of their lives.

I think it is bad that you have been left feeling so upset , judged that you have had to give private details of your outgoings to justify yourself! It is no-one else's business what you do with you incomings and outgoings, and being made to feel bad that you cant manage only adds to the stress you are under already!!!

Tracy, focus on getting your application sorted and keeping your head above water...............please do not take to heart any of the callous, off the cuff comments you see!!!

Good luck

mitchaa

tracytaxi wrote: »

in reply to Conor I don't waste money and I am now sat here in tears so as I feel I am being judged i will explain I hav three children one who is disabled.
out of the £1,300 income i have
Rent, £329 and [plus £10 off £60 arrears
council tax £145
electric £40
gas £40
bt £80 (Very very high, are you on the phone constantly to America??)
water £62 (Again pretty high, are you on water meter?)
housekeeping/food/clothes £500 (I'm sure you can cut down on this)
contact lenses £22 (Are these a neccsessity? Whats wrong with wearing glasses?)
houseinsurance £12
car insurance £30
petrol £40
bus to school £40 (Can they walk to school? Hubby drop them off?)
sky £32 (Pay them an extra fiver and you'll get all nationwide BT calls for free. Help you cut down on massive BT bill.)
three mobile £25

this is without any of the debts or childcare costs for my children, or the warranty for the freezer or breakdown insurance. Cost of living is high doiwn here fuel £1.35 a litre yesterday. I don't smoke and have never been abroad and don't go out and yes probably going bankrupt soon after both my husbands and my ex went bankrupt, which means we got all the debt.
sorry just felt so hurt some one could judge without knowing the above out goings,and to hotblu thanks I thought along the sam elines as you but they said they can't send the form out in advance, but I will try your suggestion, many thanks to you, now off to work feeling totally stressed.

Can your hubby work at all or is it not worth it because he would lose his incapacity?

bestpud

Are you in a HA or council house? If so, I would ring them and explain. They will more than likely allow you a month off, to be paid when the tax credits come through.

Same with the council tax.

Longer term, your outgoings are very high and could probably be reduced considerably. Whether you want to do that or not, is entirely up to you of course, and it is not what you have asked for in this thread. If you do want to, take a look at the DFW board - they are great at finding pain-free ways to cut down.