Please don't turn this into a "single mums are sponging & tricking the state" thread!

emsywoo123

Please please do not turn this into a "single mums are sponging and tricking the state" thread, I am genuinely looking for advice.
I am a single mum, dating, and CONSIDERING in the longer term living with my boyfriend.
I currently receive:
Income Support, Child tax credit, Child benefit, Housing Benefit and Council tax Benefit.
I also recieve £40 Child maintainence of the £200 that my DD's father pays, as I am on benefits.
If I were to live with my b/f, how would my benefits change?
Many thanks:beer:

hotblu

Hello emsywoo123,

Does your boyfriend work? If so how many hours and what's the income and was he working in 07/08?

Hotblu

emsywoo123

hotblu wrote: »

Hello emsywoo123,

Does your boyfriend work? If so how many hours and what's the income and was he working in 07/08?

Hotblu

He does, he works 50 hrs p/w for approx £20K pa.

mitchaa

Good points..

1)You will get to keep the full £200pm child maintenance money.
2)Child benefit will remain untouched.

This will obviously be worth around £275pm

Bad points (In respect to losing benefits)

1) You will lose ALL council tax benefit
2) Dependent on where you live in the UK, you will ''probably'' lose all HB, however if you're in the south of England where rents are high, you may get a % paid for you, but be prepared to see a big reduction.
3) You will lose IS (School dinners, prescriptions etc)
4) You will receive a reduced amount of CTC but you will still receive something probably in the region of around £30-35pw (For 1 child over age of 1)

This is based on his £20k salary.

If you go back to work and put your child in childcare, you will probably receive quite a substantial amount of childcare to cover this cost.

Not sure if you'll be able to claim JSA (I dont think you will, but may be wrong)

Dont need to tell you, its better doing this than playing the system and getting caught in a fraud case. (Not saying you will by the way)

emsywoo123

mitchaa wrote: »

Good points..

1)You will get to keep the full £200pm child maintenance money.
2)Child benefit will remain untouched.

This will obviously be worth around £275pm

Bad points (In respect to losing benefits)

1) You will lose ALL council tax benefit
2) Dependent on where you live in the UK, you will ''probably'' lose all HB, however if you're in the south of England where rents are high, you may get a % paid for you, but be prepared to see a big reduction.
3) You will lose IS (School dinners, prescriptions etc)
4) You will receive a reduced amount of CTC but you will still receive something probably in the region of around £30-35pw (For 1 child over age of 1)

This is based on his £20k salary.

If you go back to work and put your child in childcare, you will probably receive quite a substantial amount of childcare to cover this cost.

Not sure if you'll be able to claim JSA (I dont think you will, but may be wrong)

Dont need to tell you, its better doing this than playing the system and getting caught in a fraud case. (Not saying you will by the way)

Thank you for replying. You commented on another thread of mine regarding "playing the system" so I know your views!:D
I am not clear as to wether I would claim JSA? I would like to work, but am restricted as I have a 4 yr old daughter and some other personal issues. Tricky.

emsywoo123

Can anybody advise further about JSA? Many thanks, I am not sure of the rules

Oldernotwiser

You won't get contributions based JSA as you haven't been paying NI, you won't get means tested JSA if living with your boyfriend (because of his income)and you won't get it on top of all your other benefits if you stay living on your own. Your Lone Parent Adviser at the Jobcentre will be able to do all these calculations accurately for you and will also be able to advise you on your financial situation should you get a job. You might as well use the person whose job it is to give you this sort of advice.

Conor_3

Just to add, once your daughter starts going to school, you'll find it a lot easier to get a job and you're more likely to have the motivation to do it as you're likely to end up bored out of your skull 6 hours a day until she comes home again. You don't necessarily have to have a conventional job - my friends wife goes round charity shops and buys "label" handbags then puts them on Ebay.

dippy3103

Hi,
I'm not sure what your BF's circumstances are at present- meaning does he live with his parents or pay rent etc? This obviously would make an overall difference when you are doing your sums- it is cheaper to run 1 housholds rather than 2.
Good luck.

emsywoo123

Conor wrote: »

Just to add, once your daughter starts going to school, you'll find it a lot easier to get a job and you're more likely to have the motivation to do it as you're likely to end up bored out of your skull 6 hours a day until she comes home again. You don't necessarily have to have a conventional job - my friends wife goes round charity shops and buys "label" handbags then puts them on Ebay.

Hi
She is actually at school now (clearly not now, it is 9pm!!) but she goes full time! Due to personal circumstance it is hard to find a job taht will work around school hours, so I am doing an OU degree to open prospects!:D
But thank you anyhoo

alfiesmum

emsywoo123 wrote: »

I am not clear as to wether I would claim JSA? I would like to work, but am restricted as I have a 4 yr old daughter and some other personal issues. Tricky.

I think it's one of the stipulations for JSA that you are actively seeking work, and from what you say above that may be difficult for you at this time, so I don't think you'd eligible on that point.

Years ago when my partner and I started living together, I was not able to claim JSA, not sure why now, but I think his wage was over a threshold. You would get to keep all CSA payments from now on (they'll also still liase the case for you too, which is handy).

The only thing I was thinking was...the financial side of it, for me anyway, was the last thing I was thinking of. It's a huge change in your life after being single and raising your daughter alone. Think if this is what you really want hun, and if it is, jump in with both feet!! And best of luck to you too. Then you'll find a way round any money issues, just like the rest of us. Hope it goes well. Check out tax credits - we knew nothing about them til a friend at work mentioned them, and they were a great help.

Hope it goes well for you.
alfiesmum
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