Too Many Benefits?

[bloodbinds]

So today i had a massive ring around all the benefit people i could find to find out around abouts what i will be getting in benefits once my little angel is born. I've displayed it below (per month)... But does it seem a little too good to be true? :-S


Child tax credit: £252
Maternity Allowance: £492
Income Support: £256
Child Benefit: £80
Child Maintanance: £80
Housing Allowance: £500
Council Tax: All of it

So even with my rent and council tax being completely paid for me, i will have £1160 a month?!

I've had to double, then triple check this with several people, including my job centre and local council, i've told them all over and over again what i've been quoted for everything, and they are all just saying 'yes, that's right'

I still don't quite believe it though. I don't think i'll believe it until the money is coming into my account every month, lol.

 

[purpledahlia]

well maternity allowance will start from when you start it for x amount of months and so not jsut when the baby is born... and you wont get CM ( if your going thru CSA) for quite a few months, it takes ages to sort out usually, but it will be backdated..
your so lucky tho,
mine totals 130 a week,
CTC
IS and
CB

pants!

 

[Perdita]

I think I'm going to have to do some asking around as it looks at the moment like my £1400 four wekkly pay packet will be reduced to £600!!! That won't even cover my mortgage and bills and that's an interest only mortgage!
I need help!!

 

[bloodbinds]

Well me and FOB are setting up a private agreement to begin the week the baby is born, so luckily i dont have to worry about that. And i'm already getting my maternity allowance
I think im just lucky i dont have many outgoing bills to worry about!

 

[FierceAngel]

you wont get income support and mat allowance at the same time i dont think?

and hb tend to use your mat allowance and ctc as income so it reduces your hb

xx

 

[purpledahlia]

what i meant was mat allowance doesnt last forever and if youve already started getting it it will stop after 6 months i think. maybe its 9 now but still.

perdita, im sure theres some kind of help available, have you spoken 2 the jobcentre?

 

[purpledahlia]

oh and your private agreement will cut into your benefits if its more than 20 a week..

 

[DizzyMoo]

A private agreement is ok but if he pays you anything over £20 a week they will deduct that extra out of your income support hun.
Look at the maintenance as bonus extra money not as an income hun just in case he doesn't pay then you ain't relying on it.

 

[FEDup1981]

u wont get income support and maternity allowance at the same time.

 

[bloodbinds]

Just had a letter from Income support today, saying they won't pay me anything until i move into my own place! (currently living at my mums you see) But they have asked me to re-apply when i'm in my own place - i move next month so not difficult i suppose. They said i'm only going to get £50 a week until babies born then it increases to about £64 i think it is. But they confirmed i'm definitly entitled, even with my maternity allowance! :-D

Also only getting £20 a week off FOB as any more than that cuts into my other benefits.
And my maternity allowance stops when baby is 6 months old, but thats ok as am planning to get a part time job then, so will get money from that and also working tax credits, so will be better off anyway!

Why do people think you wont get maternity allowance and income support? :-S I think it just depends on your situations.

And Housing Benefit doesn't use maternity allowance as income, but i think it does take the CTC into account though - though they haven't confirmed that, they have just confirmed that i'm entitled to the full amount - so now too sure about that!

 

[Lexi's Mummy]

income support wont pay while you live with your parents??? X

 

[bloodbinds]

Well, what they have told me is that apprently because i am living with my mother then they have guessed that i only need £50 something a week to live on - and im currently earning £123 a week with maternity allowance.

They have told me when i move into my flat, i will need more to live on as they take into account my rent, plus bills etc that i will be paying on my own, therefore i will need more a week to live on (my rent will be £550 so will be needing at least £137.50 a week to live on!!) so therefore they will be able to give me income support!

I have told them that i pay rent to my mum and help out with bills, also have car, phone etc to pay for, so do actually need more than £50 a week to live on at the moment. But they said according to the council and what they decide i need to live on, that i dont need to pay rent to my mother as shes brought the house and owns it completely, so they dont take into consideration that i pay rent to her (which is ridiculous!) and also said that phone, car etc is extra luxerys(sp?) so they wont count that as needing money to live off! Ridiculous.

But its ok, i'll just reapply when im in my own place and get it in, it's just fustrating!

 

[Lexi's Mummy]

ah right, i get u. thought u meant without maternity pay. my mistake.. im sure youll manage either way though hun... us single mums are magic lmao x

 

[suzanne108]

Ooooh can I be nosy and ask why you get rent and council tax paid for??

I'm hoping I've missed something and can get mine paid for too!!! xx

 

[purpledahlia]

you can apply for housing benefit and council tax benefit if your a lone parent and dont work or work under a certain amount of hours, maybe 16..

they usually will pay a certain amount for a single person for a single room, and it goes up with circumstance,
for example, where i am looking at flats will cover 390 in rent for a single person on benefits, but 500 for a single mother on benefits.. its diff for a couple again and also a couple with a child etc....

council tax i think you get a large discont but u do have to make some sort of contribution but its small...

 

[purpledahlia]

As you start working they pay less aswell.. so the more you earn the less u can qualify for..

 

[purpledahlia]

why wont you get income support while at your mums?? ive not been told i cant... ive been told to apply in 2 weeks to change from jsa to income support, and nobodys said anything about it being an issue if i live here.. if i cant get that then that means me and baby will have 50 to live of.. how does that work?

 

[bloodbinds]

why wont you get income support while at your mums?? ive not been told i cant... ive been told to apply in 2 weeks to change from jsa to income support, and nobodys said anything about it being an issue if i live here.. if i cant get that then that means me and baby will have 50 to live of.. how does that work?

Because i already get £123 a week from maternity allowance, so while i'm not at my mums, im not expected to pay bills, therefore i'm only entitled to £50 a week to live off, and get enough to cover that. When i move out i will need a lot more than that to live off as i will be paying for rent and bills etc so am allowed to recieve it then.

I get full housing benefit and full council tax paid for in my area once LO is here (only get half of it paid for before she's here though) - i think i get it all paid because im a lone parent that doesnt work i suppose?
When im working over 16 hours they will cut my council tax and housing benefit by around half - but i will get paid from work and working tax credits which will more than make up for it, so that doesnt worry me.


And yes, us single mums are magic, so we will all be able to cope! Hopefully looking at this will make some mums realise that we can cope, and we can recieve help - just apply for everything and anything and hope for the best! Haha.

 

[purpledahlia]

right so i dont get maternity allowance so i can still get income support right?? i live with my parents but im expected to help.. and of couse pay for me and baby

 

[bloodbinds]

Well Income Support people told me that because i dont have an actual written agreement with my mum then im not expected to help?! Which is stupid but i think they are just trying to be awkward. But you will be fine as your not getting the maternity allowance, so they will say, oh, you only need £50 a week to live on at your folks, and you dont have any other income, so will give you the income support. You'll be fine, dont worry. Its just me they have something against i think, lol.