housing benefit

[sphinxy]

My daughter is a single mum with 2 children, she receives housing benefit and child tax credit, she has been offered a part time job for 20 hours will she still be able to receive housing benefit, and would it be better to try and receive working tax credit instead of child tax cre who may have an answer for usdit
We would love to hear from someone in a similar situation

[DONNNAKEBAB]

She would be able to apply for all three benefits sphinxy and it will all be dependent on what she earns. She wont receive as much Housing Benefit but may receive some. I beleive the limit for a single parent is �109 a week (it is in my area and I have Tenants that claim benefits too). She would also be able to claim child tax credits AND child care costs up to 70 or 80% of them, I cant remember the percentage but it is no less than 70% anyway. In addition she will also be able to apply for Council Tax Benefit. Some Councils also have a Scheme called Hardship Allowance for anyone who is still struggling on HB to pay their rent due to other finances like travel to work, bills etc..

I am sure your daughter is thrilled at being offered the job and I wish her luck.

Katie. x

[themas]

Depending on her earnings, she would get Working Tax Credit as well as Child Tax Credit. The amount of these credits is taken into account in working out her entitlement to Housing Benefit, which will reduce & may stop altogether.

If she wants a calculation to compare what her total income would be with what it is now she could go to the local CAB & ask them to do this for her.

[pink-kittens]

She will absolutely better off working and claiming WTC and CTC. As a single parent she will get 80% of any childcare paid for her BUT there is a minimum amount on it, and I am not sure how much that is

Not only will she be better off money wise but she will also feel more pride and have a gradually increasing self esteem and she will also be teaching her children a very valuable lesson in life

I would urge you to urge her to take the job and remember also the more hours she does, the better off she will be but she must remember to tell the inland revenue about every change in her hours and wages

Wish her good luck!
PK x

[diamonds78]

Hi Sphinxy
Im in the same sit as your daughter however im from n ireland so it may differ a bit. I too am a single mother and i work 17 hours a week, i get child tax credit and working tax credits and this incorporates a childcare element of 70% childcare allowance as long as the child is cared for by a registered body. I also receive housing benefit but it is very minimal (about �10 per wk) The housing benefit people will need to know how much tax cr, wages, maintenace payments etc etc your daughter gets and then they will make her an award so she might get a bit more than me. On the note that Pink Kitten raised about the advantages of being a working single parent i couldnt agree more!
My job is my lifeline and i love it, Adult company and a sense of worth is a must when you are bringing up kids alone, I also found that it improved my realtionship with my toddler as i wasnt so resentful towards him for never getting out into adult company and never having any money. Now the few hours a week i spend away from him makes me look forward to the days when im not working and we have a full day together to have fun. I also agree that it shows kids that not working is not right, if you want nice things you gotta go earn the money!

[Rtaxron]

You say your daughter is single.

Why didn't she take precautions against getting pregnant, its not rocket science these days and she would save hard working tax payers keeping her in benefits?

[sphinxy]

Rtaxron
you IDIOT
She is not a teenager who got her self pregnant on purpose to claim benefits , she is 30 ,she planned her pregnancy with her ex husband of 10 years and 8 years down the line he decided to cheat on her ,and left her with 2 children , which now makes her a single parent , she had to sell their house to pay his debts up, until then she was a working tax paying mother , they came and lived with myself and my wife for 20 months , she as struuggled with no help from any one barring family , she is taking this job because she wants to stand on her own 2 feet and not be a burden to the system , so before you go around tarring everybody with the same brush , use what little if any brain you have and put it into gear before you open your bigoted big mouth IDIOT and if you are lucky enough never having to be in a unfortunate situation through your life just stop and spare a thought for the people who have not been so lucky , through no fault of there own making , IDIOT

[sphinxy]

Oh and by the way Rtaxron i am 58 and have worked since i was 14 and have never claimed any sort of benefit my wife is 56 and as worked full time and has done since she was 16 and as never claimed any benefits and thats why we had to ask the question in the 1st place because we do not know our way around the benefit system we consider ourselves lucky , but that does not blind us to the fact that ther are lots of people who for genuine reasons have to rely on the state but i certainly would not go around disrespecting them so once again if you are one of the lucky ones just think before you voice an opinion P.S we are both coming up to retirement age perhaps you think we should be put down so we are not a burden on the state by drawing our old age pensions as we have only paid into it for 40 years or so , once again think

[luckyforme71]

hi your daughter needs to make appointment for lone parent advisor at her local dss who will go through everything with her. she will have her wages, child tax and working tax she may only receive a small amount of housing benefit. i'm a single mum of 2 and i have alot more money and just bought my second home after selling my first.