Jobseeker's and other benefits

[rowley99]

Bit noervous as it's my first post here.

 

I lost my job a few months back. I'm married with one child aged 12, big fat mortgage etc. I went to sign on and after all the interviews I got a letter saying I was entitled to £3.17 a week followed shortly by another one saying I was not entitled to anything but that I should keep signing on every two weeks to get my NI contributions - thats a £5 return train fare every fortnight. The reason they've stopped payments is that my wife earns £95 a week for 2 days, and that is apparently enough for a family of three to live off.

 

Can anyone tell me if I can claim any other benefits and how to go about it? I have applied for Council Tax Benefit, had 2 interviews, exchanged 6 letters and they still want bank statements and loads of other documents.

 

What about gas & electricity. We are being really frugal but it's working out at over £5 per day. Can we claim for a contribution to these?

 

It seems to me that the system is deliberately loaded against honest people trying to survive when you read in the press about some family being paid thousands to live in a great big mansion.

 

I am tearing my hair out and would really appreciate any help.

[bazak1]

Hi,

Your comments at the end of your post regards the "family" in the mansion, echo just about what every single decent human being in England have thought since they read that in the press. ( i would personally like to know how they can get so much rent paid when there are people ON THIS WEBSITE that post questions wanting to know why their local council wont pay their rent and it's only £90.00).

Anyway,

 

I dont think £95.00 is enough for a family of three to live on, ( single pensioners are actually entitled to more than that ).

Has your wife applied for working tax credit and child tax credit ?

 

 

 

Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit - payable from April 2003. The general rule is that to qualify for tax credits you must be aged 16 or over and usually live in the United Kingdom. You may also qualify if you do not live in the UK but you are

• A citizen of another country in the European Economic Area (EEA) and you work in the United Kingdom, or
  
• A Crown Servant posted overseas, or
  
• A citizen of a country in the European Economic Area (including the UK) living abroad and you receive a UK state pension or contributions-based Jobseeker's Allowance.
  

Couples must make a joint tax credits claim. If you are part of a couple, you cannot decide to claim as a single person.

 

Child Tax Credit is for people who are responsible for at least one child or qualifying young person. Child Tax Credit is paid direct to the person who is mainly responsible for caring for the child or children. If you are a lone parent you will receive the payment. Child Tax Credit can be paid to workers who continue to pay UK National Insurance Contributions when posted from the UK to work in another country in the European Economic Area.

 

 

 

Working Tax Credit is for people who are employed or self-employed (either on their own or in a partnership), who

• usually work 16 hours or more a week
  
• are paid for that work, and
  
• expect to work for at least 4 weeks
  
• aged 16 or over and responsible for at least one child, or
  
• aged 16 or over and disabled, or
  
• aged 25 or over and usually work at least 30 hours a week
  

Working Tax Credit is paid to the person who is working 16 hours or more a week. Couples, if both of you are working 16 hours or more a week, must choose which one of you will receive it. You cannot receive Working Tax Credit if you are not working.

 

As part of Working Tax Credit you may qualify for help towards the costs of childcare. If you receive the childcare element of Working Tax Credit, this will always be paid direct to the person who is mainly responsible for caring for the child or children, alongside payments of Child Tax Credit.

 

The amount of tax credits you receive will depend on your annual income.

 

http://taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk is another useful site.

 

I would also appeal to your local benefits office regards their decision to pay you nothing.

 

Some fuel companies have started a couple of low tariffs but whether they will include you on them is down to them. Contact your local Electric, Gas and Water suppliers and explain what you have here.

Water can be paid fortnightly/monthly by card over ( i believe) ten months.

Electric and Gas can also be paid by card every week/fortnight/month.

 

Please let us know how you get on.

 

Good luck

 

Baz

Edited October 13, 2008 by bazak1

[rowley99]

Baz, thanks for your reply. We have applied for tax credits and I now get £60 a week and my wife gets about £50. Also child credit of £50 a week, so that makes a total of roughly £255 per week including earnings. Gas & elect run at about £50 per week (this will of course go up in the winter), water about £35 per month, Council Tax nearly £200 a month, insurances over £100 a month (house, contents, car), so it is a real struggle. Can't even sell the house right now although there's probably no equity left in it anyway.

 

Ain't life great?

[pompeyfaith]

you should get council tax benefit im married with 2 kids wife works part time 16 hrs a week and ours is reduced by about 75%

 

I would chase them up.

 

Regards

 

Leon

[rowley99]

Thanks pompey.