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Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

Lone parents

Spoke to the Lone Parent Advisor today...

18 replies

zmandaz · 12/09/2007 18:35

and they were really helpful. It's definitely worthwhile going back to work but I'm going to try and hold out until I've passed my driving instructor exams as this would give me the best wage. I'm amazed at all the help I can get - £250 bridging loan for when I finish on my benefits but have to wait for my first wage, £100 worth of something to help me start work (apparantly I can get a new outfit and shoes and they'll pay for it!) 80% childcare costs and also the working tax credits, plus I'll get the full Child Support payments whilst ever my ex stays in work. I'll also get something towards renting privately which definitely looks like the best option for me now. I never thought I'd hear myself say this but I can't wait to get back to work! I've loved spending my time with DD but I'm looking forward to having some adult company, not to mention a wage!

OP posts:

Report

Tinkerbel5 · 12/09/2007 18:53

thats great, did they mention the £40 per week in work credit ?

zmandaz · 12/09/2007 19:30

Probably but I missed a bit of what he was saying because DD was trying to demolish the guys desk and was getting very frustrated and having to sit still It's made me feel a bit more positive about the future. I know things will still be hard but I'm going to give it a go and hopefully will manage. In some ways it seems I'd be better off if I stayed single but then again, if my knight in shining armour comes along then I won't complain.

OP posts:

singledadofthree · 12/09/2007 19:55

theres also a thing called 'the lone parent run on'. if youve been getting income support as a lone parent theyll keep paying it for 4 weeks after you stop claiming. is an overlap til you get paid so as not to be without. and you dont have to give it back - IS and wages for 4 weeks! also covers HB and council tax.

pirategirl · 12/09/2007 20:20

single, whats inteeresting, 4 weeks inc support, hb and ctax bens?

op, how many hours r u doing? its something i need to get my head round, i cant sit at home wondering forever, i'l go mental.

WelshBoris · 12/09/2007 20:23

PG if you go and see your lone parent advisor they'll do a "Better off" calculation with you, advising you how much better off you would be if you go back to work.

pirategirl · 12/09/2007 20:24

ok wb, i will put a rocket up my backside, and try to find out.

singledadofthree · 12/09/2007 20:40

pirategirl - is true, a run on in benefits to give you time to sort wages out. is cos too many sp's are skint anyway so the thought of benefits stopping then waiting for pay to come thru puts them off. also, benefits paid in arrears anyway, so lasts even longer.

zmandaz · 12/09/2007 21:49

Pirategirl, definitely go see the advisor as they gave me a print out with all the benefits and stuff you can claim and how much better off you'd be. They told me you have to work a minimum 16 hours a week to be able to keep all your benefits. Thing is, you can ask for nothing then decide what you want to do. I was told that if I wanted to work for a supermarket on minimum wage at 16 hours a week I'd be just over £90 a week better off.

Thanks for the other bits of info. I'm amazed at how much is out there for single parents!

OP posts:

Skribble · 12/09/2007 22:29

Interesting info, I may have to go and see them soon, not looking forward to it all.

000Laura000 · 13/09/2007 10:59

Can someone tell me... what "lone parent advisor"?

Is this something your local council provides?

Who is the Lone Parent Advisor?

Thanks

Laura

zmandaz · 13/09/2007 11:38

000Laura000 - the Lone Parent Adviser is based at the Job Centre. You should see them as soon as you apply for benefits for being a single parent. They can tell you exactly what you are entitled to and you have to see them once a year I think to update your situation. They can't make you go back to work until your child is a certain age but will advise you on how much better off you'd be if you did want to go back.

Skribble - I hate the whole process of having to go see them. I reckon it's almost on a par with going to the dentist

OP posts:

Skribble · 13/09/2007 13:25

I hate even going to the job centre, you feel so scummy. Last time they practicly threw me out and said I should do it over the phone, I tried to explain I normaly do as I really don't want to have to come in and all I wanted was the application form that I had been instructed to pick up by someone on their phoneline.

000Laura000 · 13/09/2007 15:08

Thanks very much.

I work. I can claim tax benefits but I have often wondered if there is anything else I can claim (as a single parent).

I know One Parents Families have a good advice line so I'll ring them. (When I get round to it).

Laura

zmandaz · 13/09/2007 16:49

Laura - there really is quite a lot out there you can claim so it's definitely worth speaking to them. You can just ring up your job centre and make an appointment. They even pay the cost of transport there.

Skribble - I was sat on a sofa in a really hot sticky office, with this old bloke trying to get DD to look at him who was making me feel really uncomfortable and a poor woman in between us who was being discussed by several of the staff in very loud voices! There's no such thing as privacy in those places and I always feel like they're really suspicious of me and think that I'm trying to cheat the system in some way. I wish they dealt with Lone Parent's in a seperate office.

OP posts:

singledadofthree · 01/10/2007 22:14

just a correction to the IS benefit run on thing when you start work. Is a 'job grant' not 4 weeks IS, and is £250 regardless of number of kids and stuff. the rest is the same - 4 weeks worth of everything.

mogs0 · 01/10/2007 23:24

My LPA and I are on first name terms!!!!!

I've been in so many times over the last 4 years and she's so helpful and friendly. She always remembers ds' name even though she probably has hundreds and hundreds of clients.

Was thinking of sending in a tin of chocs to say thanks for her help.

We're moving in a couple of months and I'm not looking forward to meeting a new LPA!

AMAZINWOMAN · 02/10/2007 09:16

The benefits system is so strange, as it depends on individiaul circumstances. Not everybody gets maintanance payments.

On paper im better off working-but then i have to pay for school meals,travel costs to work and the other 20% of my childcare! so really im not much better off working

moonmother · 02/10/2007 09:37

I also had a meeting with a Lone parent advisor last week,I've just moved and with my old one I was in and out in about ten minutes,with my new one I was in there almost an hour.

She was incredibly helpful and also did a better off calculator for me,As I have a little one still at home,I said I was interested in setting my own business up from home and she gave me loads of info,and now I'm doing all the research etc to get ready to start up.

She was really helpful and all the info's given with no pressure,shes given me 2 weeks to look into everything and make sure its the right choice for me.

Setting up my own business has always been a dream of mine,and I never would have thought it possible to be coming off of benefits and run my own business.

Also theres lots of financial help thats still available to lone parents,and in actual fact I will be better off,even if the business doesn't make any money for a few months.

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