to think i will have too much money on benefits.

[5toocoolforschool]

OK so dh and i have split up.He is staying with a friend and is finding somewhere else to live.We have 5 children.He is a relatively high earner and i have always been at home with the kids.

I have applied for everything i am entitled to (income support,child tax credits,child benefit,housing benefit, i will not have to pay any council tax- was not entitled to any of these before)

On top of this i will be receiving maintenance from Ex.

All in i will be receiving £3,300 per month!

That is only a couple of hundred less than dh gets paid.

I am porting this partly because i am sure i have missed something,should i not be getting maintenance from dh as well?Everywhere i have looked says i can.

Partly,i just think its bad.I mean i wont be claiming these forever,i have been accepted on a course (again which i wont have to pay for,which i will be given a grant for childcare)and after that i will be working again,so 3 years max.

But now i can see how easy it must be for someone to just see this as a lifestyle.

Not in my council or any other council I know of.

Over the age of ten a child would get their own room if sharing with a sibling of op positive sex. Are you sure you are getting confused with that Eric?

I used 2 nights a week.

I used 2 nights a week.

This has made me a bit depressed. Dh brings home £3300 a month after tax. We have to pay a mortgage of £1300 a month for an ex local authority house, so nothing flash. We have 3 dc and the government have deemed us rich enough to not need child benefit

Don't feel depressed Ihategeorge.
I've been a single parent to two children with disabilities and am way below the benefit cap of £500 a week.
I'd love to have been able to work full time and have a career but that could never happen unless I no longer cared for my children.
I have a degree, I'm intelligent and more than capable of having a career but am trapped by unfortunate circumstances.
That's far more depressing.

surely maintenance payments should be counted as income when working out benefits entitlements?

writtenguarantee They're not, they used to be, but aren't now.

If someone would guarantee that I'd definitely get my maintenance, or that ex won't suddenly quit his job and sign on then yes they should be counted written until that happens then no they shouldn't.

If maintenance payments were counted as income, many lone parents would be completely screwed.

I see my dc's maintenance payments as a 'bonus' (which I use towards things like clothing, shoes, etc) and never take for granted that I'm going to get any or how much I'm going to get - because I simply can't. And that's the problem for many lone parents - they can't rely on their maintenance payments.

Totally inaccurate figures. H and I work for the same company which is in danger of liquidation in the next month or so.

We have three dc two boys and a girl and because eldest is over 16. We can claim hb for a 4 bed house. However lha in no way near covers the rent of a 4 bed in this area.

I put in our figures and it said we would get £698 per month but due to cap will only get &500. So with rent of £1050 only leaves £950 for everything. Food clothing shoes school stuff bus fares for school etc.

So if it happens at least one of us need t work for minimum wage doing anything in order to survive.

We are both already looking for jobs as know that due to high housing costs we need to work. Currently we don't receive any tax credits or any benefit except child benefit

maintenance payments should be counted as income, how come I need to declare the odd £40 from babysitting and someone else gets £1000 a month maintenance and it doesnt count??

and no the babysitting isnt regular either

why do you need to declare babysitting,to who?

SSD your child wouldn't be expected to declare income from babysitting or a paper round ...maintenance is for the children - it's their income - it's nothing to do with an adult claiming benefits

also imagine an abusive ex who pays you one week and not the next - hw do you feed your kids then

it should never be taken into account

It does count for housing benefit. I'm sure it does. The benefits system as it stands currently is unfair.

Child benefit is meant to be for children too, but it hasn't stopped the government removing it from an arbitrary cut off point of 'income' from families who it deems as rich. Clearly we are not 'rich', based on what I am reading here.

Of course maintenance should be counted as income. Yes, I know that a huge number of people don't receive maintenance but some receive extortionate amounts. The children are being adequately housed and supported, why should the state being paying?

I think maintenance payments should go to the govt, to offset benefits people are receiving. Anything over and above what the other parent is claiming in benefits then being passed on to the RP.

Only on MN could someone have an income of £3300 after tax and feel envious of someone on benefits.

maintenance is for the children - it's their income - it's nothing to do with an adult claiming benefits

You mean the benefit someone is paid because they have children and wouldn't otherwise be entitled to??

Wow, I am amazed at that income. I don't understand why your partner isn't expected to support the children with his salary.

Obviously that is because I don't know how it works, I'm not having a go at you at all.