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Divorce/separation

Here you'll find divorce help and support from other Mners. For legal advice, you may find Advice Now guides useful.

Original poster

Can I claim child benefit ? Any other ways to save ?

23 replies

GoodnightGrandma · 04/12/2021 06:43

I’ve no idea about any kind of benefits, but I’m trying to see if I’ll be entitled to any money, or if I can save myself any to give myself more money.
I earn £1000 pm and have a child at college, would I be entitled to child benefit when I divorce, and at what point can I claim ?
I know I can get a 25% single adult household reduction in the council tax, is there anywhere else I can reduce my outgoings ?
I shop at Tesco and get Clubcard points.

OP posts:
4amstarts · 04/12/2021 06:45

Depends on their age if they are at college in terms of child benefit

£1000 a month doesn't sound full time..::I'd be looking at that situation first?

Original poster
GoodnightGrandma · 04/12/2021 06:48

Yes, I need to find another day of work. Don’t want to leave this job though, need to try and get another day somewhere else.

OP posts:
PurpleNebula84 · 04/12/2021 09:45

Have you checked if your are entitled to UC? Turn2us or entitled to have benefit calculators.

Snowywintersundays123 · 04/12/2021 09:49

You could but it wouldn’t be for long, if they are at college it would potentially only be for a year or so? Would be a long term solution at all. I’d look at Aldi… Lidl… shop around. Can you take a lodger? Do extra jobs at the weekend or evenings?

waterSpider · 04/12/2021 10:55

You can claim Child Benefit NOW.
If he's the higher earner, as I assume, he's the one who would be liable to pay it back via tax whilst you are still together.

Original poster
GoodnightGrandma · 04/12/2021 12:22

But I’ve not started divorce proceedings yet. I’m waiting until after Christmas, or maybe even April when it’s blameless.

OP posts:
RoastPotatoQueen · 04/12/2021 12:26

If you've seperated your entitled to claim child benefit now long as they are in full time Education and 19 or younger.
Why wait? Your just loosing out on money for no reason.

Ugzbugz · 04/12/2021 12:27

Did you not claim child benefit as your husband is a high tax earner?

If you are living separately you can apply for benefits.

Original poster
GoodnightGrandma · 04/12/2021 12:32

He was, but his pay is less now. I’ve never claimed for my last child.
So, to get this straight, I’m still married to him but Intend to divorce next year. Can I claim now, I earn £1000pm ?

OP posts:
Original poster
GoodnightGrandma · 04/12/2021 12:33

And would I put his income on the claim or not as we're divorcing next year ?

OP posts:
ThreeFeetTall · 04/12/2021 13:38

Are you sure you are talking about child benefit? Or do you mean child tax credits - which is now UC instead?

Original poster
GoodnightGrandma · 04/12/2021 15:50

I’m not sure !
The money that we used to get for every child.

OP posts:
RoastPotatoQueen · 04/12/2021 15:52

@GoodnightGrandma

And would I put his income on the claim or not as we're divorcing next year ?
If you living together? If not then no you don't put it on as your basically single. You can't claim child tax credits you'll need to claim universal credit. Claim child benefit seperate. I would speak to CAB as well as I don't mean to be rude but it sounds like you need some help and don't have a clue what your doing.
Original poster
GoodnightGrandma · 04/12/2021 16:11

No I don’t !

OP posts:
treesandweeds · 04/12/2021 23:49

Everyone can claim for child benefit, get your claim in now!

unicornsarereal72 · 05/12/2021 10:29

Are you living as a single person. Or as a couple pooling your income?

If you are living as a single person go to the turn2 us website and do a calculation. They also have a help like for advice.

ThreeFeetTall · 05/12/2021 11:57

@GoodnightGrandma

I’m not sure ! The money that we used to get for every child.
The reason I ask if that I think you said you never claimed for one of your kids? This higher income charge (discouraging people earning £50k to claim) only came in in 2013. So did you claim Child benefit before that? Either way you should claim I think.

Maybe you can also claim UC but would go to Turn to us or entitled 2 websites to check.

Original poster
GoodnightGrandma · 05/12/2021 12:18

I think I must have claimed for him because, when he left school , I got a letter and it said something about us not claiming but if we needed to we still could. So they’ve got his name down even though we don’t claim.
DH is retired now so I think we should have been claiming, I just never thought about it.

OP posts:
Original poster
GoodnightGrandma · 05/12/2021 12:19

Yes, we claimed for our kids prior to the change.

OP posts:
Original poster
GoodnightGrandma · 07/12/2021 21:50

I’ve rung and rung the helpline, no answer. I wanted to know, if I have claimed in the past for this child, do I need to do a claim form again.
So I’m sending the claim off again, hope it’s not wrong and I get told off.

OP posts:
ThreeFeetTall · 08/12/2021 08:05

Sorry you couldn't get through, they used to be quite helpful. Hope it all works out.

PicaK · 16/12/2021 08:28

Are you separated? As soon as you separate then you are eligible for universal credit. It tops up your earnings when you don't earn much. Being separated means you might live in the same house but you're doing so like flatmates. Buy your own food, not do each other's washing etc. As long as you're intending to divorce its OK.
You will need a solicitor.

Original poster
GoodnightGrandma · 16/12/2021 12:34

Thanks.
We’ve not separated yet, solicitor thinks I’m better waiting for no fault as I’ve not got 5 unreasonable behaviours.
I’ve put a claim in for child benefit, as we should have been claiming for it since DH’s wage dropped.
I’ll look at UC when I actually file.
Thanks.

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