advice needed re tax credits and benefits

[pinkkoala]

can anybody tell me what benefits and tax credits i would be entitled to as a single mum, working approx 16 hrs a week. I can't afford to keep the house so on the market and have looked into renting privately not sure if i could afford this either with all the bills and rates that would need paying, can anybody tell me what i would be entitled to.

only get child benefit and approx £13 a week child tax credit at the mo.

Why do you get such a small amount of tax credits?? It should be at least triple that

look on the entitledto website.
The only place I have found you can get acurate figures is from the lone parent advisor at the job centre. YOu can ring and ask for an appointment.
Do you have a job lined up or just being speculative at this time?

Housing benefit, income support..

Hi,i'm sure you should be getting more tax credits?!you'll be entitled to both child and working tax credits, also housing benefit. have heard about a bond scheme to help you pay the deposit for a home to rent although I don't know much about that, i think it's thorugh your local county council

are you working or not atm? £13pwk tcs seems v low.

Your tax credit entitlement is based on your previous tax year's earnings. Then your hb and ctb will depend on what tcs you get.

If you make money from your house sale it will prob make you ineligible for hb/ctb but it wont effect tcs.

Go to CAB for advice. In general it is a better long term strategy to hold onto your proerty than privatly rent.

Are you getting mortgage interest paid atm?

Pink, I am going through the same process and found this - www.gingerbread.org.uk/uploads/media/17/6816.pdf as it is an idiots guide (and lets face it, I need idiot guides!!) and is really helpful. Also I have been to CAB and they are going to do the calcs for me to check the logic.

If want to talk it through please do - it might make it clearer for me also. Private message me if you want.

Good luck x

thanks for the replies, i am currently working at the mo approx 16 hrs, only qualify for small amount of tax credit due to husbands income, not sure how much i would get if seperated.

mortage he pays at the mo, i pay the bills so can't afford to pay mortage as well.

i am so worried how being a single mum will afect my finances, i know i am more than capable of bringing dd up on my own, he has said he would fight me for custody of her, god i hope not, couldn't bear that.

This is something I'm a little worried about myself actually pink. I work part time (24 hours a week), have a morgage (on my own), have two boys in school and a baby on the way. So as of New Year next year I will have two boys in school, a baby in childcare and a morgage and bills to pay - eeeek!!

I seem to think that 16 hours and under you get income support, not working tax (not that I'm an expert!!). Your local job centre will be able to tell you what help you will be entitled to. You know you maybe better going in and telling them your situation and saying "what am I best doing? Leaving work? Staying as I am etc?" They'll give you all the advice you need chick x

You have to go and see a divorce lawyer to ask about how assets will be split.

Maybe put your enquiry in the 'legal issues' topic.

Hi Pink - it obviously depends on how big your mortgage is but do go to lp advisor or CAB for proper advice.
I took a few years to actually leave as I was so worried about managing financially and I really regret it. It was such a miserable time and half of my worries haven't materialised and the other half are manageable now I've actually been gone for over a year.
I work 17 hours, have mortgage but no childcare now, 1 DC, car. Not rich but scraping by.
Try not to worry but get as much accurate info as you can.

I am a single mum, DC are 2.8 and 13mths, work 16hrs per week. I get £210 ctc (including £110 childcare element) £65 wtc and £120 HB per week. HTH

You should get more tax credits if you do seperate. I work 20 hours a week have 2 in nursery and get about the same as baabaa. I don't get HB though as I have a mortgage.

www.gingerbread.org.uk/uploads/media/17/6816.pdf

Look at the inland rev website. there's a damn good tax credit calculation on that, which will tell you your entitlement to TCs between now and the end of the tax year. Tell the IR about your change in circs immediately.

i have been on the hmrc website and calculator for tax credits, it says £1314 a year which works out to £27 pound a week, that doesn't seem an awful lot as a single mum working 16 hrs a week, how would i manage the bills, private rent when house sold and council tax.

How about this website. That does seem rather low to me.

That calculator I think tells you what you would get between now and the end of the tax year (ie 4th April), rather than fir a full year.

does that include the childcare element?