Newly Single + Pregnant - Benefit Advice Much Appreciated ;o)

[JayneyG]

Hi All

Am hoping you can help with advice

Please excuse long winded story but.......

I had a daughter 2.5 years ago, went back to work part time, lost two pregnancies last year, got pregnant in October, gave up work as husband and I decided better for my health to have pg with no stress (due to previous mc's) and with 2 wouldn't be worth childcare costs etc.

Husband left me end Feb when I was 4.5 month pg as decided family life not for him, he wants to live care free.

We own a house with a mortgage of £77k and equity of £100ish

I have been to the job centre and got Income support, they are paying me £24 a week as I get £45 from husband for daughter and they deduct that off.

I get Child Benefit of £20ish

Child Tax Credit of £45ish

Healthy Start Vouchers £5.80week

Council Tax Benefit £75 a month

We took our mortgage out after 1995 but didn't take an insurance policy so I've been told I can't get housing benefit for 9 months. But the NHS pregnancy book says if you are pregnant and your partner leaves you qualify after 8 weeks (I called the housing benefit people they didn't know!!! I'm going to see them tomorrow to be a pain until I see someone who can help me)

Two new dilemmas.....

I've found out I qualify for Maternity Allowance of £113ish a week (as I was working recently) but I guess this would stop my Income Support (WOULD IT?) which would then mean I wouldn't get council tax relief? Would it affect my ability to get Housing Benefit?

Plus once I'm not getting £1 of Income Support I'd lose out of a few other discounts etc+ the Sure Start Maternity Grant of £500.

Also... CSA have assessed my husband should be paying £60pw, and £80pw when new baby arrives, but this would just be deducted off my Income Support, I'd be no better off, and that's money I'd rather he could spend when he sees her on Saturday's. By the time I have this second baby, it would wipe out my Income Support and I'd be worse off as I'd loose council tax benefit etc.

SO ADVICE NEEDED PLEASE ;o)

Anybody know whether I can get Housing Benefit for the interest on my Mortgage?

Should I go for the Maternity Allowance? Or do you think I'll be worse off?

Do I have to take the amount the CSA have assessed my husband should pay? Or can we come to an arrangement between us?

Anybody know about Income Support, when I phoned them they couldn't tell me whether I would loose all IS if I claimed the Maternity Allowance or not, they said they'd only be able to tell me once I'd applied for it.

Is there anything else I should think of / know, anything I didn't know I could claim?

Have tried the CAB went to the office, not much use at the time am struggling to get them on the phone now, been trying for day (may email them)

Also been trying to get through to Gingerbread advice line, same probs.

Been to a solicitor who wasn't too sure.

OI really need help with this, does anyone know where I can find out the rules, the web doesn?t seem to be answering my questions!!!

Advice urgently needed,

Thank you, I've found reading this site to be a real help with lots of the less practical issues about my situation.

Thanks

Jayney

PS am in Plymouth, would like to meet any Plymouth single Mum's if any belong to this board.

Can't help with most of it but you can get the Maternity grant if you are on a certain level of tax credits. Also you may still be able to claim council tax benefit.

Try entitledto.com (or is it .co.uk?) as it is pretty accurate.

If on income support you have to use the CSA recommendations

If you have a local Benefits Advice Clinic they may be able to help you untangle the web - see if there's an ad in your GP surgery, or perhaps give your local Carers org a ring and ask them.

Thanks that's helped to clarify one or two points, will check out the websites, thanks

Jayney

I would assume the maternity pay would be regarded as income so you would lose IS and council tax benefit, so you probably wont get help with the mortgage interest either, housing benefit is only paid to private renters

IS is £57.45 so any money coming in over that amount cancels out the IS, apart from child maintenance whereby you will be allowed to keep £10

HEy - I'm in Plymouth - I work three days a week but i'm up for meeting up sometime if you want an ear to bend!

Got a man but I was a single mum for the last 18months so I know where you are coming from

I'm always astonished that man can walk out on his pregnant wife and child and al he has to do is pay her some £60 a week to live on. Seems to me she ought to get at least 50% of his income and shouldn't have an option of not working.

TWAT

Good luck to you. I don't have any practical advice but wanted too offer you a bit of sympathy.

can i ask when you took out your mortgage? it may have an effect on the length of your qualifying period for help with your IS. ( I work in a jobcentre...i had a hideous past life...)

actually, scrub that jayney. tell your Income support people that you are claiming that the mortgage is an 'existing housing cost' because you have been abandonned. teh 'DMG' guide references that you want to point the Income Support Mortagge team to are DM23657 & 23663 this would mean you get no mortage help fopr eight weeks, then 50% until 26 weeks then a full amount subject to the common interest rate and a cap of £100,000.

because you are on IS you may not be able to choose whether you accept an increase from your ex partner when the baby is born. although you would 'lose' the money from your IS, it does formalise things and I would personally be unwilling to cut your ex any slack. Hope this helps.

persephonesnape - Thanks for the advice, I've spoken to the relevant people re mortgage,. they say I have to put a case in writing to them as an exceptional case - so thanks for your advice will def use that. Really helpful.

Eleusis - thanks for the support, does help, that's the same word my Dad uses to discribe him. ;o)

ipodtherforipoor - thanks would like to meet up, can i give you my email on this board?

tribpot, Tinkerbel5 and MrsWho - thank you am pursuing those two avenues.

Thanks all, been a real help, am feeling a bit more in control now I have some info and a bit more knowldge.

Jayney

you can - or my email is ipodthereforipoor@blueyonder. co. uk - without the spaces!

Jayney have fingers crossed for you, good luck