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Lone parents

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

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Original poster

AREYOU A SINGLE MOM

41 replies

Dawn2820 · 31/07/2007 20:19

DO YOU WORK?

WHAT BENEFITS DO YOU RECEIVE?

Both welcome if you work and are single or dont work and are single - thanks for your help xx

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

JoMa · 31/07/2007 21:36

if i'm entitled i'll be kicking their backsides. I spent an afternoon bawling my eyes out in the offices as I was so stressed out bacause of it. even the health visitor got involved.

MotherFunk · 31/07/2007 21:38

Message withdrawn

Durdle · 31/07/2007 21:40

Motherfunk you can claim Housing Benefit too if you are working but on a low income. If anyone wants more information you can ring the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) or the job centre.

Original poster

Dawn2820 · 31/07/2007 21:40

do you know any sites on the internet that i can try and work it out in money terms!

OP posts:

madamez · 31/07/2007 21:41

Can you do anything with flexible hours, self-employed (the usual Avon/Usborne/party plan stuff)? Do you have any skills that would be good to freelance with? Being self-employed for 30 hours a week gets you tax credits and some childcare costs if you could handle getting someone to look after your LO for one or two days a week rather than full time.
You won't be rolling in money but you'll be OK.

mamazon · 31/07/2007 21:43

if you go onto the benefits website there is actually a facility that allows you to work out how much you are entitled to.

if you do not work at all you will get full housing benefit and council tax benefit. you will also get Income support for yourself and Child Tax credits for baby and then Child benefit.

Aimsmum · 31/07/2007 21:43

Message withdrawn

mamazon · 31/07/2007 21:43

i think the benefits equate to about £90 per week for a single parent and 1 child....but that may be wrong.

JoMa · 31/07/2007 21:45

not always the case motherfunk, by the time I have paid two lots of nursery fees (even after the 80% contribution) and my petrol to and from work, I am not better off than on benefits, but I choose to work for me.

MotherFunk · 31/07/2007 21:47

Message withdrawn

Durdle · 31/07/2007 21:50

Income support for lone parent over 18 is £59.15 weekly.

snowwonder · 31/07/2007 21:56

i work 20 hours a week

get tax credits,

childcare help

small ammount of housing benefit

child benefit

persephonesnape · 31/07/2007 22:22

euff, i'm fine, thank you for your concern I'm on annual leave at the moment and obviously not looking forwards to going back next week! My kids are all at school now, so i can't just be sitting around... part time hours wouldn't work for mme because of the huge amount of debt I'm in thanks to feckless ex.

maybe cut some hours when some of it is paid off.

snowwonder · 31/07/2007 22:25

could you go to citizens advice to get debt help- they contact your debtors to reduce payment syou are making...

there is also a debt councelling service, there number is in the yellow pages at the front with the helplines numbers...

best of luck

almostmidnight · 03/08/2007 22:14

I have been a single mum for ten weeks now and can't believe what single mums with no job are expected to live on. I think it is terrible that I have to make do bringing up dd's whilst ex gets to keep three times as much and also has new girlfriend's wage. The more I ask for from him the more housing benefit they take off me and he loves the thought of me scraping by but in the end it is his dd's he is hurting. I think it's shocking

zookeeper · 04/08/2007 09:35

I'm self employed work about 20 hours a week and newly single - if I ever hear from the Inland Revenue about my tax credits claim (received by them four weeks ago - I will know) Have three children in childcare two days a week.

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