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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

If you get Income support do you get child tax credit too ??

26 replies

nutcracker · 01/10/2004 20:46

A friend of mine had just kicked her dp out and is now trying to sort out her benefits.

We mamnged to find out that she would get about 177 pounds a week for her and 3 kids on income support, but she said another friend had told her that she is still entitled to child tax credit even though she doesn't work.

I went on the tax credit website for her and put all the details in and that she was on IS and id did say she would get over 2756 pounds a year (roughly 53 a week).

Does anyone know if this would be on top of her IS or as part of it ????

She is worried that she won't manage on just the 177 IS.

OP posts:

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Socci · 01/10/2004 20:50

Message withdrawn

jacobscreek · 01/10/2004 20:54

she might only get £177 but she will get all her housing benefit and coucil tax paid plus free dental and school meals and prescriptions. Its not a bad life! If she went to work she could get 90% of childcare paid and if she worked 16 hours a week at least then tax credit would guarentee her an income of over £200 per week!!!! Just athought!

beansmum · 01/10/2004 20:54

i get income support of £56 pw as a single person and then get child tax credits for bean of about £54 on top of that. £177pw sounds like a lot for IS, i didn't realise they were so generous!

Original poster

nutcracker · 01/10/2004 20:57

Yeah but if she worked then she would then have to pay some rent wouldn't she ??

I think she'll have to ring them as the website doesn't really explain to well.

I just followed the questions it asked about how many kids, if she worked and that she got IS.

I did think it was starnge that it then said she would get ctc of that much. Unless it is included in her 177.

OP posts:

beansmum · 01/10/2004 20:57

i think single mums used to get paid more IS, you got IS for yourself plus an extra bit for your children, but now you just get IS for yourself and tax credits for the kids. Think thats right anyway.

jacobscreek · 01/10/2004 20:58

not sure that sounds right nutcracker, atleast i hope it isnt right! Me and my hubby work hard and only get £3.16 a week ctc..... Maybe i should give up work!

Original poster

nutcracker · 01/10/2004 21:00

So you get 54 pounds for one child Beansmum ???

She had been told about 38 pounds for each child and then 58 ish for her with 15 on top for family premium or something.

If she got 54 for each child and 56 for herself then that isn't far short of the total figure for IS and CTC combined, so maybe it is right.

OP posts:

Original poster

nutcracker · 01/10/2004 21:01

Does that include you chuild benenfit beansmum ???

It is so confusing isn't it.

I'm trying to help her but not really knowing what i'm doing.

OP posts:

harman · 01/10/2004 21:06

Message withdrawn

Original poster

nutcracker · 01/10/2004 21:09

Oh so that only makes 158 then, ohhh she's not gonna like that.

That is weird as I get 103 a week ctc and dp works full time.

How do they work that out then.

OP posts:

Freckle · 01/10/2004 21:13

I suspect that the £177 pw includes CTC. She wouldn't get Working Tax Credit unless she was working. CTC is available whether a claimant is working or not. She would get greater amounts if she has a child under the age of one or with a disability. She would also get Child Benefit, plus housing benefit and council tax benefit.

beansmum · 01/10/2004 21:14

i get child benefit on top of my IS and tax credits.

i think your friends IS must be the standard £55.65 then the child tax credits will be on top of that, she'll also get child benefit which doesn't count as income when they work out her IS. £38 per child could be right, it probably gets less per child the more children you have.

If you're getting IS you have to go through the CSA to get maintenance but you don't get to keep it and it wont change your total income (I don't think)

I'm getting confused now!

misdee · 01/10/2004 21:15

you probably get WFTC which is seperate to CTC.

i think she get below £200, remember they take off child benefit when working out IS as well. I used to get a fair whack on IS, but dd1 was (still is) getting high rate dla so it made my money up for me, 2kids to about £200 a week. (i think it was that anyway).

misdee · 01/10/2004 21:16

they sdo could Bb when working out IS. its on all my old letters from them. but that was when IS was including all the kdis before CTC took over.

mieow · 01/10/2004 21:16

CTC is for your children. IS is only for you and your partner now. You have to claim CTC and IS seperately. Also CTC is paid even if you work, if you are on a high income then it is reduced to account for that. CTC took over all payments for children and then IS will pay for you, IYKWIM

misdee · 01/10/2004 21:16

they do count CB when wormking out IS.

sorry for typos.

beansmum · 01/10/2004 21:17

they don't take my child benefit off my income support, i get an extra £16.50.

should they take it off?

misdee · 01/10/2004 21:19

maybes it changed now, but they used to do a breakdown of what u had coming in, i know the only thing not counted was my dd's DLA payments. they gave us extra for those. but now its propably taken into account with CTC so doesnt appear on IS.

Original poster

nutcracker · 01/10/2004 21:21

Blimey I can't believe how confusing it all is.

She is already run ragged and having to sort this out isn't helping.

OP posts:

mieow · 01/10/2004 21:24

If she goes to the DSS office they will tell her to claim, she can claim CTC (she should have already done this last year really) and then IS can sort it out when they get those figures. If she has no money till her benifit is sorted she can ask for a Crisis loan at the DSS

misdee · 01/10/2004 21:24

get her to pop into benefitrs office on monday to pick up IS form. fill them in, take them back same day with all id etc. (be warned, they can take weeks if they are grumpy gits. took 4 weeks to sort out my original claim). then phone CTC tomorrow (0845 3003900?) and get them to send forms or get her to do them online. needs to be done asap really. also contact council about Housing/tax benefit on monday. er thinks that all she'll need to do for now.

beansmum · 01/10/2004 21:29

claim tax credits here

Original poster

nutcracker · 01/10/2004 21:32

Thanks guys. I will be seeing her in the morning so i'll pass al that on to her.

OP posts:

Freckle · 01/10/2004 21:43

I should add that housing benefits varies depending on whether you are in rented accommodation or have a mortgage. Also it depends on the amount of the rent (if applicable). If her rent is above the "market rent", i.e. the rent which the rent officer considers to be reasonable for the area in which she lives, then she will only receive a proportion of that rent in the way of housing benefit.

Also the amount of childcare provided by the state is 70% not 90%, if she decides to work.

nellie245 · 03/10/2004 08:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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