I've just started my claim for income support but can anyone answer a child maintenance Q?

[LastOrders]

I was made redundant last thurs, so my working tax credit has stopped and my housing benefit is likely to pay full rent.

I'll receive income support, but want to know whether they'll disregard maintenance paid for my son?

I'm so out of touch with this.

Can anyone advise as to how much I'm likely to receive? I don't work at all.

I'm somewhat panicking now at the thought of slowly going under financially (car payments to make every month )...

Hello. So sorry to hear your situation. I claimed income support and housing benefit as a single mum in 2004/2005. They DO take into account the maintenance for your son. It is such an unfair system. They disregard the first £10 and then the rest comes off the benefit. They told me that the income support is for the adult and teh child tax credit is for the child yet they do knock money off for your maintenance. If you were to tell them that you do not receive maintenance they would contact the CSA to pursue your ex.
So sorry this isn't great news for you. I can only hope that the system has changed since I claimed. I then got £20 per week maintenance, £19 Income Support and £41 child tax credit and full housing benefit.
I hope it works out better for you. xxx

So in a round about way - I'm f**ked

Can anyone in the same sort of situation tell me how much they recieve each week?

I've only 1 DC.

I know that it's a cheeky thing to ask, but I'd like to know where I'd stand so I can start sorting finances out.
Thanks

Housing and CT benefit is disregarded as I found out a while ago but I'm sure IS isn't.

I think it's so bloody unfair that the father of my child gives me money so I can give DS a better life and the things he needs, but the bloody government take it away and let us struggle.

Think I'll tell exP that he may as well stop the maintenance and give us £10 quid a week and to put the rest into a savings account for DS. It's the only way he'll get a better future I fear

Rules have recently changed as to how much your allowed to keep. Going on a previous post I think IS is about £60+, then CTC of around £45, then Child Benefit an dany maintenece you allowed to keep

You should get your Council Tax paid. Have you looked at entitled to

www.entitledto.co.uk/

sorry

www.entitledto.co.uk/

IS is £64

CTC around £50

CB £20 for one DC

You can keep £20 of any maintenance and I think this is due to rise again. AFAIK you have to inolve CSA if you claim IS but this may have changed.

hey lastorders..im too on IS, you dont have to go through the CSA but you can only accept 20 quid in maintenance. this is being reviewed in SEP 09 so hopefully the amount will increase..its looking as though it will..fingers crossed (although hopefully i will have found work by then)good luck with everything x

Just to second zarastar, you dont have to go through the CSA when you claim IS. In fact my jobcentre advised against involving CSA as it is taking so long to process claims etc. And you can keep £20 a week maintenance before it comes of your IS.

I really don't quite understand yet how it works. As far I understand, the first 20 pounds you receive in maintenance are not considered in the calculation for IS. Any money extra will be. It doesn't mean that they keep the money your ex provides, is just that they deduct that from what they would otherwise give you (which in practical terms is the same)

If I am wrong, please correct me.

Thanks to you all for replying.

It seems that it won't be as bad as first thought then.

So how would it work if I asked exP to lower the maintenance payments to just £20 a week and to put the rest of what he would normally give us into an account for DS's future? (His Dad is rather well off...) Cheeky, but why should DS lose out?!

Sorry for all the questions, just unsure how it works

Make an appointment to talk with the Job Centre (they have advisors who specialise on single parents' situation). They are very thorough in providing options, submitting benefits applications and suggesting ways for keeping your finances reasonably well until you find the next job.

Hi, I have just logged onto the internet for advice, as I too am pretty much in exactly the same situation as you. I was made redundant, but still qualified for SMP. This stops in two weeks time, and am going back to college, so wanted to temporarily go on IS, but was informed a couple of days ago that I will no longer be entitled to all of my my sons maintenance money from his Dad. Just so angry this is how the systems works, when it's not our fault we were made redundant, and I'm going back to college so I can try and make life better for my son and I. Have you got to the bottom of the facts yet?

You can make a 'private' arrangement to be paid directly from your ex p instead of going through CSA. Just tell the job centre that you have a private arrangement where your ex p is paying you £20 a week, and this saves the hassle of getting CSA involved.
If you have already arranged to get your money through the CSA, then DSS let you keep £20 of it, and the rest is offset against your IS.

It's not fair and if I was a NRP I'd be very angry that the money I was providing to improve my DC life, is being used to support my exp. The Govt claim to be trying to lift every child out of poverty, but then they do this.

I heard that from 2010 maintenance wont be calculated in claims for IS at all. Does anyone know if this is correct?

why don't you ask dad to top up your sons childrens fund thingy (forgotten its name!) you can add to it monthly by direct debit and it won't affect your benefits

I think this explains the changes. I have been looking into it myself as about to start divorce proceedings, but will now be holding off getting H name removed from the mortgage until april next year.

At the moment H pays my half of the mortgage in lieu of child support. This is allowed as no money comes to me and is paid direct to the lender. Benefit office are fine with this as it doesn't count as income as I don't see it