Those on income support - need advice (long)

[CubaCat]

I'm a LP and due to a change of circumstances (health/mental health issues) I'm seriously considering leaving my job to become a SAHM for a while and going onto income support. A friend of a friend has become a SP due to divorce and she gets IS, TC's, full housing benefit, full council tax benefit, free school dinners, help with school uniform costs, free dentistry, free precriptions and free eye tests.

Does anyone know if the above is correct and whether there's anything else I'll be entitled to that she missed out, and roughly how much I can expect to receive to live on? I just want to get my head around a rough budget so I can prepare for the change in income. I have one child who's almost 4. If any of you have 1 child and are on IS, I'd love to know what monthly income you live on please (feel free to message me).

BTW, it's my first post on here so be gentle with me! Also, I don't want this to turn into a thread about the various merits (or otherwise) of working LP's/SAHM LP's/LP's on benefits - I'm looking for advice and info only please, not a flaming or a debate!

You can live on it, but it's not fun.
I was on IS when my ds was small, until he started school. It was tough going. We both lived and slept in 1 room in the winter because we couldn't afford to heat two. In bed wearing jumpers and sat on the sofa covered in blankets.
I seriously considered getting rid of my car because I couldn't afford to run it, even though public transport where i live is dire so I would have been housebound pretty much.
Some weeks we had less than £20 for shopping so I had to go without food or live on cereal.
I never ever want to go back to life being as tough as that.

I now work part time, enough to get WTC & CTC. I still get free prescriptions, free eye test, and I get help with child care costs. I don't get free school dinners, or CTB. I never claimed HB so didn't loose that though.
I am better off than I was on IS. After struggling really hard, being very toght with the pursestrings and I still go without a lot, I no longer worry when a bill comes in because I can afford to pay it. Even though I can't afford very much else!

Seriously look at the long term effects of that decision. It may seem like life would be ok, but when it's a long term thing it is hard.

Also the rules on claiming IS have and are changing again, and you will have to go on JSA when your child is 7 very soon. I know you mentioned health issues, so not sure if you would qualify on those grounds, but you are going to have to head off to the job centre every two weeks and show that you are actively seeking work or risk your benefits being cut.

Also if you have any savings, or money put aside this will affect your entitlement. And if you get any maintenance from your ex you won't be entitled to all of it on IS, but if you work part tme and claim WTC you get to keep it all (though it does affect your HB & CTB I understand)

Please don't think this is an easy option. It certainly isn't. But if you need to do it temporarily on medical grounds then that is what the welfare system is there for. It certainly isn't the easy ride you'd think from what you read in the press.

Can you not look at changing your hours and becoming part time, either for a while or permanently?

actually gilly - the rules re maintance have recently changed and you can keep it now without it affecting your benefits/

www.entitledto.co.uk is the best place for trying out different scenarios.

Health issues might mean you could get ESA and/or DLA-look into those.

I am a LP on income support, however I also receive DLA for DS and carer's allowance so have a little more on my monthly incomings.

When I looked at what I would have to live on if DS were healthy and neurotypical (just income support, CTC, HB, CB) I found it would be very tight to live on long term, basically surviving and nothing more.

I don't have an extravagent lifestyle now - no sky, one very cheap haven holiday a year, no car to run, etc.

Like previous poster said if you need to do it short term that is what the benefit system is for, and you would survive but have very few luxuries.

Thanks Gillybean2, I've been thinking of nothing else for weeks and whether I'd be able to cope financially. I already work part time - I went part time eariler this year due to stress/anxiety - and I'm truly struggling financially now. I get some HB (I rent privately, rent is quite high) but not CTB. My nursery fees are crippling me as I only receive a tiny amount of WTC but DS is in nursery 3 days (I work 3 days pw). Obviously if I didn't work I wouldnt have to pay nursery fees.

In addition I've got a massive overdraft limit that since going PT I go up to and over every month, incurring charges, plus two credit card debts that I've been paying off for the last 3.5 years (never spend on them, am paying them off only but it's taking ages as I can't afford to pay a large monthly amount). I'm even considering contacting CCCS to go on a debt management plan, but that's another post!

I only get £7.20 per fortnight maintenance and due to the mess I'm in financially I quite often only spend £20 or so on groceries - the week before last I only had £15.50 for groceries. I managed to get a week's worth with £15.20.

I know it won't be an easy ride, but tbh I don't think I'll be any worse off (money wise) than I am now.

Thanks Gillybean2, I've been thinking of nothing else for weeks and whether I'd be able to cope financially. I already work part time - I went part time eariler this year due to stress/anxiety - and I'm truly struggling financially now. I get some HB (I rent privately, rent is quite high) but not CTB. My nursery fees are crippling me as I only receive a tiny amount of WTC but DS is in nursery 3 days (I work 3 days pw). Obviously if I didn't work I wouldnt have to pay nursery fees.

In addition I've got a massive overdraft limit that since going PT I go up to and over every month, incurring charges, plus two credit card debts that I've been paying off for the last 3.5 years (never spend on them, am paying them off only but it's taking ages as I can't afford to pay a large monthly amount). I'm even considering contacting CCCS to go on a debt management plan, but that's another post!

I only get £7.20 per fortnight maintenance and due to the mess I'm in financially I quite often only spend £20 or so on groceries - the week before last I only had £15.50 for groceries. I managed to get a week's worth with £15.20.

I know it won't be an easy ride, but tbh I don't think I'll be any worse off (money wise) than I am now.

Sorry about multiple posts

Butterpie I've been on entitled to and had a look at what I'd be likely to receive. I've also checked out DLA but pretty sure I'm not entitled to it, not heard of ESA but will look it up, thanks.

TheLifeOfRiley I don't have an extravagant lifestyle as it is, so that won't be a big deal to me - never did even when full time as I just could never afford things like foreign hols, regular nights out etc. I'm also an advocate of cheap Haven holidays, in fact I'm taking DS on one in a few weeks!

EleanorHandbasket I do claim the childcare element but as I mentioned above, I only get a tiny amount - think it's to do with the number of hours I work. It only covers a fraction of my nursery costs.

Don't do it, life is dire in IS. The maximum you can get is £64.20 per week + around 50 for CTC+ CB.

Even receiving child maintenance from my ex, I found that period extremely stressful. You learn to live with the bare essentials but if something fails it is a catastrophe (my central heating stop working in the winter and DS and I had to tour around friends houses as I couldn't afford to fix it, just to mention some of the problems).

I also felt very housebound, due to the lack of money, constant stress counting the pennies. I'm sure that if you have anxiety problems this can only make them worse.

Can you be signed off work by your GP for a while? that may help you to recover a bit.

and BTW, I didn't receive housing benefit because my mortgage payments are already very low, but still... it was dire!

Thanks Chandra, it's a really hard decision because I feel like that now - always counting the pennies, hardly going out, v few luxuries etc. In fact, my anxiety is partly due to my money problems as it is, so not sure if it would make them worse or whether it would just be the same.

My GP wanted to sign me off for two weeks when I was first diagnosed in January but I refused as being off work would be more stressful to me, as I'm the type of person who would then stress over who was doing the work, what people thought of me for being off etc. Being signed off may well help me in the short term but I'm not sure it would help in the long term as the issues would still be there.

I would go for a sign off, it would make a huge amount of difference. (I was bullied at work and those 2 weeks off really made a difference).

There is also another point to consider, there are a lot of redundancies at the moment therefore lots of people out of work and not many jobs available, if you leave and you change your mind you may find it very difficult to go back to work.

I have been looking for more than a year now, and I mean lookign religiously, everything that I may be able to do from tutring at university to cleaning, I apply... nothing yet, despite the lovely feedback.

I think ringing a free, charity debt counselling service like consumer credit would go a long way towards easing your problems rather than going on IS.

ESA is VERY hard to get and is going to become even harder to get under the new government. They're already called for people on it to be re-assessed.

DLA, too. It usually needs to be determined that it's something chronic or that won't go away no matter what happens, like cancer, you could be a millionnaire and it won't be solved by that.

For example, DD1 gets it for dyspraxia.

Honestly, a charity can help you sort out your debts - look at renegotiating your interest rate or even writing some of it off.

Are you taking any medication for your anxiety and depression?

Has your GP given you a referral for counselling?

I'd look at all these before jacking in my job, tbh.

By the way, forgot to say the essential.... life in IS is definitively more difficult economically speaking than working even if it is part time and they are paying peanuts.

Chandra Sorry to hear you were bullied at work, must have been awful. Maybe I'll go for that if I really can't cope but I'm one of those people who doesn't like to admit to not coping - I tend to make people think I'm ok even if I'm not, so will only go for being signed off as a last resort. I also understand that it's harder to find a job when you don't have one (esp in the current climate) so that's another thing I have to consider.

expatinscotland I think you are right, I need to contact someone about my debt/finances. It's a big stress to me and needs sorting out, but I guess I'm scared to take that first step. I've been referred for counselling but am not on medication as they said the depression/anxiety I have is mild and they wanted to address it with counselling first. Also, I was diagnosed with kidney disease last Oct so am on lots of medication for that, so I'm not overly keen to be on even more.

There are tons of threads on here, Cat, if you search the Money Matters topic, concerning debt and free services to address them.

You should never have to pay.

There IS help out there and you are not alone and you will feel so much more relief working with someone to get a plan of action

Thanks expat, I'll have a search tomorrow as I'm knackered and not been sleeping well, so need an early-ish night.

Start a thread there, too.

You'll get loads of help.

We're in lots of debt, too. I know how stressful it is.

Hope you get a good night's sleep.

ok, as a lone parent on income support, you will get:
£64 IS per week
£20 child benefit per week
£53 child tax credits per week

Housing benefit - you would qualify for full housing benefit, but bear in mind that there are "local housing allowances". For me, in my area, with 1 child age 3 in a two bedroom house, I'm entitled to £121.15 per week. My rent is £540 pcm which means I have to pay £15 a month on top of HB.

You should be entitled to full council tax benefit.

Plus free prescriptions, eye tests, reduced price glasses, school meals. Some local authorities give money for school uniform, but some dont.

So say your HB covers your rent in full, you will have roughly £548 per month left over to pay bills, buy food, disposable income etc.

I spend £25 a week on food for two of us, it's doable and we still have nice meals.

I've just started work 20 hours per week.

I get WTC, CTC and the childcare element - this 80% of childcare costs paid. Plus my wages, plus some HB but no council tax benefit.

I'm a lot better off working.

It all depends on how many hours you work.

Also, your childcare costs will go down a lot once your DC starts school.

Oh, and I managed to have sky, heat the house no problems etc. Don't have a car though, or go on holiday, so I guess you have to sacrifice some things for others, I wouldn't have been able to afford all those things.

Not being able to leave the house in the evenings meant that having sky/internet etc were more important to me that having a car, going on holiday.

Now I'm working I'll be able to afford to do everything.

Thanks Cordonblueugh, that's really helpful. I've recently reduced my hours from FT to 22 per week and like you I receive TCs, some HB etc. but I don't get anything like 80% of my childcare costs paid! Also, no-one has told me I'm entitled to free prescriptions, dental treatment etc - I had to cancel a dentist appointment the other week as I couldn't afford to pay for it, so that would be helpful if I was - how do I find out if I am?

Also, I'm struggling financially now, while I'm working, so how on earth do you cope??! You say that now you're working you'll be able to afford everything - how??!!!! Am I missing something or is it just me who's crap with money?!

It's possible cordon doesn't have or didn't have the same level of debt you have and teh cost of servicing that.

Hence, why I think it would go a long way towards alleviating some of your stress if you see a debt counselling charity if you are experiencing financial difficulty servicing the debt.

And don't be embarrassed! First of all, you're not alone! Secondly, they've seen it all.

Expat is right, I do have debts, but not huge in the scheme of things (obviously any amount of debt when you have no money is huge!)

Well I'd be happy to post my general incomings/outgoings if you like to give you an idea?