housing benifit and csa

[benbon]

just a quick question i receive housing benifit at the mo, to which i have to add about £165 to make up my rent.

and have been speaking to my kids dads recently and feel that as the initial uproar is now over he is going to start giving me maintenence.. all i want to know is how this will affect my housing ben. apparently it doesnt affect my income support..

any advice?? and does it depend on how much you get??

thanks

Maintenance is no longer taken into account against housing benefit or income support.

It really will be extra money.

Hope that helps.

excellent.. is there a threshhold to this.. ?

Nope x

Is that really correct? So that means if two parents seperate the resident parent can claim housing benefit and income supoort even if the non resident parent is paying a very large sum in maintenance?

I think that is very very wrong. Maintenance should DEFINITELY be taken into accound when calculating benefits. Ok OP of course it is excellent for you, and in the same situation I'd probably be very happy if it was a large sum of money but it will mean loads of people getting benefits when they don't really need them, as I'm sure you'll agree.

hi,
is this just in england?
or scotland too does anyone know?

my sister - in - law has 3 kids, gets housing benefit,but was told if she claims income support then she wouldnt get the maintenance money - it would go to the csa,
as a result she takes the maintenance money and doesnt claim income support?
is she missing out?

It should be in Scotland too.

Only came in with effect from 6.04.10 so many people arent aware. The advice your sister was given sounds outdated now. If her youngest is under 10 she should apply again.

Starbuck999 I dont agree with maintenance for children being taken into account against Income Support or similar. These days Income Support normally only pays for the adult, the childs allowance comes from CTC. It is therefore wrong to take an income meant for the children into account when assessing an adults allowance.

If maintenance is to be taken into account it either need to been taken into account when calculating CTC or not at all.

I am in no doubt that the new government will reverse this new rule. I am also in no doubt that the Child Poverty target will be affects by any further change. More children will penalised and it will discourage parents from making maintenance arrangements as the state will only take it.

I make these comments afer extensive work in the welfare system and as a claimants of the system as a lone parent. Besides the cost of administrating Child Maintenance changes is probably the same saving as it would be to take it into account.