Benefits

[louiss]

I have just lost my job and separated from the father of my 2 young children. Have had to claim Income Support and will be moving into rented house. My question is will it affect my income support if I use child maintenance payment to top up the rent on any house I rent. I will be claiming housing benefit. Will they want to know why I am looking to rent a £900 per month property. I hope to find work soon and don't want to have to move the chldren again.

whatever you get in child maintenance will come off your income support, bar maybe twenty quid or so a week. They will not pay for you to get a £900 per month property - there will be an housing benefit allowance of approx 500quid depending on your area. Just out of interest - why is the rent so high??!!

the payments will come off your income support but will not effect your tax credits at all - I think that is what NatashaBee may be referring to.

I,too,thought CM was now disregarded for IS

Er no. You could get a thousand a week in maintenance snd it wouldn't matter!! It's no longer taken into account and hasn't been for some time now!

oh my mistake - I must be out of touch!! Good news then for mothers :)

Child maintenance and benefits
Since October 2008, all parents have been able to choose how to arrange child maintenance, even if they're on benefits.

Also, since April 2010 parents with care can keep all child maintenance paid to them and this should no longer affect their income-related benefits.

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/ChildMaintenance/Arrangingchildmaintenance/DG_199174

Maintenance is disregarded now, but when they changed the rules they didnt tell anyone.
That is if you are lucky enough to get maintenance, somehow the csa has worked out XH can get away with £6.50 per week.

Rather than guessing, I'd recommend you run your details, including any maintenance and the amount you pay in rent, through the Turn2Us Online Benefit Checker You should then be able to see what you are entitled to claim and get a good idea of how much the award will be for various benefits.

Surely your dh earns very little then weevils.

That's not enough to keep a gerbil.