Confusion about how much to state I'm getting from ex for kids

[PoorRichGirl]

Hi

Really hoping someone can help.
First time benefit claimant. Completing Housing Benefit form.
Recently separated from kid's dad and he has moved out.
We were not married so no Courts involvement necessary.

He is paying our rent and bills till I find my feet.
As part of finding my feet I am applying for Housing Benefit and WTC to supplement my low income.

I need to declare how much my ex pays maintenance for kids. This is a casual arrangement between us and not fixed. He will not be paying our rent and bills forever (!) so I am unsure what to write under "Other money coming in" as we haven't yet decided and in a way it kind of depends on whether I will get much Housing Benefit etc.

I'm just in a pickle over this and rather confused.

Thank you for reading.

We'll surely you get him to work out how much he can afford and maybe use the CSA calculator to see what the minimum is?

I would calculate it with the minimum he will be giving you in the long run

You can't not to declare some, you risk a fraudulent claim. You'll have to either declare it all, or work out what he'll regularly pay and state that. He won't be able to adjust what he pays you once you've got an active claim without you being reassessed anyway.

Thank you for your help.
I don't want to risk a fraudulent claim that's why I'm worried.

However I'm also worried that if I write an excessive amount it will make it appear that I don't need help for housing from the Council. I want to earn my own money and pay for my own house even if my ex can supplment it as a roof "over his kids' heads". If that makes sense. At the moment I can't afford school dinners with the money that I earn. So I do need money but I'm not as poor as some. I feel undeserving of money and yet I have none and am only getting my by because the ex is temporarily subsidising my low pay.

So if I say, he will give me £500 per month and note that on the form and we set up a direct debit, is it OK if, he will on top of that care for them in extra ways such as covering some club fees directly or covering the cost of new shoes etc.
Thanks alot.

Afaik, maintenance isn't counted in calculations for either WTC or HB. Check the form and it should say that. Whether you spend the maintenance on rent and bills and council tax doesn't matter - maintenance is excluded.

Here is some info:

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/relationships/children-and-young-people/child-maintenance/child-maintenance-where-to-start/

^Will child maintenance affect your benefits?

If you get child maintenance

Child maintenance is not counted as income for means-tested benefits such as Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) and Housing Benefit.

This means if you're getting maintenance you won’t get less money in these benefits. Other benefits which aren’t means-tested won’t be affected either.^

Thank you for that link, it all feels a bit much
Its slowly starting to make sense :)

Sorry you're feeling overwhelmed, but you're doing the right thing getting your finances sorted out. At least then it's one less thing to worry about.

I'm not an expert, but does anyone know if it makes a difference if he gives you the money (eg via bank transfer) rather than paying the rent/bills directly himself? If so, that might be something to think about. Shouldn't make any odds to him either.

Good luck with it all, OP.

Thank you Cruikshank.
I'll take the form over to the council helpdesk so that they can advise me too.
Thank you so much for your help.

What is important is that if you are seperated then you seperate all your finances properly. Tax credits/ Housing benefit people are getting very careful about checking lone parent claims. They will allow you a few months after a split to sort things out, but if after a year he is paying your bills or rent then it will look suspicious to them and look like you are still a couple. It is best to get maintainence sorted properly and get it paid into your bank account ( rather than in cash). Have it identified on your bank statement as 'child maintainenece', then if and when you get checked up on there can be no disputing where the money has come from and what it is for. HMRC do cross referencing - if his name is on your tenancy/ bills etc it will look suspicious. There have been thousands of lone parents who have been caught out by this and had their single tax creidt claims suspended.