benefits advice.

[littleclouds]

Hi, just wondering if anyone has any advice they could give me about benefits please.

I am a newly single mum of 2, (11) (12) and am going through a bit of a traumatic separation with my husband of 15 years, (that's a whole other story!)

We are currently renting from local authority, so I have put in a claim for housing benefit. Still waiting to hear back.

I get child benefit.

I did get joint child tax credits, but due to having to change my details with them, still waiting to hear back on what's happening with that.

I am on medication due to anxiety and depression, so I have a sick note and tried to claim ESA, but have been declined, meaning I will have to go on JSA, I could appeal, but likely get declined again, and I don't really want to put myself through the stress of it all

I don't feel well enough to seek employment atm, so can't really claim JSA. I think I just need to get my head around everything and sort out my mental health before getting back into the workplace, I haven't worked for 13 years.

**I suppose what I am asking is, am I allowed to claim:
child benefit,
child tax credits
and housing benefit,
without claiming either ESA or JSA? Or do I need them to qualify for others? (I hope this is clear what I'm asking!)

The benefit office were not at all helpful, and CAB has been really busy all week, couldn't get seen at the drop in, so will have to wait until Monday to try and get advice from them. And Google is throwing up conflicting advice as always!

Any advice appreciated

I believe you can apply for all of them. I don't think you'll get enough to survive off without either a job or JSA I'm afraid

You can apply for them all. HB is just means tested -no job/illness conditions. CTC again is just finance and working status. Same with CB. You'll probably find that you're only entitled to around £120 pw for CTC, though, so not much to live on.

You don't need to claim either JSA or ESA in order to get HB, although the local authority may ask you why you are not claiming, but you will really struggle to survive on CB and CTCs alone. They will add up to about £150 per week.

When you say you have been declined for ESA can you expand? Have you had a work capability assessment, that is, seen a health care professional who works for Maximus and been told you didn't get enough points to be found incapable of work? Or has something else gone wrong with your claim that might be sorted out in a different way? Please do your best to get an appointment with the CAB and they will help.