Please help me understand my benefits entitlement

[BeauMirchoff]

I'm finally going to split up with my husband. I've done a quick calculation online of what help I would be entitled to and by the looks of it, I would be left with about £1065 after rent (£1250) and childcare (£1400). With that £1065 I'd have to pay for food, transport and all other bills/debts. Council tax would be about £100, phone £50, tv and internet £65, repayment of tax credits £40, cc repayment £30, water bill arrears £50, energy bill arrears £45, other debts approx £50. So that's £430 if my calculation is right...that leaves me with £630 for food, clothes and transport. Can it be done? this is making me so anxious but I just can't live with that man anymore. I'm so unhappy and he treats me like shit and the reason why I even have arrears is because he can't hold down a job for longer than a month. I want to start afresh on my own but that may mean I will really struggle...

I only started on £1800 in Sept 2017. Before that i didn't work, I studied. Only worked for 5months in 2016/2017.

@Viviennemary my income WAS low. This is what the tax credits are calculated on.

1800 a month if that is what you took home is not low. I assume you are not paying income tax yet. All we need to know before we can really help is how much in total is coming in each month and how much is going out each month, excluding foods and living costs like transport. Just make a list.

The thing is OP you need to work it based on your actual income, not from last years lower amounts.

You'll end up having to pay it all back if you've given a salary that's too low. You need to tell them that your salary is no longer at that level.

£1800 is not low. My last year's income was low (approx 11k).

Coming in:
£1800 my income (i've only just started paying income tax last month so had to give up on my pension)
£137 child benefit

I'm not including h's salary because when he moves out he will be paying his own rent and I'm not sure how much he'll be able to give me every month for the children.

Coming out
£1250 rent
£1400 childminder
£430 bills and debts

Would I really not be entitled to any help at all? Yes, rent is expensive. So is the childminder. But I can't move because of my job and the childminder is the only one in the area who does pick ups in my son's school.
Any practical advice would be very much welcome.

Further to pinkhorse post, you need to let tax credits know if your income has increased (or decreased) by £2,500.

www.gov.uk/changes-affect-tax-credits

Sorry have just seen on the previous screenshot you have based it on an income of £11,500 that’s incorrect OP you need to put your actual salary now.

They ask for last year's salary. 2016/2017.
2017/2018 will be 16k.

Based on annual salary of 23k; mine worked out as the following 😐

But they ask you to let them know if your salary has changed significantly which yours has.

Right, so you now have 1937 in each month, assuming that is your net take home pay after tax and 3080 out each month, leaving you 1143 pounds in debt each month before you have bought food, transport, clothes, going out . Is that correct.

But because your salary has changed by over £2,500 per year you have to notify them to stop you receiving an over payment. It really won’t help you working everything out on last years salary when you earned less and you know your salary is now more. Tax credits etc will change a lot and once you do the renewal you won’t be able to afford to live.

It doesn't matter, you need to base it on 2016-2017 or you'll end up paying loads back.

Put 16k per annum into the online calculator, along with your childcare costs, and that will give you a more accurate picture. You might technically be entitled to move initially as they base it on last year's income, but you really need to base it on your current income.

What do I do then? It's not my fault my husband has treated me like shit. It's not like I want to be on benefits...

@retirednow that's correct

Is 1800 your take home or pre tax?
The figures don't seem right:
1800 x 12 = 21,600
Don't want you to fall into the trap so you have to pay everything back... x

Your ex needs to step up and pay maintainance, it shouldn't be optional.

@Bumbumtaloo 16k gives me about £1362 a month

With 28k I will get £988 a month in tax credits...

But then, I might get less in tax credits but will end up getting more in housing benefit..?

Tbh if you are not happy in your relationship and want to end it - then do so.

Financial you will know whether you can hold down a job or not, know how much money you have from month to month

You will get council tax benefit spd, housing benefit
Childcare credit etc

You’ll be fine

I'm not sure you'll get any housing benefit on that income. It will also depend on the ages and sex of your children and whether you have a 2 bed or 3 bedroom house and it will depend on the LA allowance that you will be entitled to.

OP just go by what the turn2us/entitled to thing says. people here obviously don't have a clue and you're just getting more muddled.

it will be tight but you'll be fine.

Sorry BeauMirchoff I’m confused as to what the £28k and £16k represent.

Each local authority vary on housing benefit entitlement.

You will not get £988 a month tax credits in a salary of £28k or any hb.

lubeybooby I think the confusion, well my confusion is because the OP had put her salary of £11,500 to the website and so was working from an incorrect figure.