New single mum

[polarbear11]

Hi all,
I'm a newly single mum after the breakdown of my marriage. I have two primary school aged children. Besides the normal entitlements (Universal Credit, Child benefit etc) what other help is available? I've seen as well as 25% single persons discount on council tax, there's actually a council tax deduction (dependant on income). Also there's some money towards energy bills? I think there was a thread similar not long ago, but thought a few more people might be in a similar situation with second lockdown now in England!

There's no money towards energy bills unless you mean the warm home discount which some energy suppliers offer.

No help on utilities, council tax support varies. At that age you will be expected to job hunt immediately and after 3 months the pressure is turned up so I would be looking at being referred to a job consultant person by the job centre who also help with different grants available eg childcare

@movingonup20 hopefully you miss interpreted what I was asking and you weren't assuming I was jobless and lived off my ExDH? I have a career and have now increased my hours. I own the family home. I was merely wondering if there was anything else I was entitled to!

@Babyroobs yes thats it warm home discount scheme. Is there also a social tariff that some companies provide?

What you may be able to claim is entirely dependent on your income so unless you disclose that no one here will be able to tell you what you help you might get. There's no such thing as single parent benefits and not all single parents claim benefits.

If you have a mortgage and a decent job you will get very little other than single person discount for council tax. I'm a single parent and don't get anything apart from that, don't qualify for child benefit either. What do you earn?

Child maintenance?

Use some comparison websites to change energy supplier to the lowest tariff

Beware some providers charge a £30 exit fee if you leave before the term eg before 1 year

Which
Or
www.energyhelpline.com
Or
Look on money saving expert website

Also move your bank, some banks are offering £125 free money to move
Info also on money saving expert website

Depends on income, all I got was single person council tax reduction, if you have a good job, own your home and children in school you may be the same

If you work and have an income single parenthood is irrelevant tbh as it is income based, which I suspect is why an earlier poster assumed you meant you didn't work.

Water meter might be worth checking I had one installed after I moved from a 2 adult and one child household, to one adult one child..anything benefit related is income and savings reliant (universal credit) a lot of people assume you get money from government forgetting now they take your savings into account. Standard advice check entitled to website as everyone’s personal circumstances different

My husband often cries 'divorce', especially when I stand up to him if he's being particularly unreasonable and I'm wondering whether one day I could actually afford to call his bluff and leave this rollercoaster.

I'm sure we'd be fine not living together.
I must admit, I often stay becausei can't stand the thought of the children living between 2 homes.

I'm fortunate enough to own my own home but earn very little and wondering if I could actually afford it...

Has anyone ever left before, had a home of their own but earned between 8 and 10k per year?

TIA