Advice re benefits please, so worried I cant sleep.

[toostressedtosleep]

Recently had my incapacity benefit stopped, I am appealing this. I am a single parent so also get CTC and HB and maintenance from exh. Was advised to apply for income support, did so and was awarded £1.80 pw. How is this possible? I have lost my incapacity benefit but have only been awarded this small amount. Should my HB now go up? HB has also been suspended until I receive proof of being on income support.

Really need some advice as I cannot sleep for worrying about this. Now have no money coming in at all until I receive confirmation of my award of income support, which could be anywhere up to two weeks. Thanks.

Go to the CAB, this doesn't sound right. Do you work in any way? Because sometimes that affects what you get - but if you have no money and no food etc then you can get things like crisis loans. there are other MNers that know more about this and hopefully someone will be along tomorrow morning to help.

Hi toostressedtosleep.

Firstly, you can go to the social fund, through Jobcentreplus, and ask for a crisis loan. It is interest free, and you can negotiate the repayments from your benefits.

The issue with Income Support, is that the maintenance counts as income, and therefore, will affect the level of income support you get. However, this won't make any difference to any other help that you get as a result of receiving Income Support.

Are you receiving Council Tax Benefit? And do Child Tax Credits know that your income has gone down? This will increase your Child Tax Credits.

There are also social fund facilities to provide nappies wipes and formula milk - they will refer you as you apply for the crisis loan.

Thanks for your replies.

I have told Child Tax Credits and they have gone up by £50 but don't get them till the 3rd week into next month. Will my Housing Benefit go up also?

I really tried to do the right thing by letting everyone know what was going on ie HB and what do they do? just promptly suspend it so I am no longer getting Incapacity Benefit OR HB until the income support thing is sorted out.

Am going to look for a job and was already going on a course to retrain in September, have decided overnight not to appeal the Incapacity Benefit. Think it is time to get back out there, however I can't do that without ANY money at all to live on. Sick of being stuck in the benefits thing and all the issues that go with it.

IS for a lone parent is around £60.Then you would get ctc.(for 2 children over 1 and in full ed,would be around £90).HB would cover your full rent in council house,not sure if private rent.Council tax would also be paid.

If exh is paying maintenance,then this would be taken off IS.I think its anything over £20.So if he pays you £30,£10 would be taken from IS.

Also you can have CTC paid weekly.
HTH

I would also check with IS that they know you no longer recieve incapacity benefit.

I was going to add ask to get your CTC paid weekly.