Housing benefit question.

[wooga]

I am currently having to live off my share of the house sale money following separation a while ago, but it is going down quickly with rent,council tax etc and I read that you can claim part hb once your savings are below £16,000 and more help when they fall below £6,000.

Does anyone know if that amount includes my dcs savings or is there a limit to how much they can have?

Don't think it includes any DC savings, mine weren't included (as after all, you can't access them). You should go talk to your local council - make an appointment - they should be able to tell you all you're entitled to. Plus talk to Lone Parent Advisor at Job Centre Plus. Good luck.

Have you applied for council tax reduction as single occupant? And tax credits?

i think the DC's can have up to £5k.

it's designed to stop people transfering their funds into their childrens names i think

Thank you,I don't want the dcs to lose the money they've had put away over the years,but didn't know what the system says.

I have single occupant's council tax and the child benefits/tax credits I am entitled to but I think you're right about seeing the lone parent advisor-last time I went we'd just split up and I was in a bit of a mess with having to leave my job and put house up for sale-was a lot to take in and ended up in tears there!

I'm training up (NVQ) and hope to get a job after,just been going through my finances today-writing up ingoings and outgoings and seeing when I'll have to get help-gulp.

Am in similar situation, except haven't sold house. You at some point should get HB, IS, child tax credit, CHB, cold weather payment and healthy start vouchers. If the kid's money is in their name and you can't access it it shouldn't count. You might be able to get help towards your training. LPA should tell you about that, go with every question you can think of. Once you get HB you won't pay council tax. Hope you're okay.

wooga - if you are living off money from the sale of a house, it think it gets disregarded for a period of time. I would contact your local council and get a Benefit claim form. They dont include your childrens savings and will process your claim regardless of how much you are earning etc, if you dont qualify, then the letters will expain why, if you do qualify then thats a bonus. Its worth doing this as soon as possible as they only pay your Benefit from the monday following the date you put in your claim iykwim. You dont normally get housing or council tax benefit if you have more than £16k in savings but because of your house sale, this will be slightly different.

hth