A Question to those on Benifits

[LadyTambaOfTambaTown]

How managable do you find them to live on?

Hi Tamba. Im struggling on benifits at the moment but thats mainly cos i have built up debts and been over spending!
When i was on benifits a few years ago,i coped fine.Good luck.Your doing great.

what benifits will you be getting, i get family tax credit so i can only advise on that i no nothing about income support

im struggling at the moment. i get extra because Ds gets DlA so im usually ok and manage pretty well but recently i have had to fork out for so much (having finally moved into our new place i have had to buy lots of stuff that we had to leave behind) so i have really messed up with my finances.

Most of my neighbours are on benefits and I think it depends on how well you can work the system. If you can't then it is a struggle, my friend has 2 ds and she found it really hard but the tax credits meant she could afford to go work.

Some neighbours have more per week to live on with their benefits than we do on a wage. I used to think people on benefits really had a hard time, from friends I knew who had gone on them between jobs and such but know different now. There are families where being on benefits is the career choice which is a shame for the children.

Like I said though, you really need to know the system back to front. Despite what is reported the agencies do help.

I dont find it easy to manage on benifits, but its just making me even more determind to get off of them tbh, and its got to be better than not having anything.

I hate not being able to buy DD nice things just because I want to, as every penny needs to be acounted for.
Its just me and her so there is no other income and although its going to be hard to do the studying(£80 just for the fees) and spending time away from her so that I can get a well paid job.
I cant wait to get off the benifits.

Good luck YummyMummy you'll do it. You sound just like my friend did a couple of years ago, she thought it was hopeless too. She went to college too and she got free childcare at the college nursery and all her fees paid for. There is some scheme you can go on and I wish I could remember the name of it, just that you needed to be unemployed for 6 months. She got her benefits as normal plus an extra £10 (woohoo don't spend it all in the one shop mind!)

Like I said this scheme also paid her fees and childcare, it was through the job centre. She did an HND. Would you not be able to go on that?

Thanks :)

Im not sure what benifits I will be entitled too but atm have no income what-so-ever! Child benifit goes into a joint account but that will be changed into my account. I have a 700 pound mortgage to pay also, onto of regular bills... and just wondering how I am ever going to do it!

Tamba, I know that you will get tax credit on whatever benefits you do get. Maybe you need to find a really helpful person at CAB or at your local benefits office.

well if you dont work you should be entitled to income support, but i dont know how much it is, and you should but a claim in for housing benifit although i dont know how it works when you have a morgage

i think there must be a government website with the figures on and what you are entitled to

tax credits phone number is 0845- 300-3900