Signing child over temporarily

[MeganBoo]

Hi all no judgement please just need some advise. I’m currently on universal credit and have a 3 year old I’m in a bad mental state I have depression, anxiety possibly bpd and can get suicidal. Me and my mum have spoken about me temporarily putting my daughter in my mums care so I can work on myself and I think it’s what’s best for my daughter at this moment in time. To do so I’d have to take my daughter off my universal credit claim and my mum would have to put my daughter on hers, so my mum will get my daughters payments which means I’ll be left with £292 a month (allowance for single adults) I’m not sure how I’ll make it work though as I have a house which I’ll have to pay bills for by the time I’ve done that I’ll have near enough no money left I won’t be able to afford food for the month, petrol etc and I’m in no mindset to be getting into work right now to make extra money. Not sure what to do about the whole situation, I know it’s best to sign my daughter over temporarily and get her back when I’m mentally better but I’m not sure how I’m gonna survive when my money decreased as genuinely won’t have enough left over for food etc which will only make me more depressed I already barely eat as it is I’m underweight and get phases where I get lightheaded and have to hold onto something as I feel like I’ll faint.

Can you and your daughter move in with your mum for a while?

Do you not get a housing element to UC

Rather than change your universal credit could you give your mum money for your daughters food and pay for her clothes if it’s just temporary as your mum doesn’t necessarily need the whole amount surely?. Part of UC is housing costs for your child and if it’s only temporary then you still need a house for your child. There is a certain amount of time you can do this for I believe.

You only really have 2 options:

1. As another poster suggested, why does your child have to go onto your mums UC claim? How “temporary” are you thinking, as if just a few weeks to give you some space then I don’t think that’s necessary, you may be able to keep your claim as it is and just send your mum some money out of that for food/clothes etc for your child in the meantime?

2. You will need to either find some kind of job to bring in extra money. Or as an alternative, have you been diagnosed? You may be able to receive extra UC if you are assessed as having LCW/LCWRA.

why do you need to sign anything? Your daughter can stay with your mum for a week, and you just give her the money for the food

Sounds like you are in a lot of pain at the moment, and maybe you could try and talk to someone professional?

Agree with your dd going to your mums, does it need to be official? whats pushing that? Is your mum?

There is no such thing as 'signing a child over'
Even an absent father who doesn't want to know his child anymore, has no ability to give up parental rights