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How much money for a lone parent with 3 children

42 replies

Sweepitundertherug · 27/03/2012 18:24

I am soon to be leaving my h.

I will have to leave (via refuge)

I am trying to plan stuff.

I will have to go n income support. How does this work?

How much money (approx) will I get?

Do they pay a proportion of rent and council tax.

Kids are 12, 10, and three.

I will be looking for work. Youngest starts work a year sept,

Many thanks.

Btw I have looked on the uk.gov website and can't make head nor tail of it.

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Sweepitundertherug · 27/03/2012 18:26

Youngest starts school not work. They don't let them up chimneys any more do they Wink

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tantrumsandballoons · 27/03/2012 18:29

Hi sweep
I'm sorry to hear of your situation but glad you have found the strength to leave.
I'm sure there will be someone along in a minute who will know all the ins and outs, I just didn't want to read and not post.

I don't know about income support rates but I do know you will get housing benefit and council tax benefit.
The council tax will cover the whole amount.
The housing benefit will be whatever your LA rates are, for example in enfield it would be a maximum of £1200 for a 3 bed house.

Good luck, keep us posted x

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Meglet · 27/03/2012 18:29

The only bit I know about is child benefit. I get working tax credits, but that varies on how much you earn.

I get 25% off my council tax as I'm counted as a single person.

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colditz · 27/03/2012 18:32

They will probably pay all your council tax. Your rent will depend on your local housing allowance for your family. What genders are your children and what council is your district council?

You will get £65 per week income support, roughly £140 per week child tax credit and £45 a week child benefit.

If yor children's father is working you will get maintenance at 25% of his income.

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sazm · 27/03/2012 18:46

i am a single mum to 3 kids, i get £47.10 child benefit, £159 ctc a week . as well as £134 a fortnight for income support, they pay £1200 of my council tax a yr and £103 a wee towards my rent (for a 3 bedroom house). if you look on your local council website,it should tell you the rate of rent they will pay a week.

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tantrumsandballoons · 27/03/2012 18:50

How are you doing though op, other than trying to pick your way through the confusion of the benefits system.

Hope you are ok

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Sweepitundertherug · 27/03/2012 19:15

Thanks all x

Rents are expensive around here in the south east. There is very little social housing. Someone I knew was in a refuge for over a year as there was nowhere for her to go. That does worry me a little. I do not want to go in one of the tower blocks in the town centre as they are in the news almost daily with drugs and fires in the stair wells. The majority of the residents are lovely. Just a very small minority are making it hell.

My kids are naice ham sorts Wink and wouldn't survive for long!

I have looked at private. Approx £850 per week for a 3 bed. Have 2 boys and 1 girl. It would be getting a deposit and all that, which would stop me getting somewhere there.

He is so shit with how much money he gives me though, that ridiculously, it looks like I'd be financially better off without him.

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RandomMess · 27/03/2012 19:21

I'm in the SE and SIL is working part time and still gets pretty much full housing benefit and council tax benefit, she got some assistance with the deposit too - some sort of loan.

have you looked at entitledto.com

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Sweepitundertherug · 27/03/2012 19:24

I even found entitled to hard, but actually, I have more information now so I will look there again.

It is a minefield. How the Blardy hell do people fiddle the system?!

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tantrumsandballoons · 27/03/2012 19:24

Sweep you can get help with a deposit from the council.

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queenofitall · 28/03/2012 00:54

Sweep:been there & done it 2 years ago.
Book an appointment with your local council "housing options" (they should have a DV co-ordinator who can liaise with you), they will tell you everything you need to know about benefits & will give you applications for benefit and assistance providing you with a deposit bond.
They should have a list of available properties to rent.
Most likely you would be entitled to 3 bedrooms, check the LHA website for your area (google LHA) to see what the housing allowance is.
You are statutarily homeless & are high priority. You need to consider schools, catchment areas & transport options as well as rental values - see rightmove website to get some idea.
Also if you need to set up home/furniture etc, try freecycle in your area using the internet- sofas beds etc are often available - & ebay is useful.
I moved with nothing, with 2 children on income support (I was advised to give up my job for legal aid for injunctions etc), & found it really hard to budget & prioritise. Having said that, please be kind to yourself you will be in a recovery process.

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Sweepitundertherug · 28/03/2012 11:13

Thank you for all your help. I am between 3 councils.

Have done the calculations and get £800 pm towas rent. That can just about scrape a place.

Thanks x

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queenofitall · 29/03/2012 20:56

I wish you well with your plans, I hope you find a place you can create into a nice home for you and your family.

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purpleroses · 29/03/2012 23:27

Once you're at the refuge they should be able to help you with this sort of thing. The housing benefit you will get varies depending on where the place is. Otherwise the figures that sazm gives are likely to be the same for you.

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Duckypoohs · 29/03/2012 23:58

Glad you are getting out sweep, wrt to furnishing your house, I live in the SE (herts) and local to me there is a furniture recycling place, all furniture is very cheap but additionally if you are on certain benefits you get an additional 50% off, it's brilliant. You can get some lovely furniture for peanuts (bought a single bed for £30, brand new looking, looked it up online and it retailed at about £1200 Shock), maybe there will be something like this in your area.

Also if you are on income support you used to be able to claim a grant, although I'm not sure if that still exists, I'm sure wa will be able to help you. Good luck, I read your other thread and my stomach was constantly churning, no idea what it must be like to live like that.

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Sweepitundertherug · 30/03/2012 14:11

Thank you duckypoohs x

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Jeremyjames · 26/12/2012 19:14

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KidderminsterKate · 26/12/2012 19:21

ummm women pay taxes too you twunt

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Jemma1111 · 26/12/2012 19:21

With an attitude like that jeremyjames no wonder your'e single.

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MissPricklePants · 26/12/2012 19:25

Jeremy the OP is planning to leave via a refuge indicating abuse! We cannot have a society where some men find it acceptable to abuse their partner's. The benefit system is essentially a safety net, it will help the OP get back on her feet! She has also stated she is planning to work when her youngest starts school next year. And just to point out women do work, so take your aged patriarchal views with you on the way out of this thread eh?

OP if you speak to the job centre they can help you with things like a deposit etc. I hope it all works out for you, stay strong and ggod luck!

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D0G · 26/12/2012 19:28

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OldLadyKnowsNothing · 26/12/2012 19:31

Op was posted back in March, I hope she's happy and settled by now.

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Worley · 26/12/2012 19:33

JeremyJames... it's not just you men who pay taxes and not every one is fortunate to be your position.. Single (hmmm wonder why) and working 50 hours a week.. There has been an occasion when I needed help from te government and in happy to repay for that help in my taxes now.

Worley ( mother to two dc, working 47 hours a week in employment on 37k a year, not to mention work done running a home) (oh and I'm single because I discovered women cannot rely on most men)

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droves · 26/12/2012 19:33

By the goddess I swear I didn't actually think there were real human beings out there that think like jeremyjames ...if that is a real post by a real person then his parents should be ashamed of themselves for raising such a twatbag.

Jj you should remember that a woman gave life to you , you horrible mysoginistic creature .... A Woman , carried you beneath her heart for 9 months and yet you have such hatred in your attitude for women .

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Kormachameleon · 26/12/2012 19:36

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