So what do I do once Dave moves out?

Who do I contact to sort out WTC, CTC and to tell the council I'm now a single occupant? I have never claimed anything before ever so I have no clue!!!

Would I even get WTC/CTC? I work an average of 19 hrs a week and get paid £14k. At the moment Dave earns £39K pre bonus but that will be increasing to a minimum of £65K when he starts contracting, probably more like £91K. Obviously I will be receiving child support from him but it will probably be a private arrangement. Will I still get child benefit, because I'm a single mother or is his income as the father sending child maintainance still considered?

Any advice gladly welcomed! x

I would ring Tax Credits first. Child benefit you will still get. Also if your living alone you should get single persons allowance on council tax.
Good luck with everything, sorry your going through this x

you'll be entitled to single person council tax. your tax credits will go up as your now single and living on your own.

there is a website called what am i entitled to (i think) which will give you an idea what you might be able to claim

So his earnings and the fact that I'll get maintainance won't be considered?

I'll deffo get a 25% reduction to my council tax but does anyone know how I let them know? x

Nope it wont be.

It's down only to what you are earning

Hi

when I was single I got wtc and they didn't take into account that I got maintainance even though it was via Csa.

I'd start making claims asap.

Then just relax and enjoy your stress free life

xx

You should be entitled to tax and working tax credits..go to hmrc.gov.uk. It takes a while to work out. Arrange child maintenance privately through you and ex to get an idea of what he should give go to csa website and put money details in that will tell you what he would pay through them.. Then privately agree price yourself but with a knowledge of what you could get.. ( my ex offered me £300 a month for 2 boys - csa worked out £270 so happily accepted) and set direct debit from his account straight to yours. Don't do cash it's far too much hassle.
You would still get child benefit as your bring A up not him, she's living with you.
Contact the council and have him removed from electoral role (my ex tried to apply for credit on my address a week after leaving ) and inform council tax department as you'll get 25% discount...

Then get a large bottle of wine and enjoy sorry it's come to this honey, you'll have a queue forming when them there men folk know your single

OMG! Well that will certainly help out. I've been stressing a bit as to how I'm going to manage with bills. Dave will be paying his half of the mortgage plus child support, which until he starts contracting (1st interview on Monday for which he's over qualified but it's close by) will only cover the mortgage (£503) I'll be finding money for all bills, council tax and food. Yikes!!!

Thanks so much for all your help ladies, I'm just so clueless. Are the numbers on the .gov website? x

Em I bloody wish I had a queue of men lol. I know one single bloke and that's my best friend!!!! So wouldn't go there. I can see me going on eHarmony or something like that as I just don't have any single friends to go out with x

As the other ladies have said you will get the council tax deduction, Im sure you can ask about this when you do your application for housing benefit, I'd assume its the same people?

You will definitely get CTC, and probably WTC too (but no idea how they calculate this)

Im not 100% but I think you only ever have to declare what maintenance you are getting if you are getting 'benefits', not like CTC but like income support or something, cos Im sure I have read peoples benefits get reduced depending on what maintenance they get?

Thanks Lisa.

I won't get HB as I have a mortgage.

Oh yeh

Maintenance is not usually taken into consideration at all now. I believe the c/a would give an estimate of 15% of his earnings over a year as a rough guide to maintenance.
But it does depend on how often he will be having a over night.

x

here is the caculator, it asks you not to include maintaince etc, just your earnings and hours worked and chidcare costs. the figure it gives you will be from now unitl the end of tax year, which is the 17th april, so you will have to use that figure to work out how much would be a month.

http://taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk/Qualify/DIQHousehold.aspx

you will get working tax credit so long as you work more than 16 hours per week for 4 consecutive weeks - phone them as soon as dave has moved out (they won't calculate it until it has happened) and you will still get child tax credit which will probably be based on your earnings rather than maintenance etc but you do need to declare all of your income and they will work it out (i think it is only based on taxable income though.

here's quite a good calculator http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/payments-entitlement/entitlement/question-how-much.htm but you need to ring them and talk to them because they will base their calculations on last year's joint income rather than the year ahead which is a pain in the *rse so make sure they know it has changed dramatically - you might end up waiting until april (new tax year) to get the extra money, but it will get backdated.

child benefit isn't means tested just now so that will stay the same basic rate.

phone your local council about the tax reduction, you will definitely get it but you will probably have to fill in a form so if you ring they will send it out to you

I went to a lawyer after i split with my ex. According to her she told me that he should still be paying half the utility bills and half the house insurance as it's still his house. If i was you i would consult a lawyer and get a minute of agreement set up incase anything goes awry between you and he stops paying at all. That way you've got it in black & white and you have both signed it. If it gets ridiculous and he refuses to pay. You can get his wages arrested for the amount he is liable for each month as you have a legal document with his signed agreement for liability.

Hope this helps. I know it's probably not something you want to do but i would highly recommend it just incase.

Dee
x

there is an online calculator which will tell you what benefits you are entitled to and how much, its in Useful contacts section on here xxx

http://www.babiesandall.com/t7306-what-benefits-online-calculator

Thanks Dee, yes we will be having a legal agreement. He's already told me he'll pay half the buildings insurance, he's put some thought into all this. I wouldn't be happy letting him pay half the utilities bills as he won't be using any of them so I don't think I'll pursue that bit. Thanks for your advice though lovely, you're right things may well be ok now but I no longer trust him so couldn't say, hand on heart, that he wouldn't turn into a twat x

I know exactly where you're coming from. My ex and i split amicably. I even helped him move cause he couldn't drive. I ended up with police and an injunction on him cause he constantly phoned and text harrassing me and then started showing up at the door drunk at all hours shouting and screaming for weeks. It was horrible. He broke in too one day. That's only a small amount of what happened. Needless to say he didn't pay anything so i let the house be repossessed. It's only just sold and it's 4 years on. That's why i would recommend getting it all on paper.

Dee
x

Hey Lisa! This is the site we use and its really accurate, and will work out

Child Benefit, WTC & CTC, (and any council tax or housing benefit too if applicable)

https://www.turn2us.entitledto.co.uk

Its a great site, I love it! xxx

Even though you are getting all that, and have a mortgage, its worth checking if you will get any form of income support. Im sure they cant screw you over, just because you have a mortgage.

x

On a separate note to what the ladies have said, and I'm probably teaching granny to suck eggs here so feel free to tell me to shut up, you should revisit your will, particularly what your wishes are with Amelia should anything happen to you. Also look at life insurances, if you have non-mortgage related protection you might want to change the beneficiary to Amelia rather than Dave and any death in service at work, as it will all still go to him whilst your married. If you get a work pension, then you'll need to let them know as again, if anything happens to you it will pay out to him. xx

You can still get housing benifit with a morgatge, but it only covers the interest payments. Not many people know about it as it's not well advertised, but if you go down to your local council office they will help you out, they can also set up your single person discount on your council tax.
If you have any questions let me know as my oh is a council tax and housing benifit advisor

On a completely different note, away from money that is.
I would defo get yourself on a dating website, a good one like eharmony.
If I was single, thats what i would do. Even if you dont fancy a serious relationship for a time, at least you will get yourself some attention. Get yourself back out there and make sure the bugger knows what hes missing
XxXxX

VickieAndSophie wrote:

On a completely different note, away from money that is.
I would defo get yourself on a dating website, a good one like eharmony.
If I was single, thats what i would do. Even if you dont fancy a serious relationship for a time, at least you will get yourself some attention. Get yourself back out there and make sure the bugger knows what hes missing
XxXxX

Couldnt agree more!!