How do I go about actually getting all my benefits sorted?

[Froslass]

Before I start, I don't want anyone to think I want to claim benefits because I'm lazy or anything! There are so many people where I live who have no jobs and live off the state and I'm worried people are going to think I'm one of them!

Basically, OH and I are still living with our parents. We need to find somewhere to stay shortly before LO is born. My parents have 5 kids and my bedroom is TINY and has no window, and so def not suitable for a baby.

I know I would be entitled to housing benefit, income support, child benfit, child tax credits. OH is at university just now, and I was made redundant shortly before I found out I was pregnant...

OH works part time, about 10 hours a week, and gets about £250 a month. If we lived togther he would be eligible for a bursary.student loan from SAAS of about £6000 per year (over ten months of the year) at about £600 per month..

Whilst OH can sort that out himself, I have no idea how to go about claiming for housing benefits or anything else whilst I'm still living with my parents. I'm so scared, and whilst I have no doubts that once everything is in place we will be able to manage fine, I have no idea how to actually get there.

Do I need to actually be renting before I can claim for housing benefit? Until LO I wont get child benefit, and OH won't get his Student loan until september either, so I don't know how I'm going to get this all sorted in time!

Any advice from anyone who has been in a similar situation would be much appreciated.

If all goes well I'll only need to claim for 1 or 2 years as I plan on going back to Uni after LO turns one part time, and OH will be in his probationary year (he'll earn a basic £20,000 salary). Then we can hopefully buy our own house after his prob year, and we both have decent jobs and LO is in school.

I'm not sure I can process all this.

 

[midnight]

from 29 weeks you can claim income support you cant claim housing benefit until you actually have a house to do this all you do is contact you local housing benefit section for a form if your going with council housing they usually have the forms once the baby is born you then need to claim child benefit then child tax credits if you live with your partner they will take into account anything he has coming in as an income you might be best going down to your local job centre and actually asking them what and when you can claim for xx

 

[flexilexi394]

Yeah if I were you I'd go to the job centre.

 

[leanne1b]

Okay, being astudent/with benefvits, is difficult because the jobcentre/websites tend to say... this is what you get... we dont know about students. So heres a v rough guide.
When baby born, you'll get chilld benefit. Child tax credits is not affected by student finance income, but you do have to tell them about it, but they wont even ask how much or anything.
He is already a student? Is this in England? If so, when baby is here, tell him to tell student finance of a change of circumstances.. He'll become eligible for a parent learning allowance (approx £1500 per year). Also, I dont know his age, but having a child automatically makes you "independent" so his parents income is not looked at, so if on a low income he should get quite a few grants, i.e. maintenance etc. If he gets full maintenance, then his uni will automatically give a grant (varies from uni to uni from about £350-1200) a year.

As a student hed be exempt from council tax, and like someone else said, u cant claim hb until you are renting. Will he live with you? Like when do you think ud be leaving ur parents?
Again as someone else said, u are eligible for Income Support from 29 weeks, and if you live together, you can also claim on his behalf (I was in the exact same situation last year - also having heart failure)
Prior to 29 weeks, I believe you could both apply for JSA... but his depends because hes already earning... but could be topped up with income support?

I know what you mean hun. I hate the stigma attached to it. I live in council housing and we've had to go on and off benefits a few times because of a ridiculous amount of unexpected events.
But, Im starting to realise, what the hell do I care what others think. We have no intention of being on benefits for life. My partner starts a new job, that he'll love in about 2 weeks, Im staying at home with LO for the moment, but we both know we want to earn a decent amount of money, get the hell out of council housing, and own our own home. Dyu know what, you know this is an interim measure, just dont settle... remember where u want to get to, and in the mean time, just ignore people lol
xx

 

[emmaandamyleigh]

If he's earning and doing 10 hours a week he can claim job seekers as they just take off what he earns that week you get a form each week for him to write his hours in and his wage theyll ask how much tax he payed and stuff I worked 8 hours in a premeit in and claimed jobseekers allowance that was b4 I knee I was pregnant with Amy the form is easy and they'll show you how to do it you also need to take pay slips in if he gets them you can claim as a couple as they same they will deduct what he earns apply to council fr housing you'll probs get more points if I read correctly that where you lve will be classed as over crowded if your parents have 5 kids living at home and your in a small room with other half then the baby too as f you turning 29 weeks you can claim income support then child benefit and child tax you also will be eligible for sure start maternity grant if it's your first child you get 500 pound u can get this 11 weeks b4 baby is due upto I think 3 months after baby is born for your oh there shud be some grants available as he's a student. But on not sure what hope this helps

 

[emmaandamyleigh]

Premier inn *