Hi, As the title suggests my 16 year old is pregnant (shocked me somewhat). She lives at home and we have a healthy relationship and she wants to stay here, and I am happy about that. Babys father is local but they're not in a relationship and he won't be moving in or anything like that. Her father and I do claim a relatively small amount child tax credits for her, since she's still in school and is planning on 6th form in Sept. She fully intends to go ahead with this, and we'll support that for obvious reasons. My question is, how do benefits work when she has the baby? Does she claim independently, and our claim has to stop, or can we roll her baby into our claim? Its not my baby and I won't be parenting it, and I won't be a full time carer to it. Its just something we've never had to face before.

No. We were waiting for our tenant to move in. We are sure we did call to discuss the terms, since it was complex. They deny any call happening. We have never claimed to have anyone 'living' in the house. They told us it must never be empty for more than 30 days at a time. We made sure it wasn't. We were working on it alternate weekends.

We have a landlord insurance, but it asked was a tenant in place?, which we answered 'no' to.

Hi We bought a house, last May in Norfolk. We don't live in it. It was bought with our inheritance to retire to one day. In the meantime we rent one 140 miles away that we live in as we can't afford to retire yet. Our house in Norfolk was bought with the intention of renting it out until we can move in about 4 years time. We had some work to do in the house to make it fit for tenants, and we (wrongly as it happens) thought we would be liable for capital gains tax if we rented it in the first 6 months, so knew it wouldn't be tenanted straight away. We have finally got a tenant, with the contracts ready and signed to move in at Easter. When it came to insuring it, it was hard work. Because we didn't live there, but it wasn't a holiday home, and it didn't have a tenant in yet. We went through 'Your Insurance' online and filled in the forms to be given an appropriate policy. They placed our policy with Churchills, who sent us out the paperwork, which we checked through and that was that. The one point that stood out was that the house must NOT be left vacant for more than 14 days. It wasn't an issue though, because of the work and decorating that needed doing we've been there pretty much every other weekend working. Fast forward to the beginning of March and the ball valve in the water tank in the loft snapped. It wasn't the cold weather, it was simply the valve gave up the ghost. My neighbour called me within 2 hours of this happening and I was able to have the water turned off and the rest of the tank drained. Sadly though we lost all the upstairs ceilings, the carpets and the electrics were a mess. We called Your Insurance who had an answer phone message at the time, due to the high level of calls they were receiving because of the cold weather. It instructed people to start interim work and send email copies of bills to them. For us it was simply getting the remains of the wet stuff out to stop any more damage occuring, which we did immediately. A few days later and we finally get though to Your Insurance. Within 3 hours they told us our insurance was invalid because we'd 'told them we had a tenant in place'. Apparently we did this via a phone call. As such, because there was no tenant then our insurance was invalid. Boom. They wouldn't actually go to Churchill with it as they said it wasn't valid. I actually commented on Churchills page about the Brokers they had selling their policies and we were given a number to call them directly, which we did. They went off to investigate, including the phone call and promised to come back to us within 4 days. 4 days later they called, and told us there was no record of this phone call, but we had clicked the wrong button on a drop down menu. They apologise for the mistake and say it may have been date inputted wrongly! Therefore we were still an invalid claim. We have checked and rechecked our policy and there is literally nothing about it being tenanted or us telling them we had a tenant in there. They have now told us they base their policies on 'assumptions' and sent us a list of these 'assumptions'. Again, we've breached none! They claim though that this 'compromises the integrity of the contract of Insurance' and this is sufficient to 'void' the policy. So now it's not 'invalid' it's just 'void' like it never happened! They seem to move the goalposts every time we prove them wrong. I have a £200 electric bill for the last quarter, I have receipts from shops in the immediate vicinity, I have so much evidence that this house was not abandoned, but they don't want to see it. More worrying they have told us have 'voided the policy for both properties from inception' which is odd. We only have one property! The one we live in is rented, however our contents insurance is through them as well on this one. We've always made sure we have insurance and in 20 years we've made 2 claims. 1 in 2005, for a broken front door on the buildings, and 1 this year when our garage was broken into and my partners fishing gear was stolen. Both relatively small claims. It feels now that they're trying to discredit us in anyway possible and I don't quite now when or how to approach the ombudsman or if its worth it?

I had one of these a few years back. I was terribly worried about it all! Turns out it was simply because my claim hadn't changed for a few years and they just wanted to check all was the same etc. As it happened my circs HAD changed, one of my kids grew up and moved out, which I told them about and could prove with receipts etc of letters, so it at least made sure records were accurate

Thanks for the specific info Very helpful x

A while since I posted! Sadly we lost my Father in Law earlier this year. He has left us a nice gift though. The only benefits we get now are Child Tax Credits. My question is, should the inheritance be declared to them? I keep looking online but get mixed answers.

Thanks for all the advice. I did wonder about ESA, but since most of his problems seem to be emotional or behavioural I think it could be a hard slog getting it. That said DLA wasn't a piece of cake and we got there eventually

My son is 19 now, he's been in receipt of DLA for about 5 years on the lower levels. His DLA is given in regards to behavioural, self care and communication issues. He did have a job for a while, but as suspected was unable to hold it. This job was handed to him on a plate by my cousin, so he clearly didn't interview for it etc. In the 6 months he was their he simply couldn't understand the 'banter' so took offence at it, he couldn't get up on time without me screaming at him, he didn't bother washing or wearing clean clothes. In the end my poor cousin had to fire him because no one would work with him. I made him sign on at the Job Centre because I simply can't afford to keep him, and he was awarded the £90 a week given to those on DLA. Now it turns out he's off benefits because they kept giving him sheets of paper and telling him to 'call these people for work experience'. At no point have they realised he literally cannot pick up a phone and do that. They won't discuss it with me because he's an adult, but he couldn't even list all his problems to be honest. I don't really know where to go from here.

I don't think it's because you're a man, more because you've asked them to do something beyond their normal dummy sheets. I've been back and forth with them for years with my ex paying into work schemes, claiming a child at home that was 20 and working, most recently he's claimed 'He's not the Dad', lol. I think the left hand rarely knows what the right is doing and we just have to sit here getting more and more frustrated!

thanks guys xx

Erm pretty much none. The money goes to the parent with care to help with his upkeep.

Just to give background. House repossessed in 2008, Husband made bankrupt but not me, because I wasn't on the mortgage so my debts weren't rolled into his. Have an outstanding overdraft with Lloyds TSB. I shut my account with a £0.00 balance in Jan 2008. After the house was repossessed I did pay for post to be redirected to our address but never received a letter from Lloyds. About 4 years later I received a letter telling me my account was overdrawn by about £600. I can only assume something was missed and Lloyds applied their MASSIVE OD charges afterwards (my main reason for leaving them). I haven't got a formal 'Your account is closed letter' which in hindsight I should have asked for. The debt has been passed to a debt collection agency who send me letters periodically. I've never responded to them. When would this debt become statute barred? 2nd one..... 3 Mobile have recently started chasing me for a phone contract from 2005. I don't recall leaving an outstanding balance but apparently I owe them £68. They have passed this to Lowell/Red. Again I get periodic letters that I've ignored. Would this be Statute Barred? Many thanks

Then I would want my ex husbands receipts to make sure he's not wasting money he could be spending on our children in that case.

You lost me at that point

I have to phone them month in and month out or my payment gets 'stuck' on the system. They work with 3 systems and it can appear randomly on any of the 3 systems. Mine's a DOE order too. The complaints dept can be helpful if you can get to them.

You realise you sound like every other annoyed CSA payer since 1993 don't you? The CSA has been overhauled and ended. The new system is in place, but for those, like me, the CSA will continue to oversee the case.

I wouldn't hold your breath.

I'm aware of that. What I mean is, how she brings them up IS governed. If she wasn't feeding them etc it would be a SS matter.

That doesn't work if you have an order in place from CSA

It IS governed. By Social Services. If they were concerned they would intervene. If you're concerned call them and get them to investigate. Not spending it how YOU think she should isn't something that will concern them though. To be honest you're coming across as quite controlling

Been keeping up with you, despite not commenting. I'm so very pleased for you! Onward and upward xxxxxxx

Yes it is relevant, why should she spend the money I give her (through the Child Support) on items for her and not the child? Well how do you know that HER money isn't being jiggled about? Mine is, my maintenance actually is used for my general living expenses on a day to day basis, whilst my Wages and Tax Credits pay for rent and food and bills. It's easier date wise that way. How I organise MY finances is NONE of my ex's business, and the same goes for you. I know it's my responsibility to keep my child in clothing and food and water which she's getting and more! But if she's not spending most of it on the child then it becomes a problem! There should definitely be a Law which is brought in so that 1. The money is converted into Stamps to buy the child clothes etc, and can only be spent on the child and Ewww why should I be treated like a second class citizen because you don't like how your ex organises her finances? You seriously suggest stamps for food, mortgage/rent, water, electricity, gas, phone etc? ALL of those services?

I understand you and totally agree with you in principle. I think people just need to be aware that sometimes it doesn't work out and that even then, you can go forward too xx You're a nice man!

I wanted to wait to see the outcome before I posted. Please don't say things like 'there's no way you'll get evicted'. you cannot know that for sure and it can cause people to be overly confident at a time when they need to be making a back up plan. People can and are evicted quickly and efficiently for even small arrears. I'm not trying to frighten anyone, but you always need to be realistic. It can and DOES happen, I know from experience.