Students with partners and children under 1- anybenefits?

[jboyd83]

Hi all, can anyone help me please as I am feeling slightly unfairly done.....

My hubby is a fulltime student and he receives students grants,loans etc. We have 3 children aged 11, 9 and 9mths. We currently receive child tax credit and have been advised that the only help we can get benefit wise (apart from housing and council tax benefit) is if I was to make a claim for jsa- as I would have to be available and looking for fulltime work I have not claimed. I do not feel I want to go back to work yet and especially not fulltime. Now this is was narks me slightly...If I was a single parent I would be entitled to income support as my child is under 5yrs old and would not have a requirement to work yet. Now, my husband is at uni fulltime so this means I am in the same 'childcare' boat as a single parent would be so how come the rules are different for me!?

I don't know if what we have been advised is gospel or if in fact I would be entitled to I.Support or even Jsa without all the requirements. Does anyone know if there are exceptions/exemptions to certain things in these circumstances?

Edited October 18, 2012 by jboyd83
Sp

[Slatted]

I think that JSA rules may differ where you are a parent of a child under 5 years of age. Have you checked with JCP on on Directgov website? Or spoken to anyone like CAB? Who was it that "advised" you?

[jboyd83]

Can't find ANY info at all from directgov website, benefits advice service are unable to 'advise me' total joke. My mother in law works for jcp but seems to think I have to be available for work but is unsure as not her dept and rules changed in April with lots of things. Will go to cab when I have some time but hoping you guys could enlighten me

[Slatted]

I am sure someone with the chapter and verse will be along soon to help.

[flumps1976]

If you want to claim for JSA then you will still need to be available for work, you can restrict the hours you are availble to look for work but need to be aware that your partner income from his student finances would be taken into account agains any income based JSA award andf you may not qualify for contribution based JAS as it will depend if you worked in the relevant tax years.

Your restrictions could be based on the school hours that your eldest 2 children attend but you would need to be prepared to source childcare for yoyur youngest child and then to qualify for tax credits to allow help with childcare you would need to be working 24 hours per week.

The restrictions can only be agreed as well if the type of work you are available and capable of doing is available to find during your restricted hours too.

[jboyd83]

So basically I'm stuck then? Don't want to put my baby in childcare but would have to if I worked and have to work 24 hours to get help with childcare. So they have me over a barrel as really it's impossible for me to work under 24 hours due to the tax credits rules. What is the reason a single parent doesn't have to work then? Just don't get it as its one rule for them but I'm in the same boat regarding childcare so how is this different? Do they expect my hubby to quit uni so one of us can take care of our son?

[abc123def]

When I was a student I managed fine on the student finance and child tax credits and was fairly well off considering. You ought to be receiving a lot more than if you were living on benefits for instance. I got full housing and council tax benefit and lived solely on student finance for 4 years the only struggle being the summer break as then I wasn't entitled to benefits whereas you are now.

It might be worth getting some advice with budgeting to help you manage your finances. Things like holidays and extras were out though for the duration and I never had time for a social life and don't smoke/didn't drink so I guess that helped. It is a sacrifice but it if leads to a career then it will all be worth it in the end.

[Nystagmite]

As a full time student, there's a 25% council tax discount. It is possible to get child care help through the childcare grant from Student Finance. Not too sure how that works.

[jboyd83]

Okay thanks for your replies. Would just like to clarify though, feeding five people and keeping a roof over our heads with regards to gas electric baby milk, nappies etc etc etc is very hard. We actually have no life. We don't go out, we don't drink, we don't smoke, we don't have days out with the kids anywhere which costs money and we are budgeting, the only 'luxury' we have is a car to get our eldest 2 kids to and from school which is four mile away and get hubby to uni and back which is about 8mile away, it is cheaper to pay for petrol than it would be to get bus and rail passes and when the weather is bad up here the kids wouldn't get to school without the car and even that is temperamental in the snow, it's a necessity really but at the moment we are still struggling. I'm not a lazy cow just feel unfairly done as we have to pay all this finance back. We both worked fulltime and hubby gave up his job to further his education and try and give us a better life, I worked until 5 month pregnant but left due to the fact it was physically demanding being stuck behind a desk allday and breathing in vapours from monomer and acetone constantly. I don't want anything we aren't entitled to but the system is so unfair. Thanks anyway people, sadly for us it seems we are stuck in the mud.

[Nystagmite]

The money only has to be paid back once he's earning over £21k per year.

[jboyd83]

I know but it's not the point is it, it still means we have supported ourselves on a loan which has to be paid back, not benefits which plenty people get but don't have to be repaid.

[abc123def]

jboyd, I remember thinking the exact same thing that basically I was feeding my child on a loan and it didn't seem fair. That was before I realised I was eligible for CTC! I was fairly ignorant of benefits then so did without for 18 months and got into debt and it was only in getting a floating support worker when we were homeless that she informed me of all I had been entitled to! Child tax credits should cover the cost of the children, mostly.

 

Are you entitled to free school transport for your children?

 

eta, and you most definitely are not a lazy cow, no one here would say you are. You are doing a great job doing your best supporting your partner in his career aspirations and are bringing up a family.

[Nystagmite]

You may also get free school meals.

 

Student loans don't count as income for child tax credits.

[abc123def]

the only 'luxury' we have is a car to get our eldest 2 kids to and from school which is four mile away

 

I found this on a Government website so you ought to be getting free school transport

 

Free transport is available to pupils aged five to 16 if the nearest suitable school is beyond the statutory walking distance, which is two miles for pupils aged up to seven and three miles for those aged eight and over.

[flumps1976]

Unfortunately you seem to be in a similar situation that a lot of others find themselves in. Both myself and my partner work he is full time, I might as well work full time, child tax credits don't cover our childcare, we don't drink, don't smoke, haven't had a holiday in a few years, have completly forgotten what a social life is.

We do run a car or I wouldn't be able to go to work and that is our only luxury.

[abc123def]

The only difference is flumps, that your bills/food aren't being funded by a loan ..

 

but yes, same living standards - that is life for so many.