Government rules/Income Support - please help!

[daytimedolly]

Hi

Firstly I do apologise if this is posted in the wrong section, I looked but could not find a more appropriate section.

I am a newly registered childminder. I have been and still am at present in Income Support and Child Tax Credit. I called the Income support people to clarify what happens when I come off Income Support, how much they deduct if any and what hours I can work without any deductions being made.
I could possibly have a lady who is interested in 15 hours per week.

I got off the phone feeling very confused and downright worried. The lady had no idea what she was talking about, kept asking other people and said all my paperwork would go to the "decision maker" who would decide if I was to be deducted and how much. They make the decision maker sound like this big green guy sitting behind a curtain like in the wizard of oz ha ha.
They said it would probably be something like if I earned £60 in a week, they disregard the first £20 and then deduct the £40 from my Income Support.!!!!!

There appears to be different rules for Childminders to that of others who are self employed??? But finding out the facts/figures is proving impossible.

Im on my own, no partner to contribute and will have to pay a proportion of rent/council tax too when I jump and start working.

Has anybody been in this situation? Or indeed does anybody know where the rules and regs are written? the job centre sends me to Income support, Income Support cant give an answer, agggghhhhhhhh
I just want to know if I am going to at least make ends meat

I am wondering if I should just wait and wait for either a full timer to come along or some people with more substantial hours, what do you think?

So sorry if I have waffled on

[HomefromHome]

oh this sounds rubbish! and typical!! fraid i not sure but the 15 hrs a week thingy is certainly a rule (or 16) for it. once you working you're still entitled to working and child tax credit cos you're on your own but to be honest i would only tell tax crtedit people if you have a full timer as i think it would make more sense as there is the part time rules which dont affect your benefits (if you see what i mean??!!) - have you tried the directgov website?

[TheBTeam]

I thought that childminders had an automatic 2/3rds disregard for benefits, so from £60, £40 would be disregarded and the £20 taken into account when calculating benefits.

[Carrie-Anne]

I am also a newly qualified childminder and currently on income support. I received my first payment end of November and contacted income support.

I had a meeting with them on Thursday to discuss what happens money wise. Now I have not had this in writing yet, so not sure if I have taken this all to be correct....

I work 28 hours a week, currently get full income support and housing and council benefit.

The lady told me I had 2 options, either stay on income support or change to working taxt credits. (cut long story short their computer not working so do not know what working tax credits worked out to be) but income support way, basically they disregard 2/3 of what you earn and an extra £20 i think it was for single parent or something... so my incokme support reduces from £60 to £40 a week and my housing benefit and council tax and child tax credit all stay the same.. so what I earn is mine! I will actually be able to afford to live.

I am still waiting for this to be confirmed all in writing.
I am waiting for the lady to ring me back regarding going the working tax credit way as she was going to see which way helped me the most, but at the moment I signed a form to stay on the income support route.

hope I have helped you and not babbled on.....

xxx

[daytimedolly]

Hi all, thank you so much for your help. And Carrie-Anne your info. was great. Would you be so kind as to let me know what the lady says about the working tax creds.
Your lone parent advisers sound more helpful than mine, all mine do is give me the number to call at head office and I swear they just dont sound like they know what they are talking about. Which first put the doubts in my mind.

Its all so confusing. Also I am wondering what if I change children around one month to the next, do I have to keep completing paperwork. I think I am worrying too much but just trying to be cautious as its only me keeping the pennies rolling in for me and Mia my daughter
Thanks again :-)

[Carrie-Anne]

Spooky..my daughter is Mia too!

I will ring them up to chase them up regarding the working tax credits. I have the housing people on my back at the moment wanting this that and the other, as i wrote them bith the same letter initially saying I had started work. Income support had a very laid back attitude though about the housing and kept saying not to worry, I am just worried that they will stop paying me.

I am also under the impression that if you stay on income support housing benefit is not affected but if you go working tax credits way it is.

I know what you mean about worrying about when things change as I am only looking after one child at the mo but looking for more... the lady just said to let them know when I do earn more or increase my hours.

I dont think it was a single parent adviser I saw as I was due my 6 monthly review with them any way. Once they have wrote to me with what they are going to pay, I am going to write to al people and say this is what I earn this is what you are paying me, least then they can not say i was over paid or anything like that.. you do hear these horror stories.

xxx

[mamasheshe]

They make the decision maker sound like this big green guy sitting behind a curtain like in the wizard of oz ha ha.



i've had paperwork sent off to the decision maker and thought the same what a strange job title!

i'd ring up again and get them to clarify if they don't know what their talking about ask to speak to a supervisor.

[daytimedolly]

Hi
Wow carrie-anne cant believe your daughter is called the same as mine he he. Bless

Well I guess I shall have to just start advertising and hope that I find a reliable person at income support to advise me when the time is right. At worst, if I end up on the breadline Ill just have to get me and Mia food and work the rest out as I go along.

I just think it wouldnt hurt them to make a simple leaflet for people like us (there must be thousands) to inform us of the system and how it works

Thanks again

[Joannechildmind]

I have been a childminder for years and 3 yrs ago seperated from my long term partner and ended up on benefits, 2/3rds of my money earnt from childminding (after expenses) is disreguarded, i also earn under the living allowence so get most of my rent paid (private rental) and all my council tax paid, i also get child tax credits and working families tax credits. All i had to do was hand in my accounts and recepts and this was looked at by the 'decision maker' and handed back to me to following day.
Hope that helps

[carlen222]

hi there, i was in the same situation in august when i became registered, i am also a lone parent and my lone parent advisor printed off estimations of how better off id be in employment whether it be still caliming income support (free dinners rent paid etc) or go down working tax credits, worked out id be something like £5 better off on working tax credits plus id also get help with my sons playgroup fees so i went down that road. it took an age for them to come to a decission about how much rent i had to pay, eventually they got back to me to say out of £56 eligible rent i had to pay £10 weekly which was fine. then on the 2nd november a letter came out to say that the law had changed and now child benefit is not taken into account when calculating earnings for housing benefit etc so i now dont pay any rent and next to no council tax, get my working tax credits plus 70 or 80% or something of my sons playgroup fees!!!!!! its great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! xx

[Carrie-Anne]

I have not forgotten to reply my dear, I am still awaiting the call back from lone support worker... the one ringing me back initially is on leave or some rubbish... they are ringing tomorrow!!!!!

But I did get a letter in the post today from income support and they are saying they will give me £56 a week, so only a change of less then £10 which is not what the lady originally was saying!!!


I will let you know what they say tomorrow regarding the working tax credits

And I know how spooky.... both have Mia lol!

xxxx

[sharonmanc]

I know this is an old thread, but I am doing this at the moment, switching from income support to hildminding and income support or tax credits. They dont know what they are doing at my jobcentre, the single parnet adviser has given me 3 sets of figure, based on the info I gave her for potential mindees, and then realised she got it wrong so waiting for a call back :rolleyes:

[Bridey]

I know this is an old thread, but I am doing this at the moment, switching from income support to hildminding and income support or tax credits. They dont know what they are doing at my jobcentre, the single parnet adviser has given me 3 sets of figure, based on the info I gave her for potential mindees, and then realised she got it wrong so waiting for a call back :rolleyes:

They get so confused with the different rules they have to deal with for us. Quite often they just don't have a clue! When I started 12 years ago I was first on income support and then moved onto tax credits as work started to flood in. All I can say it that, as a lone parent for as long as I've been childminding, this job has been very good to me! Hope they get your figures sorted soon.

[sharonmanc]

thanks Bridey. The lady was lovely I spoke to, hopefllu she can give me more info when she calls back next week.

[Goatgirl]

I know this is an old thread, but I am doing this at the moment, switching from income support to hildminding and income support or tax credits. They dont know what they are doing at my jobcentre, the single parnet adviser has given me 3 sets of figure, based on the info I gave her for potential mindees, and then realised she got it wrong so waiting for a call back :rolleyes:

Hi :),
I did exactly this 4 years ago.
I found an advice centre really helpful. Citzens advice or similar. There are several in my area. They told me I needed to work 16 hours to be entitled to tax credits (that may have changed - I'd check on the HMRC website).

I was entitled to things i hadn't known about before, like a 4 week 'run on' of HB and found it a great way to earn money as a single parent :thumbsup:

Good luck :)

best wishes,
Wendy

[sharonmanc]

Thanks Wendy.

I get help with m mortgage interest as I was made redundant last year, and this is my major concern, but it seems, from my calculations that I should be able to manage, i have given them a number of scenarios to help work things out.

Hopefull with experience I will get my head around the financial side of things.

[sharonmanc]

The lady at inscome upport finally got back to me, I take on a full time child onmonday and i will be entitled to a small amount of IS, and some of my mortgage interest paid etc.

Just a few questions

when i call them monday whet evidence willthey need from me?

Also do i have to inform tax credits as i recieve child tax credits as i have 3 children, and if so what info would they require as i will still be in receipt of income support.

and lastly how do i register self employed ?

any info at all will be helpful as i have been trying to get through to the tax credits helpline for days now and still no joy :(

[sharonmanc]

have already asked , but thought I would ask here too. When you estimate your income for tax credits is it before or after expenses.