Help needed please!

A question about : Help needed please!

Hi

I have just put in a claim for income support as my husband has left me and our daughter and I have no income or savings

I have been told that the child element is now replaced by child tax credits? The child element was about Ј40 a week whereas the child tax credit I am entitled to is only about Ј13 a week – I have also been told that they deduct child ben and any child support from your benefits, this would mean I would only get about Ј25 a week to live on?? Surely this cant be right

I am getting worried as I have worked out my bills to be about Ј40 as it is

Please can someone help and let me know how it works or what I am likely to get a week
Many thanks

Best answers:

• Hi,
  Child tax credit replaces the child element of Income Support. If you look at Adviceguide you can read more info about benefits. You will get Ј55.65 as a single parent and then get the old child element paid from Inland Revenue as Child Tax Credits. The CTC's are in addition to your Income Support, but yes, Child Benefit is taken off. (So it won't be added to the Ј55.65 + CTC's. Perhaps it is worth a visit to your local Citizens Advice Bureau or other Welfare Benefits advisor in your area to clarify your entitlement to benefits.
  The Inland Revenue Website has info on Tax Credits and you can also apply online if you prefer.
• Thank you Fran
  I have applied for CTC as a single parent as we were getting it as a joint claim. When I went online to see if i qualified etc it only said I would get Ј13 a week? thats what is confusing me as the old child element of the IS is Ј40 - so I made it:
  Ј55.65
  Ј13.00
  - Ј16.50 (child ben)
  = Ј52.15
  An then minus Child Support of around Ј25
  Would leave me Ј27 to live on??
  I am awaiting to hear back from the DWP & CTC
  Many thanks again