In 2010 the Government announced several cuts to welfare spending to make welfare more affordable, bringing the total welfare savings to £18 billion per year by 2014-15.

A calendar of the main changes to benefits and the benefits system is provided below.

Please note that detailed information about many of these changes is limited at present. Although some changes will happen quickly, others may take several years to put into practice. Some may also be subject to further revision at a later date.

If you are worried about the effects that the changes to the benefits system will have on your personal situation, we recommend that you discuss this with an expert benefits adviser. You can use the Find an Adviser tool on Turn2us website to find a local one.

January 2012

Housing Benefit

Change: the age threshold for the shared accommodation rate of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will be increased from 25 to 35.

This means that single claimants up to the age of 35 will have their LHA based on a room in a shared property rather than a self contained one bedroom property. There will be exceptions for some disabled claimants, certain people who have previously been homeless, and ex-offenders who could pose a risk to the public.

This change will apply for all new claimants from 1 January.

For existing pre April 2011 claimants this change will take effect when their 9 month protection period from the April 2011 changes ceases so they experience all relevant changes in one go.

Existing claimants whose claims were made between 1 April 2011 and 1 January 2012 will be moved to the shared accommodation rate on the anniversary date of their claim.

For more information on Housing Benefit, see our information sheets HB (England, Scotland, Wales) HB (Northern Ireland).

Support for Mortgage Interest

Change: temporary changes to the Support for Mortgage Interest Scheme which were due to come to an end in January 2012 will be extended until January 2013. These include a reduced waiting period of 13 weeks and an increase in the eligible mortgage capital limit to £200,000.

April 2012

Benefit rates 2012-2013

See the Department for Work and Pensions website for proposed benefits rates for the next financial year 2012-2013 (link opens in a new window PDF file size 108kb).

Contributory Employment and Support Allowance

Change: people in the Work Related Activity Group of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) will have their claims limited to one year. They will have their family income and savings assessed to see if they qualify for the means-tested version of the benefit. Any time already spent in receipt of contributory ESA whilst in the work related activity group will count towards the one year time limit so some claims will end immediately once this change comes in.

Change: ESA in youth to be abolished.

Update: Ministers to consider their proposed change to ESA after recent Lords defeats but have said they will seek to reinstate them when MPs debate the Welfare Reform Bill.

Housing Benefit (HB)

Change: a further £40million per year will be added to the Discretionary Housing Payment budget. £10 million was added in April 2011.

For more information on Discretionary Housing Payment, see our information sheet.

Income Support

Change: it is proposed that Income Support claimants who are eligible because they are lone parents will be transferred to other benefits if their youngest child is aged five years or over.

Date for change to be confirmed – see October 2011 Benefit Changes

Tax Credits

Changes:

• Further changes to the way Tax Credits are calculated so that the credit is withdrawn faster as income rises
• 50+ element removed from Working Tax Credits (WTC)
• If your income falls by up to £2,500 during the Tax Credit award year, the amount you get will not be revised to see if you are entitled to a higher Tax Credit payment.
• You will only be able to backdate new applications and changes of circumstances for up to one month instead of three.
• Increase of child element by £110. This change has been scrapped as part of the Chancellor’s Autumn 2011 Statement
• Couples with children must work at least 24 hours a week between them, with one working at least 16 hours to qualify for WTC. However, couples with children where one person works at least 16 hours and is entitled to the WTC disability element or is aged 60 or over will still qualify for WTC. Also, couples with children will continue to qualify for WTC if only one member of the couple works at least 16 hours per week and the other is incapacitated, an in-patient in hospital or in prison
• Couple and lone parent rates of Working Tax Credit will be frozen

2012

Benefit Cheques

Change: A new payment service will be introduced to replace the benefit cheques system for claimants who can’t be paid by direct payment (link opens in a new window) because they are unable to open or manage bank or Post Office card accounts.

Under the new system, claimants who previously received cheques will be issued with a reusable token so that they can receive their benefits at ‘PayPoint’ outlets located in local newsagents, convenience stores, supermarkets, garages and off licences. Arrangements will be put in place for people who need someone else, such as a partner or relative, to collect their benefit for them.

The Department for Work and Pensions will start writing to those affected from September 2011 to ensure they have time to prepare for the change.

Read the Department for Work and Pensions press release about the new welfare payment service (link opens in a new window)

January 2013

Child Benefit

Change: it is proposed that families will not be entitled to Child Benefit if there is a high-rate tax payer in the household.

Update: the Prime Minister recently (January 2012) insisted that the Government was prepared to “look at the way” Child Benefit was due to be cut and suggested that a new system might be proposed in the Chancellor’s March 2012 Budget.

April 2013

Council Tax Benefit

Change: reduce spending on Council Tax Benefit by 10%. Council Tax Benefit is to be replaced by localised support for Council Tax. Local authorities will set up new schemes to support people in their own areas. This will only affect people of working-age who receive help with their Council Tax.

Further details about localising support for Council Tax.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

Change: The government proposes to replace DLA with a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

This will involve the introduction of ‘objective assessments’ to decide eligibility. The stated intention is to target support on those most in need through this new benefit.

The government is hoping for a 20% reduction in expenditure by 2017 by bringing in this process. All working-age claimants will be reassessed.

Housing Benefit (HB)

Changes:

• Size criteria will apply in the social rented sector (eg council and housing association properties). This means that people living in houses larger than they need (under-occupiers) will have to move to somewhere smaller or make up the difference in rent because their Housing Benefit will be reduced:

14% cut in Housing Benefit if you under-occupy by one bedroom

25% cut in Housing Benefit if you under-occupy by two or more bedrooms

This is only for working-age people but it is expected to affect 670,000 social sector tenants if the proposal in the Welfare Reform Bill is introduced.

• LHA rates will be increased in line with the Consumer Price Index instead of the market rents in each area. The connection with actual rents will be lost.

For more information on Housing Benefit, see our information sheets HB (England, Scotland, Wales) HB (Northern Ireland).

Tax Credits

Change: Any rise in income of £5,000 or more during the award year will be taken into account when finalising your Tax Credit award

Benefit Cap

It is proposed in the Welfare Reform Bill that there will be a cap on the amount of benefits a working-age household can receive, capped at the level of the average working family income after tax – with the exception of those households that include a Disability Living Allowance claimant, war widow, or Working Tax Credit claimant.

Discretionary housing payments will not be included in the assessment of total benefits paid, and support for childcare through the universal credit will not be affected by the cap. No decision has been made yet on the treatment of localised Council Tax support under the cap.

A DWP impact assessment suggests a total cap set at £26,000 a year would affect 67,000 households. Over half the affected households are in Greater London, especially in inner city constituencies.

Update: During the passing of the Welfare Reform Bill through the House of Lords, they have voted to also exclude Child Benefit from the assessment of total benefits paid to a household. This would reduce the number of households affected to 40,000. The government will now have to decide whether to reinstate Child Benefit in the cap when the bill returns to the House of Commons.

October 2013

Universal Credit

The current complex system of working-age benefits and Tax Credits is to be gradually replaced by a new benefit called Universal Credit.

2015

State Retirement Pension

Change: It is proposed that means-tested pensioner benefits will be replaced by a new flat rate ‘Citizen’s Pension’ which is not linked to National Insurance contributions. A single pensioner will receive £140 per week and a couple will receive £280 per week.

These rates are more generous than the current State Retirement Pension. Current SRP rates can be topped up with means-testedPension Credit to ensure a minimum income of £137.35 per week for a single pensioner and £209.70 per week for a couple. The new ‘Citizen’s Pension’ will only apply to those who retire on or after the date the reform is introduced, not to people already receiving their pensions at that date. The current pension system will run alongside the new one until the last person receiving a pension under the current system dies. According to the Government, this is because it would be too expensive to offer the increased flat rate pension to existing as well as future pensioners.

April 2016

State Pension Age

Change: plans to bring women’s pension age in line with men’s will be sped up from April 2016 so that women’s pension age reaches 65 in November 2018. Pension age for men and women will then increase to 66 from December 2018 to April 2020.

Update: The Pensions Bill has been amended after concerns that some women would have to wait for up to an extra two years to collect their pensions. The proposed rise in the state pension age to 66 by 2020 is to be delayed by six months, from April 2020 to October 2020 capping the increase at a maximum of 18 months.

Change: Government are also considering increasing the pension age further still after this.

Update: It was announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn 2011 statement that the increase in the state pension age for both men and women to 67 will take place between April 2026 and April 2028.

Random Posts

• Job Centres – Lone Parent Advisor Error
  Being on income support as I was working under 16 hours and my youngest now ten, I was called into t...
• For March I am Going Green
  It’s the beginning of March and time for a new resolution. Throughout March I am going to tackle â...
• The hard bits no one tells you..
  Sometimes there are decisions that you have to make as a single mum that are the hardest thing to do...
• Monthly Resolutions Are Back – June Resolution
  April and May were way too busy to even consider monthly resolutions. There were school holidays and...

Mumplusbusiness.co.uk is mainly run single handily by Esther, a new mum. After her son was born, she wanted to start her own business as she didn’t want to send him to a nursery yet at a very young age. However she missed the social interaction that she would normally have working in a company.

I thought, wouldn’t it be great if I could find another mother who I could work with, who would understand my family situation and complement my skills.
I researched the concept online and could only find information about networking events and conferences. What was lacking was a focused way of finding a suitable mother to team up with. It had to be flexible and efficient not to mention highly practical.
That was when the idea of Mum Plus Business was born! The key aim of Mum Plus Business is to connect motivated local mothers in a similar position, who cam collectively support each other whilst also complementing each other’s skills.

What a brilliant idea. Do go and have a look, mumplusbusiness.co.uk , you never know what you might find and could provide the perfect answer.

Random Posts

• What vegetable plant is this?
  Today wasn’t very productive in the garden. I trying to keep out of the way today whilst the builder...
• Would You Date Mr Nice?
  Donna this week is talking about her fourth date with Mr Nice and eating peas. Trust me there is a c...
• Some Things in Life I Will Never Understand
  There are several things in everyday life that just leave me bemused. I don't think I will ever unde...
• Adoption – How I feel about it all now
  As me how I felt about being adopted 20 years ago and I would answer the same as I do today. It has ...

Chief Executive of Gingerbread Fiona Weir said:

The proposed timing of this change is disastrous and will plunge thousands of single parents into a stagnant job market with little prospect of finding work that fits around their caring responsibilities. In previous years single parents have been given plenty of notice of these changes and time to prepare, but the government is rushing this legislation through and will catch single parents unawares. It makes much more sense to delay the change until 2013 when newly-announced childcare support will be available for part-time jobs, which will help single parents of young children balance work and parenting.”

New figures released this week by the Office of National Statistics show that unemployment has risen to 2.57 million , a 17 year high. Alarmingly, most of the recent job losses have been for part time roles . Jobs that fit around school hours are crucial for single parents, but they often struggle to find work that they can balance with looking after their child. The introduction of childcare support for those working under 16 hours from 2013 will make this much easier for single parents to manage.

So realistically what can you do?

Book an appointment with your local Loan Parent Advisor – they can talk through the new changes and discuss with you your best options.

Check out Turn2us website. They have a benefits calculator to check what else you may be entitled to. They also have a very good grants section so if your thinking of setting up your own business they maybe grants available to you.

Random Posts

• Save Money via Your Fridge
  Had the following sent to my from E.On and thought it useful so passing it on. The UK could save ...
• Eco Terms A to Z
  I have pulled together a quick A to Z of eco terms as found myself confused and lost on the terms th...
• Unemployment here I come
  If your reading this from the UK you will have some idea what the job front is like. I too will be j...
• Sod it, I’m 40
  I no longer tick the boxes 'in thirties'. I am officially in my forties. Well ok bit over dramatic b...

At the moment families can get working tax credits to cover up to 70% of their weekly childcare costs BUT only if they are working 16 hours or more a week.

It will come into force in 2013, the same time they are introducing the universal credit – a single payment consolidating existing in-work and out of work benefits like child tax credit, working tax credit and jobseekers allowance.

You can read more of what the ministers are saying on it at the BBC 

For Labour, shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said the government had already reduced childcare support from 80% to 70% of weekly costs as part of a general squeeze on benefits.

“Today’s announcement is frankly smoke and mirrors,” he said.

“It won’t mean a penny more help for parents already struggling on childcare tax credits. Universal credit is now set to lock in a ‘parents’ penalty’ that cuts back childcare payments so hard that many parents will be forced to give up work.

“With parents struggling to make ends meet, it beggars belief that the Tories are stopping parents working the hours and shifts they need by taking away their childcare.”

Do you think its enough to enable people with children to be able to afford to get back into work?

Random Posts

• Finding My Birth Parents
  I never had a burning desire to find my roots. I had never felt something was missing in my life. I ...
• You may be Greener than you thought
  Doing the green resolution is proving to be quiet challenging. I seem to be constantly reading label...
• I squeak more than the washing machine.
  It is the unwritten law, that when you catch the children's lergy that you have spent days nursing t...
• The Green Issue Generations Before
  I had the following sent in an email and thought it was worth sharing as it makes you think. In t...

The UK could save £95.8 million every year by adjusting fridge and freezer temperatures by just two degrees, according to leading energy supplier, E.ON.  Many people mistakenly keep fridges and freezers as cold as possible assuming that it is better for their food, especially in the summer months.  However it means that households could be missing out on energy savings and it can spoil food.

As part of its commitment to get the nation energy fit, E.ON recommends that fridges are set at 5°C² and freezers should be at -17°C.  By turning up the temperature, households across the UK can turn up the savings on their energy bill.

Top tips from E.ON on how to save energy in the kitchen:

Fridge and freezer tips:

• If your fridge doesn’t have one, get yourself a thermometer so you know its exact temperature.  Thermometers are available cheaply online and at most large supermarkets;

• When cleaning, make sure the backs of your fridge and freezer are dust-free so that they are working at the highest efficiency, especially as we move towards summer and kitchen temperatures begin to rise;

• When it comes to your freezer, keep it at least three quarters full – the more that’s in it, the less energy you’ll waste.  Don’t overload the fridge though as it needs air to circulate;

• If replacing your fridge or freezer pick an A+ or A++ rated model to save on longer term running costs;

• Keeping extra portions of food in your fridge or freezer is a great idea, but make sure the food is completely cold otherwise it could raise the temperature and make it work harder using more energy.

Cooking tips:

• Cooking instructions often say preheat your oven.  Most modern units, especially fan ovens, actually need very little time to get going. So turn it on and get it in there;

• Cook your veg in the microwave. In contrast to boiling, microwaving helps it to retain its colour, taste and nutrients – and uses less energy;

• They say size matters, and it certainly does in the kitchen. Make sure the size of your pans matches the size of your hob rings so you’re not wasting energy;

• To save energy, only boil the amount water you need, or use and energy saving kettle;

• Opening the oven to check food wastes energy (and messes with your baking), so keep the oven glass door clean you can peek in;

• If you can, cook double the amount, chill and freeze what you don’t use, then you’ll have a home cooked ready meal to reheat in the microwave.

Laundry tips:

• By switching your washing machine to 30ºC – rather than 60ºC or even 40ºC – you can save lots of energy and money. A lot of the energy used to wash your clothes is used to heat the water;

• Depending on your billing arrangements, you may be able to save money by washing your clothes during the night when energy prices are lower;

• When it’s time to do the ironing, plan ironing as the sole task for half an hour, so you’re not popping off looking for coat hangers for 10 minutes while your iron sits there zapping electricity;

• If you’re going to use your tumble dryer buy an A rated one. They cost a bit more but use about half the energy of a standard tumble dryer and usually have a host of different drying options to help reduce ironing;

• You can always dry clothes on a rack inside the house – but don’t put them on the radiators. This only makes your boiler work extra hard and will cost more;

• During the summer, give your tumble dryer a rest and hang clothes outside to dry for free.  Plus, hanging clothes on radiators only makes your boiler work extra hard and will cost more.

E.ON recently launched www.eonenergyfit.com and over 100,000 people have already taken the short energy survey to receive tailored recommendations on the changes they can make at home to start saving energy and money straightaway.For the safe refrigeration of food, fridges should be kept between 0-5°C  Source www.nhs.uk

Random Posts

• Adoption from my sisters view.
  When I was writing the posts about my adoption I did let my sister know first. She replied with full...
• Eco Terms A to Z
  I have pulled together a quick A to Z of eco terms as found myself confused and lost on the terms th...
• Go On, Make a Wish- Yours Might Be Granted
  I have never been one to believe in fairies. The tooth fairy was on holiday every time I lost a toot...
• Choosing a Dating Site
  There are many dating sites to choose from. There are the major sites, smaller sites, free sites, ni...

I worked full time for many years and just the process of getting out the house in the morning was nearly a full day’s work. Having two children they were at one point at different schools, at different parts of the town with different starting times with my office is a completely different part of town. Then there was the after school logistics to work around to. If all that wasn’t enough to think about there were school holidays and sudden sick days too. Once home in the evening there was less than 2 hours to get tea (if I had managed a food shop at some point) help with homework and spend time with the children before they went to bed. Needless to say I was permanently chasing my own tail and worn out.

Two years ago I decided to get some part of my life back and ventured into going self employed. The change in my and the children’s lives is huge. My commute to work is the arduous task of walking down the stairs. I finish my day when the children come home from school. I have enough energy left that if work needs doing I can when they have gone to bed. The children look forward to school holidays instead of dreading the farming out to various clubs.

I’m not saying it’s the easy option. Going self employed as a single mum is a challenge. Money is tighter but when I asked the children what they thought if I went self employed and the fact there would be less money, they were both more than enthusiastic. They knew it would make me a happier mum which made them happier.

You may now be slightly intrigued if you could be self employed. It doesn’t suit every one; you have to be self motivated and disciplined. If you’re a bit flaky on either of these then you may not be able to keep yourself away from the daytime TV when you should be working. It’s not an easy opt out solution.

If your still interested the next question is probably what self employed job could you do. Antonia Chitty has some excellent advice in her book Family Friendly Working, have a think about your skills. Write them down if possible.

• Can you cook, sew or take a good photo?
• Can you type, do shorthand or have other secretarial skills?
• Do you love to iron or getting to grips with a yucky oven?
• Do you have green fingers?

The list can be huge. Maybe you have hobby which could be turned into a business.

If you’re serious about making the jump I really recommend Antonia Chittys books. She talks you through different ways of setting it up, financing your idea and lots more. Two books I can really recommend are:

		Family Friendly Working – this has loads of ideas but also all the practical things you need to know beforehand. It talks you through the different ways to go into business, how to set it up and how to grow your business.
	Buy Now
		Start A Family Friendly Business: 129 Brilliant Business Ideas for Mums – if you’re stuck on what to do.
	Buy Now

Also have a read through a couple of websites that really helped me were:

Advice Guide

Small business

Business Link

Talk to the Lone Parent Advisor at your local job centre. They will talk through the financial scenarios as well as other help they can give like small courses on going self employed ( for managing your books etc). Once I knew some figures of what I could be earning I also checked the different scenarios out on the Benefit Checker at Turn2Us.

My biggest advice is to way everything up, make sure you have thought the cost side out really thoroughly. Talk with your children if they are old enough to understand,let them think on the idea and then see how they feel. Going self employed was the best thing I ever did as well as the most challenging.

You might also like:

• Twitter and Single Parent Support
  If you’re prone to the odd twitter session you will know what a #hashtag is.  When you’re watching y...
• 10 Things I have learnt being a Single Mum
  With being a single parent for the last ten years I have learnt a few things I might never have lear...
• My Top Tips on Coping as a Single Mum
  I am sure I am not the only one who gets asked how to cope with being a single mum, so here are my t...
• Checking Out The Benefit Changes
  With all the changes starting to kick in from last year's budget, it can be hard to figure out what'...

• Health in Pregnancy Grant
• Sure Start Maternity Grant
• Baby element of Child Tax Credits
• Toddler element of Child Tax Credit
• Child Trust Fund

For some this can be a worth up to £1735 over a pregnancy and the child’s first year. These loses aren’t being offset by other benefits so there loss of money will be felt.

Higher income families, working families with children could actually be looking a higher loss from the result of changes to the income disregards in Tax Credits and reductions in childcare element in Working Tax Credit.

Also changes to tax credit income disregards may also lead to substantial tax credit overpayments for many new parents returning to work following maternity leave.

Although the Government are providing additional support to many parents through increases in the child element of child tax credits, they have also announced several cuts through the budget and the Comprehensive Spending Review which will have an impact on parents with new children.

The main things that will affect new parents are:

The Sure Start Maternity Grant will apply to the first child only from April 2011 …more info at Direct Gov

The Health in Pregnancy grant was abolished in January 2011…more info at HMRC

The Baby Element of Child Tax Credit will be abolished from 2011-12…more info from HMRC

The planned supplement to Child Tax Credit for children aged 1 and 2 from 2012-13 will be reversed.

Government contribution to the Child Trust Fund was stopped altogether from January 2011.

The Tax Credit income disregard of £2,500 for falls in income will be introduced from 2012-13 more info from Direct Gov

Reducing the percentage of childcare costs that parents can claim through childcare element of Working Tax Credit from 80% of childcare cost to 70%…more info from Direct Gov

You might also like:

• Sure Start Maternity Grant
  The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one off payment of £500 to help with the costs of a new baby. I...
• Tax Credit Changes from April 2011
  The emergency budget on 22 June set out several substantial changes to the tax credit system. Some a...
• Child and Tax Credits
  The HM Revenue & Customs quote that 9 out of 10 families with children are entitled to tax credits. ...
• The Best Laid Plans of a Single Mum
  As a single mum what help is available for those wanting to go going self employed....

Below, are those changes coming in from April 2011 under the following headings, explaining what each means and who might be affected:

1. Increases in rates and thresholds
2. Withdrawal rates
3. Family element withdrawal rate
4. The baby element
5. Older workers
6. Disregards

1.  Increases in rates and thresholds

The announcement

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) will be used to uprate all of the tax credit elements from April 2011. But child tax credit (CTC) claimants will receive an increase of £150 on top.

What does it mean?

Each year, the rates of tax credits and other benefits are increased. Normally this is in the form of a percentage, linked to the Retail Price Index. However, the change means that the percentage increase will now be decided using the CPI which is usually less generous.

Who will it affect?

All tax credit claimants. However, those who claim CTC should be more than protected by the £150 addition.

2.  Withdrawal rates

The announcement

From 6 April 2011, the withdrawal (or taper) rate will increase from 39% to 41%.

What does it mean?

The first step in a tax credit calculation is to work out the maximum possible entitlement. This maximum (not including the family and baby elements) is then reduced when household income starts to go above certain thresholds. Currently this means that if you claim working tax credit (WTC) or both WTC and CTC, your entitlement is progressively reduced by 39p for each £1 by which your income goes above £6,420 a year. If you claim CTC only, that income threshold rises to £16,190 a year.

The change means that in future claimants will lose 41p instead of 39p for each £1 of income above those thresholds (or a further £20 for every £1,000 of income).

Who will it affect?

Most claimants. Anyone with income at or below those thresholds will not be affected, nor will anyone in receipt of income support, pension credit, income-based jobseekers allowance or income-related employment and support allowance.

3.  Family element withdrawal rate

The announcement

Families with household income above £40,000 will start to have their family element of £545 a year tapered away from 6 April 2011 at a rate of 41%.

What does it mean?

Under current rules, CTC claimants receive the full family element until their income reaches the second income threshold. For most people that is annual income of £50,000 (although for some it may be much higher). Above that amount the family element is withdrawn at 6.67%, or £1 in each £15 by which income exceeds that figure. Changing the second income threshold to £40,000 and the taper rate to 41% means that the withdrawal starts at lower income levels and at higher rates.

Who will it affect?

The complexity of the system means that there is no straightforward rule to work out who is affected, because it will depend on your family circumstances. Some families currently receiving £545 (or £1,090 if they have a child under the age of one) will no longer receive any tax credits, whilst other families on higher incomes will see a reduction in the amount they receive.

4.  The baby element

Announcement

The baby element of tax credits will cease from 6 April 2011.

What does this mean?

Currently, families with a child under the age of one receive an additional element worth £545 when working out their maximum tax credits. This element is to be removed completely.

Who will it affect?

Families with a child under one will no longer have this element included from 6 April 2011. The details of how this will work are not yet known, but anyone who has a child born after 5 April 2010 may see a reduction in their tax credits from April 2011 rather than from the date their child’s first birthday.

5.  Older workers

The announcement

The previous announcement that those aged 60 and over would be able to qualify for WTC by working at least 16 hours per week (rather than 30 as currently required) will still go ahead from April 2011.

What does it mean?

At present, if you don’t have children or qualify for the disability or 50+ elements, you need to work at least 30 hours per week to claim WTC. This change will mean that those aged 60 and over will qualify for WTC by working at least 16 hours per week rather than 30.

Who will it affect?

Anyone aged 60 or over on 6 April 2011 who is working at least 16 hours but less than 30 as they will then be eligible to claim WTC providing they meet the other conditions.

6.  Disregards

The announcement

The tax credit income disregard will change from £25,000 to £10,000 from 6 April 2011.

What does it mean?

The disregard is one of most complex parts of the tax credit system. Tax credits are paid based on current circumstances and household income from the previous tax year.

After the tax year ends, HMRC compare your actual income for the year just ended with your income for the previous year. Provided your income for the year just ended is no more than £25,000 higher than in the previous year, your award will be unaffected and there will be no overpayment. Hence the term disregard, because the first £25,000 of any income increase is disregarded when calculating your award. That £25,000 figure will come down to £10,000 in 2011/12.

Who will it affect?

The £25,000 disregard has been very generous. Replacement by a reasonable disregard of £10,000 will not affect most people on lower incomes. It may however impact those moving from benefits into work and reduce the level of credits in the first year of employment.

You might also like:

• Benefit Changes that will affect New Parents
  The government are making cuts to a several key grants and other welfare entitlements for new parent...
• Child and Tax Credits
  The HM Revenue & Customs quote that 9 out of 10 families with children are entitled to tax credits. ...
• Sure Start Maternity Grant
  The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one off payment of £500 to help with the costs of a new baby. I...
• Checking Out The Benefit Changes
  With all the changes starting to kick in from last year's budget, it can be hard to figure out what'...

• What are single mum entitled to
• Single parent changes to benefits
• Budget single mum changes
• Tax credits single mum
• Benefits single mum

and that’s a small part of the list. Although we have a benefit section where I talk through the benefits you may be entitled to there is a place where you can tap in your details and get a better idea of what you may be entitled to.

Turn2Us is a free website which is a charitable service which helps people access the money available to them, be it through welfare benefits, grants or other help.

You can even register and t will save your details, very useful if you want to compare different scenarios. I found it invaluable over the years and still use it on regular bases whenever they are changes in the system so that I know how things are going to affect me financially.

You might also like:

• Twitter and Single Parent Support
  If you’re prone to the odd twitter session you will know what a #hashtag is.  When you’re watching y...
• Going Self Employed as a Single Mum
  It used to be the argument should a mum go back to work. Now it seems the argument is how can a mum ...
• 10 Things I have learnt being a Single Mum
  With being a single parent for the last ten years I have learnt a few things I might never have lear...
• Tax Credit Changes from April 2011
  The emergency budget on 22 June set out several substantial changes to the tax credit system. Some a...

Talking about the csa is never a fun conversation piece and especially now it’s causing a storm with new change proposals. Over at 2starsandaswirl there is a post about her campaign to stop the proposed changes. Please do stop by and support her.

So what’s the new csa changes proposed?

Basically the government wants more parents to take responsibility for negotiating their own child maintenance arrangements. They are proposing to phase out the CSA in 2012 and create a new system run by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission ( CMEC). This will of course be good news for some but there is also aspects of it that aren’t so good for others, particularly single parent families.

For starters there will be an upfront fee of £100 to use the CMEC service. There would also be an ongoing charge for collecting money. This would be between 7% and 12% of the maintenance. If you’re on benefits the start up cost would be halved and the rest payable in instalments.  So as I read it if you’re struggling to get money from the absent parent you will have to pay the CMEC to help. Isn’t that hitting the people struggling even more?

The other thing they want to introduce is charging the non-resident parent between 15 and 20% of the maintenance they pay. This is on top of the maintenance figure they would pay each month. If the non-resident has arranged to pay the parent with care directly then they don’t have to pay the % charge.

Confused? Here’s an example.

Mr and Mrs Smith have divorced and baby smith lives with Mrs Smith. Mr Smith doesn’t want to pay maintenance so Mrs Smith goes to the CMEC to get a calculation. (That’s £25 spent)

CMEC say that Mr Smith should pay £10 a week. Brilliant, but Mr Smith refuses to pay so Mrs Smith has to chase the £10 a week via CMEC but first she has to pay a £100 application fee. (£125 so far in fees)

Mr Smith is still being allusive so Mrs Smith uses CMEC’s collection service. Although they collect £10 Mrs Smith will only receive £8.80, the rest is fees.

Over the first year Mrs Smith only receives £332.60 for baby smith even though 52 x £10 is £520. Over at Mr Smith’s house his payment to CMEC is £12 a week. £10 for baby smith and £2 in fees.

I can see what they are trying to achieve as Mr Smith is likeier to not want to pay the extra fees and Mr and Mrs Smith work it all out between them, except one problem. Not everyone who divorces/separates can sit down and talk about it sensibly. If that was the case there wouldn’t have been the birth of CSA in the first place.  It also hits the lower income families the most where every penny counts. So what happens when the low income families don’t have the spare cash to pay for the service?

Want to know more then head over to Gingerbread.

Personally I have contacted my local MP and I will be sending him a link to this page. We wait to see if he pops by and I will keep you posted.

Random Posts

• Go On, Make a Wish- Yours Might Be Granted
  I have never been one to believe in fairies. The tooth fairy was on holiday every time I lost a toot...
• If I Knew This 30 Years Ago
  The whole beauty thing has never come easily to me. My mother was of the ‘lippy and blue eye shadow’...
• Sure Start Maternity Grant
  The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one off payment of £500 to help with the costs of a new baby. I...
• Masking Tape and a Confession
  I confess to carrying masking tape in my handbag. Why? I don’t know. They say that the contents of...

You might also like:

• Child Maintenance
  What is child maintenance? Child maintenance is regular, reliable financial support which helps...
• Job Grant
  Job grant is a one off tax free payment when you start work and stop getting benefits. You can claim...
• Housing and Council Tax Benefit
  Qualifying for this benefit isn’t limited to just being out of work. If you are in work it could b...
• Income Support
  Income Support – these are just the bare facts as it can be complicated, there is  a lot more inf...

Being a single mum you get a special department to deal with it all as they are supposed to be geared up for single parents – Lone Parent Advisors. I saw supposed to be as I wouldn’t really call it geared up. They can do lots of what if calculations and can talk through what is your best situation but when I talked about the changed to free school meal entitlement that will be changing in some parts in September they knew nothing about it. At the moment you can’t be in receipt of Tax Credits to qualify for free school meals and when you have two bottomless pits to feed the £20 a week, that it is worth to me, does get counted on. In September and February this is changing so check with your local school meals office to see if it might affect you.

One other thing that was alarming to say the least with the ‘Lone Parent Advisor’ set up is how much information they got wrong. To help they do an electronic service where they notify all the relevant offices that you have changed your details. For me this was tax credits and housing benefit. I thought it would save me lots of phone calls and providing proof. I was wrong. Yes the information was sent to all the correct places but some of the information was incorrect. This has a knock on effect and was slightly worrying when the rent was due to go out. I was suddenly faced with not being able to pay my rent only because they received the wrong information and had to recalculate it all and whilst the computers where doing there calculation they couldn’t tell me what was actually going to be paid and when.

I only found out they had the wrong information because I rang all the departments to check they had received all the information. Never using the job centres tell them all service I wasn’t convinced it would work. When you’re in the situation that every penny is counted for, this sort of error can be stressful to say the least.

So my advice when dealing with anything benefit related is check and check again. Don’t worry your becoming a nuisance by calling every day. If I hadn’t if called I would be explain to my landlord why his rent wasn’t paid.

You might also like:

• Child Maintenance
  What is child maintenance? Child maintenance is regular, reliable financial support which helps...
• Job Grant
  Job grant is a one off tax free payment when you start work and stop getting benefits. You can claim...
• Income Support
  Income Support – these are just the bare facts as it can be complicated, there is  a lot more inf...
• New Deal for Lone Parents
  New Deal for Lone Parents is a voluntary Jobcentre Plus programme designed to help lone parents into...

The effects on saving on electricity are not only green but saves money too but if you’re on water meter, wasted water is not just wasted water but money down the drain too.

So here I have pulled together some of being a bit greener and saving money along the way.

Change your light bulbs – Only 10 percent of the input power in a traditional light bulb is converted into light. The rest is lost in heat. Lighting a LED bulb is more efficient as I can convert 50 per cent of input energy into light.

Use a clothes line – Reduce tumble dryer use with an indoor drying rack or an outside clothes line. Natural drying is better for your clothes, cheaper and doesn’t waste energy.

Take your shoes off – leaving your shoes at the door will cut levels of lead dust in your home by 60per cent. This is due to almost all the lead dust inside our homes comes from contaminated outdoor soil.

Consider CFL Light bulbs – those funny swirly looking light bulbs may cost more in the first place but they use a quarter of the electricity and last for years. But remember to recycle as they contain small amounts of mercury.

Reuse containers – instead of paying for kitchen storage boxes, reuse old packaging like ice cream containers and such like. Also try and reuse plastic bags as 3 billion kilograms of the stuff enter the waste stream each year.

Don’t replace, use it up – Its greener to use up what you have first then replacing everything and throwing goods away even if they aren’t eco-friendly.

Use less paper – we go through 900 million trees a year to keep us in paper. Use both sides of the paper. Don’t print out emails unless vital and try to recycle as much paper products and packaging as possible.

Use a microwave to cook – a microwave is faster and more efficient and will reduce your energy usage by about 75 per cent.

Dim the lights. Dimming your lights by 25 or 50 per cent with a dimmer switch will save about the same amount in energy.

Put your heating on a timer – No one needs the heat on at night. Set a timer to switch the heating off at bedtime and on again in the morning. It would also save 25 per cent of your heating costs and even more in terms of energy.

Don’t buy bottles of water – instead buy a water filter instead of all those plastic bottles.

Get a home energy audit – Most utility providers will do one for free. You will then know how green you are or aren’t.

Recycle all your drink cans – the energy saved by recycling one can could run a television for three hours.

Don’t charge your mobile phone overnight- most phones only take an hour to charge. So charging it all night is drawing wasted energy.

Switch your DVD off standby- Eighty-five per cent of energy used by a DVD player is wasted when it’s on standby.

Use rechargeable batteries – Six hundred million batteries are used in the UK alone every year – most end up as toxic components of landfill.

Reuse plastic bags – we use over 500 billion plastic bags every year (that’s a million a minute) It will take over a millennium for these to degrade.

Open your windows – by airing your house when it’s chilly outside you will get rid of some of those VOC’s. Turning off the air conditioning will not only save energy but money too.

Only use your washing machine when it is full. With 90 per cent of households having a washing machine and using 50 – 120 litres a cycle it’s a lot of water used. You can save water by only switch it on when you have a full load. By using a 30 degree wash setting it will save energy but will also get your clothes just as a clean as a 40 degree wash. When your machine does give up the ghost then replace it with an energy saving model that allows you to run shorter cycles. There is always the washboard and mangle but I wouldn’t expect any mum to resort to that.

When you’re brushing your teeth turn the tap off. It doesn’t need to run the whole time and your literally throwing away 8,100 litres a year.

Showers are famously quicker and use less water than baths. Showers use 35 litres where as a bath uses 80 litres. Power showers though use about 80 litres.Â

Flush less often. Obviously flush what needs to be flushed but the average house flushes 50 litres of water down the toilet every day. Next time you only blow your nose then flush the tissue down the toilet, think before you flush it.

Collect rainwater. We get enough of it that if you only used the collected water for plants and the garden at least you have saved some. You only need a water butt in your garden to collect water from the down pipe.

Think before tip. The half filled glasses of water you tip down the sink every day could be saved in the fridge for later or used for watering the plants.

If you regularly run the tap to get cold water for drinks, fill a jug and put it in the fridge.

Turn your thermostat down on your hot water. Does it really have to be that hot? Turning the thermostat down will save energy and if you don’t spend so long in a hot steamy shower you have saved water too.

[stextbox id="info"]

If like me, some of the eco terms go way over your head, I have done a quick A to Z of eco terms.

[/stextbox]

You might also like:

• Freebies – we like free
  Free is good, we like free. These two offers are green minded too. Need help to get walking or wa...

• How many children you have living with you
• Whether you work and how many hours you work.
• If you pay for childcare
• If you or any child living with you has a disability
• If your ages 50 plus and are coming off benefits

Your payments will also depend on your income, the lower your income the more tax credit you could get.

Tax and child credits do get a bit confusing in the way they work. They work by basing your payments on your current circumstances and your income from the previous tax year. A tax year runs from 5 April to the following 5 April.

Each April, May and June the tax Credit office will write to you and ask you to:

• Check the information they have on your personal circumstances
• Confirm the income you received in the year that has just ended
• Renew your claim.

Whilst this checking process is happening, the payments they pay you from 6 April until you have renewed your claim are provisional payments. After they have calculated the correct payment it works out that they have paid you too much you may be asked to pay them back. They will normally do this by adjusting your payments after the renewal. The same applies if they haven’t paid you enough.

The best way to avoid nasty surprises is to notify them of any change of circumstances as they happen.

You might also like:

• Tax Credit Changes from April 2011
  The emergency budget on 22 June set out several substantial changes to the tax credit system. Some a...
• Child Maintenance
  What is child maintenance? Child maintenance is regular, reliable financial support which helps...
• Job Grant
  Job grant is a one off tax free payment when you start work and stop getting benefits. You can claim...
• Sure Start Maternity Grant
  The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one off payment of £500 to help with the costs of a new baby. I...

Child maintenance is regular, reliable financial support which helps towards a child’s everyday living costs. The parent who does not have main day-to-day care of the child provides child maintenance to the parent who does.

There are three ways you can arrange to pay or receive child maintenance:

1). through a private arrangement

2). through the statutory system, provided by the Child Support Agency (CSA)

3). through a court order

Child Maintenance Options

A good place to get information about your maintenance choices is from the Child Maintenance Options service. It is a government-funded online and telephone service which gives parents information and support about child maintenance so that they can decide for themselves which arrangement best suits their circumstances.

The Options service is free and confidential. It is separate from the Child Support Agency and completely impartial.

The website is simple to use and can signpost you to practical support for any other issues you may face as a single mum such as housing and benefits. You can visit www.cmoptions.org or call the free helpline number 0800 988 0988 and speak to a specialist. Lines are open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm Saturday.

Option 1 – Private Arrangement

Separated and separating parents can set up a private arrangement to sort out child maintenance, without using the courts or the CSA. There are lots of benefits to having a private arrangement:

• It can be quick and easy to set up
• There’s little paperwork to do
• It could help keep things friendly between you and the other parent
• There are no set rules so you can be more flexible. For example:

- You can agree between yourselves on how much payments should be and when they should be made.
- If either parent’s circumstances change your arrangement can change straight away if you both agree to it.
- You could agree to offer or receive financial support in kind; for example the parent with the main day to day care could pay for clothes, music lessons or school trips.

However, a private arrangement is not legally binding and therefore parents will have to rely on each other to stick to the agreed terms as well as be honest about any change in circumstances.

Option 2 – CSA Arrangement

If you feel a private arrangement wouldn’t work in your situation, the government’s statutory child maintenance service, currently run by the Child Support Agency, can collect child maintenance for you.

It can do the following:

• Try to trace the other parent if their address is unknown
• Collect and enforce payments
• Allow you to avoid any contact with the other parent

Either parent can make an application to the CSA. The CSA isn’t as flexible as a private arrangement. If circumstances change it can take a while for the payments to be adjusted.

The CSA also offers Maintenance Direct, which is where child maintenance is calculated by the CSA but not collected. The parent without the main day-to-day care makes payments directly to the other parent. Maintenance Direct allows parents to be more flexible; you can agree between yourselves how and when money is paid and the amounts can be varied if circumstances change. The CSA is still available if a new calculation needs to be made or to step in if the non-resident parent doesn’t make the payments that are due.

You can get an idea of how much child maintenance you might pay or receive through the CSA by using this link https://secureonline.dwp.gov.uk/csa/v2/en/calculate-maintenance.asp

Option 3 – Consent Order

An alternative way of sorting out child maintenance is through the courts, but this varies depending on where you live.

Consent order (in England and Wales)

This is an official ruling made by a court. It is normally used when parents are deciding a divorce settlement or sharing assets. Both parents normally have to work with solicitors to agree the amount of child maintenance to be paid. They then apply to the court to turn the agreement into a consent order.

A consent order means the court can enforce payment if the parent without main day-to-day care of the child fails to pay. However, getting a consent order can be expensive. Legal aid won’t cover these costs if you are only going to court to get a consent order for child maintenance.

Minute of agreement (in Scotland)

If you live in Scotland, a child maintenance arrangement can be made into a legally binding contract called a minute of agreement. The sheriff officer can collect and enforce payments if the parent without main day-to-day care of the child breaks the agreement.

For more information it is best to call the Options service or visit the website.

You might also like:

• Job Grant
  Job grant is a one off tax free payment when you start work and stop getting benefits. You can claim...
• Housing and Council Tax Benefit
  Qualifying for this benefit isn’t limited to just being out of work. If you are in work it could b...
• Income Support
  Income Support – these are just the bare facts as it can be complicated, there is  a lot more inf...
• Changes in Housing Benefit
  As you all probably aware, things are a changing. One of the benefits that will be changing is Housi...

You need to be:

• Bringing up children on your own
• Starting work of at least 16 hours per week
• Expect the work to last 5 weeks or more

You must also have been getting Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance (or a combination of these benefits) for at least 52 weeks or more without a break.

If you’re entitled to In Work Credit you need to claim it before you start work.

You might also like:

• Changes in Housing Benefit
  As you all probably aware, things are a changing. One of the benefits that will be changing is Housi...
• Child and Tax Credits
  The HM Revenue & Customs quote that 9 out of 10 families with children are entitled to tax credits. ...
• Child Maintenance
  What is child maintenance? Child maintenance is regular, reliable financial support which helps...
• Job Grant
  Job grant is a one off tax free payment when you start work and stop getting benefits. You can claim...

• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income Support
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Jobcentre Plus / New Deal Allowance
• Employment Zone payments

The amount available is £250 for lone parents (£100 for single people without children). There is no need to claim this grant as you automatically receive it if you are eligible. You just need to inform your local Jobcentre Plus Office that you are starting work and i is paid the same way as you were paid benefits.

As Job Grant is tax free it won’t reduce other benefits or tax credits that you may be entitled to once you start work.

If you qualify for the Job Grant you will also be eligible for Extended Council Tax Credits and Extended Housing Benefit.

You might also like:

• Child Maintenance
  What is child maintenance? Child maintenance is regular, reliable financial support which helps...
• New Deal for Lone Parents
  New Deal for Lone Parents is a voluntary Jobcentre Plus programme designed to help lone parents into...
• Income Support
  Income Support – these are just the bare facts as it can be complicated, there is  a lot more inf...
• Changes in Housing Benefit
  As you all probably aware, things are a changing. One of the benefits that will be changing is Housi...

You normally qualify for Child Benefit if you live in the UK and have children aged 16 and under or 20 and under and they are in certain types of education or training.

The only way to claim this benefit is to fill in a Child Benefit claim form and send it to the Child Benefit Office along with your child’s birth or adoption certificate. It cannot be claimed over the phone or via the internet. The claim form is supplied with the Bounty Pack that’s given to new mothers in hospital or is available to print off online. (You will still need to send the completed for to the Child Benefit Office)

You get a higher rate for your eldest child or only child, then a lower rate for additional children.

Current rates until April 2010 are:

• Eldest or only child £20.00 weekly
• Additional children £13.20 weekly

April 2010-02-06 :

• Eldest or only child £20.30 weekly
• Additional children £13.40 weekly

There is normally a small increase each April but letters are sent out before hand to notify you.

Child Benefit can be paid direct into a bank account every 4 weeks, you can request for it to be paid weekly if you are on income support, income-based jobseekers allowance, income related employment and support allowances or if you are a single parent.

Claiming child benefit can also protect your State Pension entitlement. You can read more about this at the Direct Gov web site.

You might also like:

• Twitter and Single Parent Support
  If you’re prone to the odd twitter session you will know what a #hashtag is.  When you’re watching y...
• Going Self Employed as a Single Mum
  It used to be the argument should a mum go back to work. Now it seems the argument is how can a mum ...
• 10 Things I have learnt being a Single Mum
  With being a single parent for the last ten years I have learnt a few things I might never have lear...
• My Top Tips on Coping as a Single Mum
  I am sure I am not the only one who gets asked how to cope with being a single mum, so here are my t...

You won’t be able to claim though if you:

• Have savings over £16,000
• You live in a home of a close relative
• You’re a full time student unless you are disabled or have children

If you rent your property from a private landlord, your Housing Benefit will be calculated with the Local Housing Allowance rules.

If you live in council accommodation or other social housing, the most Housing Benefit you can get is the same as your ‘eligible’rent. (Eligible rent includes rent for the accommodation, charges for some services like lifts, communal laundry etc. Even if water charges, heating, hot water and lighting are included in your rent you won’t get housing benefit on these elements)

How much you get depends on:

• Money coming in
• Your savings
• Your circumstances: age, size of family and their ages, disablement.
• The amount of rent is reasonable for your home and the area you live
• The home is reasonable size for your family

If you are a council tenant, housing benefit will be paid direct to your rent account.

If you’re not a council tenant it is paid to you by cheque or direct into your bank account every 4 weeks.

Council Tax benefit is taken directly off your council tax bill. Once its worked out and applied you then receive a revised bill.

Housing benefit doesn’t affect any other benefits you get.

If you know you are about to move, you can claim up to 13 weeks before you move. This doesn’t necessarily mean you will get any money before you move in, it just organises everything beforehand.

You might also like:

• Child Maintenance
  What is child maintenance? Child maintenance is regular, reliable financial support which helps...
• Income Support
  Income Support – these are just the bare facts as it can be complicated, there is  a lot more inf...
• Changes in Housing Benefit
  As you all probably aware, things are a changing. One of the benefits that will be changing is Housi...
• Job Grant
  Job grant is a one off tax free payment when you start work and stop getting benefits. You can claim...

The Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one off payment of £500 to help with the costs of a new baby. It comes from the Social Fund and you don’t have to pay it back.

You can get a Sure Start Maternity Grant if you receive any of the following:

• Income Support
• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element
• Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award

And if the following applies to you:

• You are pregnant and expecting a baby within 11 weeks or have given birth within the last three months.

There are also other situations like adoption, residence order and surrogates taken into account. See Direct Gov for more details.

There is a time limit as to when you apply for the grant, from 29^th week of your pregnancy until your child is 3 months old.

You might also like:

• Benefit Changes that will affect New Parents
  The government are making cuts to a several key grants and other welfare entitlements for new parent...
• Tax Credit Changes from April 2011
  The emergency budget on 22 June set out several substantial changes to the tax credit system. Some a...
• Child and Tax Credits
  The HM Revenue & Customs quote that 9 out of 10 families with children are entitled to tax credits. ...
• Housing and Council Tax Benefit
  Qualifying for this benefit isn’t limited to just being out of work. If you are in work it could b...

As I manage to get these relating sections written I will post them up. In the meantime if you have any tips or advice on various benefits from your experiences that would help other single mums ( Sadly hoping on one leg and whistling a tune doesn’t work in getting answers from benefit departments faster, I did try) please drop me a line so they can be included.

You might also like:

• 10 Things I have learnt being a Single Mum
  With being a single parent for the last ten years I have learnt a few things I might never have lear...
• BBC Three wants your opinions
  CALLING ALL WOMEN! BBC Three and Renegade Pictures are making a new documentary with Cherry Heale...
• Single Mums – BBC Three Comedy
  Showing on Thursday 10 June 21:30 on BBC Three is Dappers. A light hearted comedy set in Bristol and...
• Depression-hit mum setting up support in Accrington
  I like good news, happy news and inspiring news. Especially if its about single mums. So to kick the...

• You may be able to get Income Support if you are aged 16 to 59 and any of the following apply:
• You are a lone parent ( from 26 October 2009 with a child under 10, from 25 October 2010 with a child under 7 living with them)
• You are registered as sick or disabled
• You are caring for someone who is sick or elderly
• You are pregnant and your baby is due in the next 11 weeks or you have given birth in the last 15 weeks.

You also:

• Don’t have savings of more that £16,000
• You’re not working or working less than 16 hours a week.
• There are further restrictions if you have a partner – please check these out with the Jobcentre.

How much you receive depends on your circumstances like your living arrangements, how many children you have and how much in savings you have. Just as a guide the personal allowances from 6 April 2009 for lone parents are £50.95 for under 18, £64.30 for lone parents aged 18 and over. As each person’s situation is different this is only a guide.

Its paid fortnightly into your bank, building society, post office or national savings account that accepts direct payment. They will arrange a cheque  that is cashable at a Post Office if you are unable to open or manage an account.

You can claim Income Support online.

If you are on Income Support you automatically qualify for the :

• Free dental care
• Free prescriptions
• Free school meals ( you have to apply by filling in a form)
• Housing Benefit/Council tax benefit

You might also like:

• Child Maintenance
  What is child maintenance? Child maintenance is regular, reliable financial support which helps...
• Job Grant
  Job grant is a one off tax free payment when you start work and stop getting benefits. You can claim...
• Housing and Council Tax Benefit
  Qualifying for this benefit isn’t limited to just being out of work. If you are in work it could b...
• Benefits
  I frequently get asked what benefits are available for a single mum to receive. Well there are a fe...

As it’s a voluntary programme, it is your choice as to whether or not you take part.

Although I personally haven’t tried New Deal for Lone Parents, I do know it has been a great help to some single parents. It has built their confidence up and helped them through the process of getting back to work.

Contact your local Jobcentre Plus for more details.

[stextbox]

When claiming benefits it’s a good idea to:

• Take copies of completed claim forms and letters before you send them off.
• Keep a record of the date, time and the person you spoke to if you contact them in person or by phone.
• If you think they have made a mistake in working out your claim its worth getting advice from CAB. Don’t assume just because they are a government agency doesn’t mean they always get it right or that you can’t appeal the decision.

[/stextbox]

You might also like:

• Job Grant
  Job grant is a one off tax free payment when you start work and stop getting benefits. You can claim...
• Job Centres – Lone Parent Advisor Error
  Being on income support as I was working under 16 hours and my youngest now ten, I was called into t...
• Child and Tax Credits
  The HM Revenue & Customs quote that 9 out of 10 families with children are entitled to tax credits. ...
• Child Maintenance
  What is child maintenance? Child maintenance is regular, reliable financial support which helps...

The basics of my situation – I want to become a web site designer. I have been making small websites for myself and friends for long enough to realise it’s my passion. Website design and SEO have been my hobby for many years, so with lots of research and thinking I have decided to take it to the next level. I have always followed the strict regime outlined by the benefit system but in doing so my paying customer number is down there on the nonexistent level.

At nearly 40 I am too old for the New Business schemes that are out there.[stextbox id="alert"](Tip- figure out what you want to do with your life way before your 30th birthday)[/stextbox] There are schemes available for the over 50′s who want to be self employed.

Also when I was made redundant I was put on income support automatically as I have two children. Now if I had been put on Job Seekers allowance then the step into self employment would be rewarded with a Self Employment Credit of £50 a week for 16 weeks which is a total of £800 [stextbox id="alert"](Tip – if made redundant check if income support or Job seekers allowance is the better option- You will have to ask as the pros and cons are not voluntary explained).[/stextbox]If I estimate that in the new stages of self employment I won’t be working many hours then this too goes against you. Notch up at least 16 hours plus a week then I get a one off payment of £250 through the Job Grant scheme.

Now if I stay on income support for another 6 months and then launch into being self employed after a full year of income support then I would qualify for In Work Credit. This is £40 a week for 52 weeks, a grand total of £2080.

In the grand scheme of things if I was sure I would be working over 30 hours a week and had lots of customers lined up then yes I would be hugely better off. But in starting up the business the early days are the days that the help is needed when customer numbers are low. It’s not like flicking a light switch and hey presto working lots of hours lots of customers.

So I have no option but to start gradually and inform the relative benefit sections of my increase in hours and income. This also cancels out the entitlement of the above schemes. I think this post could be now called I am about to launch a business on nothing.

Now don’t get me wrong I know it will be a lot of hard work to start up it wouldn’t be rewarding if it was easy. I am not looking for an easy route. It’s just sad that out of all the help that is out there I don’t fit into any of the categories.

[stextbox id="info"]

Help that is out there for single mums going self employed.

Child Tax Credit

Working Tax Credit - eligible when working over 16 hours a week.

Housing Benefit

Income support - eligible if working under 16 hours a week.

In Work Credit - tax free payment of £40 per week for up to 52 weeks. You may get it if you are bringing up children alone, will be working more than 16 hours a week and expect to work for 5 weeks. You also have to be in receipt of Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance for 52 weeks prior to starting self employment.

Job Grant- a tax free lump sum (£250 for single parents) you need to have been claiming Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Income Support,

Allowance or Severe Disablement Allowance for more than 6 months and start work for more than 16 hours a week.

Self Employment Credit – You need to have been claiming Job Seekers Allowance and move into self employment and work 16 hours a week or more. Self Employment Credit is not available if you claim Return to Work Credit or In Work Credit. It is paid at a rate of £50 per week up to 16 weeks. It is not counted as income when tax credits and Housing Benefit are calculated.

The Prince’s Trust- helps 18 – 30 unemployed start up their own business.

Prime – Helps the over 50′s set up their own business.

[/stextbox]

Please – if there any any self employed single mums out there get in touch and share your experiences.

You might also like:

• Benefit Changes that will affect New Parents
  The government are making cuts to a several key grants and other welfare entitlements for new parent...
• Tax Credit Changes from April 2011
  The emergency budget on 22 June set out several substantial changes to the tax credit system. Some a...
• Changes in Housing Benefit
  As you all probably aware, things are a changing. One of the benefits that will be changing is Housi...
• Job Centres – Lone Parent Advisor Error
  Being on income support as I was working under 16 hours and my youngest now ten, I was called into t...

There is in the UK, a British PLC called the Utility Warehouse Discount Club.  This company is a member of the FTSE 250 and trades under the name of Telecom Plus PLC.  As well as receiving many business accolades from such magazines as European Business Magazine, Investor’s Chronicle and being given the prestigious title of the number 1 UK PLC of the year in March 2009, this company also has received much credibility from independent consumer magazines such as Which? And in a consumer survey, it was reported that 94% of its customers would recommend the services to a friend.

So, just how does this work?  Well there are 3 easy steps.  The first being that The utility Warehouse Discount club is  a word of mouth marketing company so doesn’t pay for advertising costs of any sort.  It relies on its network of customers and distributors to promote its products and services and passes on the savings made to its customers and distributors.  you have one single, simple monthly bill for your gas, electricity, broadband and telephony and no minimum contract for most of the services.  The department of trade and industry have said that switching to the Utility Warehouse Discount club can save you somewhere in the region of £800 per year and that’s without employing the two other methods by which you can shrink your bills to nothing if you so wish.

The second method is simply to use the cash back card.  This card is a master card but not a credit card so you top up and then go and spend.  By spending on your food, clothes, baby goods, sporting goods, etc,

You can reduce your bill by around £30 per month.  Every time you spend, you reduce your bill by 5%.  That’s a good saving by anyone’s standard.

The third and final way is to recommend these services to your friends and family.  By recommending just 10 people you could potentially save yourself 20% for as long as your friends and family remain customers.  There are some people in this country who have shrank their bills so much that the Utility Warehouse Discount club has to pay them.  How fantastic is that?  As single mums we owe it to ourselves to save money but it’s also important to have good service so isn’t it worth taking a look at this?  What could a yearly saving shown above allow you to do?  Go on holiday perhaps?  Just do extra little things with the kids you couldn’t afford to do?

If you think you’d like to take a look then here is the MiniBills site.

Random Posts

• What do men look for
  If you're on the tangible search for a man it helps to know what men look for in a woman? If you can...
• Saving Money in the Kitchen
  Use long grain rice instead of basmati Use canned cream instead of fresh Use dried beans a...
• Single Mums Do Have Brains.
  Carol Vorderman who is a single mum proves that. Carol was also raised by her mum single headedly fo...
• The Dreaded Summer Holidays
  It's raining here in Cornwall but then it always rains in Cornwall. It's not just a quick shower and...

The biggest mistake though is not facing the problem or not trying to tackle it. It may be on your mind all the time but not actually doing anything positive about it is just hiding from the problem.

Take control of the situation. So ok you’re in debt. You’re not the first or last and certainly not alone.

If you are in serious debt contact your creditors (the people you owe money to) before they contact you. They don’t actually want to take court action unless it is absolutely necessary. But the problems won’t go away if you ignore them. They will only get worse.

Seek advice. Don’t go to debt counselling companies that charge a fee for their services. I made this costly mistake and still trying to unravel the mess. There are companies that don’t charge and the money you would pay in fees could go towards paying off debts.

First make sure you getting all the money you are entitled to. www.entitledto.co.uk has a nifty anonymous calculator then will estimate what you could be entitled to.

Sit down and list everything and I mean everything. Be it on a piece of paper or getting nifty with an excel sheet. Work out exactly what you have coming in and what goes out. You have probably looked at this before and cancelled the things you don’t need like gym membership for a gym you don’t go to etc. But it is worth having another look at it.

Keep this to hand and then talk to your local http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk . There advice is free and up to date. Other free organisations are http://www.payplan.com and http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk . These people deal with people with debt problems every day. They won’t be shocked but will offer advice on what the best action is for your situation and circumstances.

I can’t stress enough the importance of tackling the situation and keeping away from companies that charge for their services.

Random Posts

• In Work Credit
  In work credit is a fixed tax free payment of £40 per week (£60 per week in London). You need...
• Housing and Council Tax Benefit
  Qualifying for this benefit isn’t limited to just being out of work. If you are in work it could b...
• Going Self Employed as a Single Mum
  It used to be the argument should a mum go back to work. Now it seems the argument is how can a mum ...
• Red Lipstick Perfection – A Bad Sign
  I should have seen the signs all those years ago when my daughter, then a wobbly toddler, found my l...

I have two children so the idea of dragging them on the quest for a new item never filled me with enthusiasm. Now it’s a way of life.

I don’t have to tackle the car parks or pay the extortionate price of parking. I don’t have to spend my precious petrol on the whole experience either. I shop with my slippers on and cup of coffee. Total bliss.

But now I am saving money as I shop on the internet. I promise its nothing shady or such like. I found a site that pays me back a percentage of what I spend. EH? I hear you cry. Well I pop along to Internet Cashback and log in. Browse to the section I want, like today it was New Look for clothes. I click the link and taken to New Look website. I happily shop away knowing that I will get 8% back into my Internet Cashback account from shopping at New Look . Once you have reached £40 they send it along to your bank account. Personally I am going to leave the money in there till Christmas.

It’s not all 8% either . Take out home insurance with HSBC and you have earnt yourself £25. Shop at Boots ? You could be earning yourself 4% on your purchases. WH Smiths for the kids back to school stuff, you could be earning 3.5% back into your purse. There really is such a wide variety on there that I have mearly skimmed the surface. And remember all those percentages add up to a nice deposit back into your purse just because you went through Internet Cashback.

As well as loads of categories, it’s well worth joining for the free £10 they give you just for signing up. Now when I shop I go through Internet Cash back to reward myself with £%. How cool is that, it’s like being paid to shop.

Random Posts

• Job Centres – Lone Parent Advisor Error
  Being on income support as I was working under 16 hours and my youngest now ten, I was called into t...
• CSA Landmark Case
  A single mum has won a landmark legal battle against the Child Support Agency, worth £35,600. The Ch...
• Coping with Christmas on your own as a Single Mum
  I think the hardest part of being a single mum for me is Christmas. I can cope with most things that...
• Newly Single
   If you have suddenly found yourself in the situation of being a single parent, you may be struggli...

Instead of buying a lottery ticket put the money into a jar, when it reaches a lump sum buy premium bonds instead.

Get used to using cash rather than credit cards. It’s a proven fact that people using cash spend less then those who pay with plastic.

Voucherseeker.co.uk  & Vouchercodes.co.uk -have the pick of the best discount from big names.

Toluna – get products for free to try out. Only catch you have to report back on what you think and your opinions on the products. Click Here to find out more.

Switch off TVs , hi-fis and PCs instead of leaving them on standby – can save up about £130 a year.

By swapping just 5 of the most used light bulbs for energy-saving bulbs saves you  £30 a year

Turning down the thermostat just one degree saves £50 a year.

Check your getting the best prices – it pays to shop around.

• Save On Your Bills – to see if you can save on your bills.
• mySupermarket.co.uk – to check the best prices in the supermarket before you go shopping.
• Beat That Quote – always wise to check out the quote you’ve had is the best one.

Random Posts

• 12 Things on Raising a Boy
  I seem to like lists. I feel comfortable when I have a list in front of me. It is, though, on my lis...
• BBC One want your views
  BBC ONE is making a ground breaking documentary series about unemployment and wants to hear from lon...
• I Am What I Am
  Jo from 2starsandaswirl took the plunge last year and went from employed to running her own business...
• My Mother Taught Me…
  My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .."If you're going to kill each other, do it outsi...

Use canned cream instead of fresh

Use dried beans and chickpeas instead of canned

Use streaky bacon instead of back bacon

Use pollack instead of cod

Use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts

Use the freezer to store bread and crumpets saves throwing it away what hasn’t been used because it’s past its best.

Empty wine dregs into ice cube trays, can be used then in soups, casseroles and sauces for extra flavour.

Send in your tips or add them in the comments below

Random Posts

• To Send or Not to Send a Child to Their Room
  When I was young I was brought up fairly strictly. There wasn't any room for manoeuvre. My parents s...
• What’s Your Christmas Traditions?
  Maybe I am just getting older and more cynical in my old age but Christmas seems to be getting more ...
• My School Holiday Pet Hate
  If there is one thing I hate about school holidays it’s the feeding them bit. Yes I know it’s my par...
• Save Money as You Shop
  We all like a bargain, so I bet the majority of you would prefer to save money when you buy on the i...

Supermarket Loyalty Cards - if they do one – get one. By just presenting a card you get loyalty points. These will soon add up and can be used in a variety of ways.

Buy Loose - Fruit and veg is cheaper when bought loose. Will you really eat your way through that bag of oranges before they go off? I know I don’t in my vain attempt to get at least one piece of fruit into my kids.  Save even more by buying seasonal and if you can shop after 4pm they are often discounting it all too.

Write a shopping list - and remember to take it with you. Planning a weeks shopping and sticking to it wont add on the little extras you forget about till it comes to paying the bill. A special offer is only good if you actually like and use the product in the first place.

Time your attack - supermarkets need the shelf space for the next days delivery so many items are put on offer. If you can mange to shop in the evening or on a Sunday you can benefit by saving some money.

Buy Bulk- but only on your staples that you know you will constantly use. Things like rice, pasta, olive oil etc. And make sure you have storage space to keep it all.

Buy Own Brand - Not only are they cheaper they are just as good or better. My children thought they only drank branded squashes till they caught me refilling a branded bottle with own label.

Dont Shop When You’re Hungry – we have all done it and you always come out with loads more than you need.

Shop Alone – if at all possible don’t shop with kids or partners. They get in the way, add things to the trolley and stop you getting the job done.

Random Posts

• You may be Greener than you thought
  Doing the green resolution is proving to be quiet challenging. I seem to be constantly reading label...
• Christmas Bunting
  According to my teen the lounge just didn’t look Christmassy enough. Er hello 7 foot Christmas tree ...
• Rain, Sunshine and a Hoover
  You work hard on bringing up your children in the correct way and then when they do something you ha...
• 8 Types of men I have in my life
  Being single I must confess I am perfectly happy with it. I never have a dull moment and rarely get ...

Basically you get 1 point for every £1 you spend. Once you have reached 100 points they convert it into a voucher worth £1. Now whilst your thinking this doesn-t sound much it does add up. They also do various promotions where you can double up your points, earn extra points and receive more for your points. Once they sold iPod shuffles for £49 and gave 999 bonus points. Add that to the normal points accrued on the sale and it actually turned out you had £42 of clubcard Deals making the iPod effectively £7.

Nectar Points - Used in Sainsbury’s. BP, Homebase, Amazon.co.uk, Play.com and Dixons.co.uk

For every £1 spent usually gains you 2 points. You can use the points in exchange for gifts, shopping discounts off member stores and days out.

Joining the email newsletter with them can boost your points when they send out questionnaires in return for 50 points or more.

Boots - Use online or in store an earn 4 points for every £1.

Most the stores have loyalty machines that print out offers and vouchers when you insert your card. Boots commonly hold mega weekends where extra points are given out . If you spend online though remember to collect your points from instore with in 6 months or you loose the points.

Random Posts

• Kids, The Internet, Mobile Phones and Tokens
  When I was young there was no mobile phone, computer games were two sticks and a dot and the interne...
• Single Mum and Money
  Being a single parent is hard work especially the money side. Money can be very tight if not non-exi...
• Latest Post from Donna
  This week Donna is talking about two things, what we want in a date and the very fragile subject of ...
• Wish List pitfalls
  Your wish list regarding men might be the thing that's the problem. It might be attracting all the M...

When we have already cut back on things just to make the sums add up, we are now faced with the task of having to cut back and tighten the belt even more.

So how on earth can we do it? Its not going to be easy and its not going to be pretty. Never more than now does the saying ‘every penny count’ mean so much. So I have now we have a money section. Simple tips, big tips, easy tips..actually any tip I know or can find to help save those pennies.

Saving Money on the Shopping Bill – how small things as we shop can save some pennies.

Loyalty Cards – What do you get for your loyalty?

Saving Money in the Kitchen - simple and easy tips to help save the pennies.

Saving Money Generally - ideas to save moeny generally on anything.

Please get in touch with your moeny saving tips so they can be added and help others.

You might also like:

• Introducing Maxlyn – life coach
  I am Maxlyn a life coach and I have been a single mum for nearly eight years now. I have endured al...
• Bargain Corner
  As money is always tight and now the Christmas season is approaching rapidly, thought I would start ...