Which benefits should I claim?

If you choose to stay at home an study, think will it be college level or open university??? If University level (level 4 and up) then you wont be able to claim any type of benefits such as job seekers or income support as you will get univeristy burseries.

If at college level, (and above age 17) then you can claim income support been as you have a child to care for. Your child tax credits wont be affected you may get more...although if you are receiving working tax credits (while you was working) then they will be taken away. Income supoort is £60+ a week and can be more if you have a child/children.

The less you earn, the more tax credits you get paid...so if you arent working or working less than 16 hrs a week, you will most likely be eligable for the higher family element of tax credits.

You can go online at hmrc.gov.uk and do the online questionnaire which will let you know roughly how much you will be entitled to when on benefits. I personally would claim income support if you are a single parent going back to study at college level and not working anymore.

You will roughly get

£60+ income support

£55+ child tax credits

£20 child benefit

Plus this way if you want to claim housing benefit it will be dpone automatically through the jobcentre (the new way of doing it so you dont have to keep going to the council neighbourhood office.

You will be able to get council tax reductions/even all of it paid for...

I am in the same boat as you... I have no job as going back to college in sept, have a 2 yr old....but the only difference is, im still with my partner (we dont live together) but still we are classed as a joint claim...so I cant claim income support due to him working. We get working tax credits (at a higher rate than income support) so there would be no point in me splitting up with him lol and claiming as a single parent cause I would be £20 worse off a week.

Hope this helps...

This is the Very Thing that the American People have been in an Uproar over. Illegal Immigrants can come here, receive Free Housing, Medical and Food Stamps and Have never paid a Cent into Social Security or the System. The American Citizens whom have worked their whole Life and paid into the System and Taxes Galore, Cannot even receive "any" help from the System if they need it. There is something terribly Wrong with this Picture. I do not resent "anyone" from wanting a better way of Life, but Dang it "They" Illegals should have to Pay the same Taxes as every other American Citizen "before" draining our Economy of its resources!!