Grand daughter/welfare question

[Deleted User] · 15/01/13 - 16:32

My grand daughter has 2 kiddies and is a single parent so she has to exist on welfare.

To take her eldest aged 6 to school each day costs (I think) £2.60 each way= £5.20 x 5 days =£26.00 per week, but she says the welfare people won't pay for this.

This doesn't seem right to me she has virtuall y nothing to live on as it is,anybody have any knowledge of this type situation?

annette kurten · 15/01/13 - 16:34

i had to pay my children`s bus fares to school, we were under the three mile limit, how far`s she? can she get a monthly pass?

2shy2007 · 15/01/13 - 16:34

IS the school the closest one to her? if not she can move her to a closer one, if it is then can she not walk with her?

[Deleted User] · 15/01/13 - 17:27

Is that taxi or bus? If it's bus, a pass would be cheaper. And if it's taxi they will give a discount for a daily booking. If the current one doesn't, she should ring round other companies and see if they would give a better price.

Little Nell · 15/01/13 - 17:39

Of course 'welfare' won't pay! She'll be receiving benefits that are sufficient (in the government's eyes) for her and her children to live on, and she's expected to prioritise within that amount. So she needs to look at other options, as suggested.

[Deleted User] · 15/01/13 - 17:47

sorry but why as a single mum does she 'have to exist on welfare'? I'm a single mum to two, a student and I work full time. I do get some help with childcare costs and free school lunches, but thats it. I cannot abide the social expectations these days that just because you are a single mum you should live on benefits. There is no reasons she can't get a job and cover her costs herself, if she chooses not to then she has to learn to live within the means that benefits provide her with.

Ref the school bus - the benefits are there to cover costs such as that, why should they pay double, they certainly wouldn't pay petrol for a car driver, so why should they pay bus fairs?

As someone has said, if its not the nearest school, why not? and it if is - walk or ride to school.

topcat3 · 15/01/13 - 17:55

if its more than 3 miles you get a free bus pass don't you? If its less can she not walk or if its almost three miles is there a nearer school?

[Deleted User] · 15/01/13 - 17:55

jafsie wrote: »

My grand daughter has 2 kiddies and is a single parent so she has to exist on welfare.

To take her eldest aged 6 to school each day costs (I think) £2.60 each way= £5.20 x 5 days =£26.00 per week, but she says the welfare people won't pay for this.

This doesn't seem right to me she has virtuall y nothing to live on as it is,anybody have any knowledge of this type situation?

£26.00 per week is a lot to pay per week for school bus. I am sure there will be a cheaper way to pay for these journeys. check our weekly, monthly bus passes. the other thing she could do is find someone else who makes the trip to school each day in a car and offer them to share the cost. Just a thought.

Akane Tendo · 15/01/13 - 18:03

Why isn't she getting a return on the bus? Surely that would be cheaper, failing that get a bus pass.

stud u like · 15/01/13 - 18:07

A megarider would be cheaper.

Croctacus · 15/01/13 - 18:54

If the kid is only 6 then the rule is that the school should be within walkable distance, ie 2 miles, before she gets a free pass.

maidinscotland · 15/01/13 - 18:59

jafsie wrote: »

My grand daughter has 2 kiddies and is a single parent so she has to exist on welfare.
To take her eldest aged 6 to school each day costs (I think) £2.60 each way= £5.20 x 5 days =£26.00 per week, but she says the welfare people won't pay for this.

This doesn't seem right to me she has virtuall y nothing to live on as it is,anybody have any knowledge of this type situation?

Err.......no she doesn't!

stud u like · 15/01/13 - 19:01

maidinscotland wrote: »

Err.......no she doesn't!

Very true. Plenty of single parents work.

tigragirl · 15/01/13 - 19:17

Hang on, she will be getting income support, £71.00 child benefit £23.70' child tax credit £113, no doubt she is getting considerable help with rent and council tax too, oh and the child at school should get free school dinners too. Not a bad deal, but if it isn't enough for her she needs to get a job and do more to support her own family rather than expect others to provide more.

Maybe you could sit down and go through her finances with her, see if she is spending her money wisely and see if there is anything she can cut back on.

chloeb · 15/01/13 - 19:33

She should also be getting £3-4 week for milk/fruit/Vegs, not a lot but it helps

Little Nell · 15/01/13 - 19:37

chloeb wrote: »

She should also be getting £3-4 week for milk/fruit/Vegs, not a lot but it helps

I didn't know about this - where does this come from & what are the criteria?

[Deleted User] · 15/01/13 - 19:54

tigragirl wrote: »

Hang on, she will be getting income support, £71.00 child benefit £23.70' child tax credit £113, no doubt she is getting considerable help with rent and council tax too, oh and the child at school should get free school dinners too. Not a bad deal, but if it isn't enough for her she needs to get a job and do more to support her own family rather than expect others to provide more.

Maybe you could sit down and go through her finances with her, see if she is spending her money wisely and see if there is anything she can cut back on.

Don't forget child maintenance.

Little Nell wrote: »

I didn't know about this - where does this come from & what are the criteria?

Heathy eating vouchers. Generally if you get free school meals you should get them. Also help towards school trips ete too.

Now I'm not having a go at the lass, being a single parent is hard, but if she thinks benefits should pay for everything she's got another think coming.

tigragirl · 15/01/13 - 20:28

bazaar1 wrote: »

Don't forget child maintenance.

Heathy eating vouchers. Generally if you get free school meals you should get them. Also help towards school trips ete too.

Now I'm not having a go at the lass, being a single parent is hard, but if she thinks benefits should pay for everything she's got another think coming.

Healthy start vouchers are not related to free school meals.
healthy start vouchers stop when a child reaches 4 I think.

I suppose the NHS way of thinking ( they are the people who provide healthy start vouchers) is if the kids get a free school meal they should be getting a balanced meal each day so there isn't such a need for vouchers.
Don't forget they replaced milk tokens which were abused.

[Deleted User] · 15/01/13 - 20:37

tigragirl wrote: »

Healthy start vouchers are not related to free school meals.
healthy start vouchers stop when a child reaches 4 I think.

I suppose the NHS way of thinking ( they are the people who provide healthy start vouchers) is if the kids get a free school meal they should be getting a balanced meal each day so there isn't such a need for vouchers.
Don't forget they replaced milk tokens which were abused.

Ok, my mistake. However I still get them for my son and he's 7

tigragirl · 15/01/13 - 20:42

bazaar1 wrote: »

Ok, my mistake. However I still get them for my son and he's 7

As far as I am aware you need to have a child under 4 or be pregnant to get them.

Here is a link to the website

http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/

TWS · 15/01/13 - 21:07

bazaar1 wrote: »

Don't forget child maintenance.

Heathy eating vouchers. Generally if you get free school meals you should get them. Also help towards school trips ete too.

Now I'm not having a go at the lass, being a single parent is hard, but if she thinks benefits should pay for everything she's got another think coming.

She may not necessarily get maintenance for the children

fredster · 15/01/13 - 21:33

VOICEINTHENIGHT wrote: »

£26.00 per week is a lot to pay per week for school bus. I am sure there will be a cheaper way to pay for these journeys. check our weekly, monthly bus passes. the other thing she could do is find someone else who makes the trip to school each day in a car and offer them to share the cost. Just a thought.

But is it the school bus? my understanding was she takes the child on the bus, so presumably the fare is for her?

[Deleted User] · 15/01/13 - 21:40

TWS wrote: »

She may not necessarily get maintenance for the children

No, but if she's struggling that much she should consider requesting it.

[Deleted User] · 15/01/13 - 22:08

bazaar1 wrote: »

No, but if she's struggling that much she should consider requesting it.

It's not always that simple. I had no maintenance for my children when they were young. I didn't want him to know where we were for various reasons and there was no CSA then. People's circumstances aren't always black and white.

topcat3 · 15/01/13 - 22:17

Diamondl1fe wrote: »

It's not always that simple. I had no maintenance for my children when they were young. I didn't want him to know where we were for various reasons and there was no CSA then. People's circumstances aren't always black and white.

yes but they do exist now, and surely the CSA cant give out the mother's personal details!

[Deleted User] · 15/01/13 - 22:24

topcat3 wrote: »

yes but they do exist now, and surely the CSA cant give out the mother's personal details!

I don't know about the CSA but for myself I just didn't want to antagonise him so I never tried to claim. It seems daft now but I was very scared at the time. Thank god those days are behind me

Hey there!

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