Social Welfare and Maintenance payments

LegacyUser

How would maintenance payments be deducted from your social welfare payments if you're claiming for a family ie I claim for myself, my partner and 2 kids, I have a child with an ex,
So what would be the amount of income that would be means tested for the maintenance payment?

Also If my partner was to make the social welfare claim for us all how would that affect it(this is just me wondering, not planning to do this)

Thank's in advance

Lugh Ildanach

It depends on what scheme you're on and who is claiming the social welfare payment.

If you're in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance, then any maintenance that you receive is assessable. The first 95.23 of maintenance is disregarded, provided that you can vouch this against housing costs (rent or mortgage). Half of the balance is assessed off your claim.

For example. You receive maintenance of 150 Euro/week. The first 95.23 is disregarded. You will lose half of the balance (approx 27.50) from your Jobseekers payment.

If you are receiving less than 95.23/week maintenance, and your housing costs are at least the amount of the maintenance, then it won't affect your claim!

If however, it was your partner who was claiming, it would be different. Maintenance that is received by a partner is NOT assessable if the maintenance is paid for the children only. If the maintenance is paid for your partner, or if it is not defined in the maintenance order/agreement if it is for the children or for yourself, then it is assessable.

But this works differently for different schemes, so if you're not on Jobseekers, let us know what payment you are on so that someone can confirm what the position is.

Also, it works completely differently for Rent Supplement. For rent supplement, all of the maintenance up to 95.23 is taken off. If the maintenance is above 95.23, then some disregards to apply to the balance. Let us know if this applies.

If you let us know how much maintenance you get, and what payment you are in receipt of, then someone can do the maths for you if you need.

LegacyUser

Sorry should have been more clear, I would be the one who would have to pay the maintenance.
I claim JSA for myself, partner and 2 kids.

LegacyUser

Does anyone know anything about this?