benefits help

Well if anyone read my previous post I was asking if I was entitle to a bursary for midwifery as presently I live abroad. Well I have decided that the possible way forward for me is to return to UK, settle down, join a access to nursing course, and the the 3 years will be up, daughter will be older and I can apply then. But in the meantime, does anyone know about the benefit system? I don't actually want to work until my daughter starts full time education, so I would entitled to child benefit, and income suppport I believe, if I lived with my parents (they are here in Turkey with me at the mo). Am I still entitled seeing as I haven't been in the country for 7 years, do I have to wait 25 weeks before I can apply. I believe this won't be a problem for my Dad becuase he has been making national insurance contributions for a long time-where as I wasn't working all that long before I came here. I was reading the incapacity benefit by mistake and I discovered this, does this apply to all benefits. I would have apsolutely no money if I came back to the Uk, and no home, I would have to live with someone for a while, it would be a lot of effort. Does anyone know anything about income support and child benefit?? I tried to contact CAB, but there was no one to contact as far as I could see. If anyone could find out if I entitled that would be fantastic.
Thanks so much.

Hi there
I haven't seen your previous posts, so if there is anything I have missed I apologise! However, based on what you are saying here i think you wouldn't be entitled to housing benefit if you were living with someone. If you were renting a room from them, then maybe, however, I think you are right about the amount of time you need to have been in this country paying into the system so to speak before you are able to claim anything. So if you were to return here and get a job say for a year first and then do your access course, it would be far more beneficial i think, if it is indeed possible for you to do that? You would then be entitled to claim benefits i think.
It has been a little while since i have been through the benefits system in this way so some of my information maybe out of date, but there are other people on the site who may have more relevant information for you.
best of luck
x

__________________
Site Administrator, Student Mentor Scheme Manager

STMW 2nd year - no, really!

Hi hun, good luck with it all, my other half is from Turkey, I love it there! Anyway if u go to this link http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/...15271.xml.html on the right hand side there is a contact job centre plus bit, email them as much info as you can and they will get back to you. May take a while but its better to get all the correct info. Hth xx

__________________
Mummy to Jordan 14, Angel 3, Elliott 2, and too many sleeping s xxxxxx

Hi. I'm not sure how housing benefit works when you live with family in their house, but my local council (not sure if it applies to all) give you money to pay a deposit on private rented accomodation, and if you are on income support you are entitled to all your rent paid and all your council tax paid. With a child you should get Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits have a look at http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTax...fits/index.htm and see if this helps answer some of your questions. I found the whole benefits system to be very complicated and no-one seems to want to help you find out what you are entitled to. Good luck.

__________________
Mother Confessor xx
Wannabe Student Midwife 2009/2010