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Can I get gov assistance if I am legally separated?

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ohara82

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Kentucky

I have two children and I am a full time student. My husband has a great career,it allowed me to be a stay at home mother and to pursue my degree. He makes to much money for us to get any assistance but now he wants a separation. The problem is that I can't provide alone. I can get a job, but I also really need to finish school so I can provide my children with a quality life. I don't know if I would be able to get the free child care the state provides low income if I am just seperated. I would also be interested in getting help with my school and prehaps food stamps. I just can't believe this is happening to me. I know that it sounds like I'm asking if the government will support me, but I don't want my children to have to go without until I finish my degree. I know I can get child support, but with my lack of skills I will not be able to cover daycare on what I would be able to make. Would it be better to just get a divorce?
 


Isis1

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Kentucky

I have two children and I am a full time student. My husband has a great career,it allowed me to be a stay at home mother and to pursue my degree. He makes to much money for us to get any assistance but now he wants a separation. The problem is that I can't provide alone. I can get a job, but I also really need to finish school so I can provide my children with a quality life. I don't know if I would be able to get the free child care the state provides low income if I am just seperated. I would also be interested in getting help with my school and prehaps food stamps. I just can't believe this is happening to me. I know that it sounds like I'm asking if the government will support me, but I don't want my children to have to go without until I finish my degree. I know I can get child support, but with my lack of skills I will not be able to cover daycare on what I would be able to make. Would it be better to just get a divorce?
you can file for divorce/custody/child support/possibly short term alimony

you can also put off school and get a full time job to support your children.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Kentucky

I have two children and I am a full time student. My husband has a great career,it allowed me to be a stay at home mother and to pursue my degree. He makes to much money for us to get any assistance but now he wants a separation. The problem is that I can't provide alone. I can get a job, but I also really need to finish school so I can provide my children with a quality life. I don't know if I would be able to get the free child care the state provides low income if I am just seperated. I would also be interested in getting help with my school and prehaps food stamps. I just can't believe this is happening to me. I know that it sounds like I'm asking if the government will support me, but I don't want my children to have to go without until I finish my degree. I know I can get child support, but with my lack of skills I will not be able to cover daycare on what I would be able to make. Would it be better to just get a divorce?
How much longer until you finish school?
 

commentator

Senior Member
Yes, you need to get something (separation or divorce) before you can apply for anything. They cannot take any paperwork based on predicted income. And at that time, don't count on qualifying for a lot of things.

It's a long way from being a stay-at-home mom whose husband was also paying for her education to a full time student, full time mother who needs food stamps to feed her kids. There may be some asset distribution issues involved, too.
 

Ohiogal

Queen Bee
Yes, you need to get something (separation or divorce) before you can apply for anything. They cannot take any paperwork based on predicted income. And at that time, don't count on qualifying for a lot of things.

It's a long way from being a stay-at-home mom whose husband was also paying for her education to a full time student, full time mother who needs food stamps to feed her kids. There may be some asset distribution issues involved, too.
Bull. Since it is based on HOUSEHOLD income, if he is not in the household then she does not have to count his income when applying. Living separate and apart does NOT require legal filings.
 

mistoffolees

Senior Member
Bull. Since it is based on HOUSEHOLD income, if he is not in the household then she does not have to count his income when applying. Living separate and apart does NOT require legal filings.
That may be true, but she needs to think this through. Expecting the government to support her and her kids and her education. It's not out of the question, I guess, but she really needs to be thinking along the lines of how she becomes self-sufficient ASAP unless she's very close to finishing her degree. In that case, it might be an issue in the divorce (at least, something he might agree to voluntarily for the sake of his kids).

Maybe she's worked through the numbers and can make it work, but I'm skeptical that government aid is going to let her go to school full time and support her and the kids.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
That may be true, but she needs to think this through. Expecting the government to support her and her kids and her education. It's not out of the question, I guess, but she really needs to be thinking along the lines of how she becomes self-sufficient ASAP unless she's very close to finishing her degree. In that case, it might be an issue in the divorce (at least, something he might agree to voluntarily for the sake of his kids).

Maybe she's worked through the numbers and can make it work, but I'm skeptical that government aid is going to let her go to school full time and support her and the kids.
I have a very different opinion than most of the people on these forums regarding education.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with using student loans, grants or any other aid you can get, in order to go to school full time. As long as you are providing your share of the children's support...I don't care if you use student loans to do it.

I would rather see someone, in a situation like hers, finish school as quickly as possible, and become a productive taxpayer as soon as possible...rather than the reverse.

So I would encourage her to apply for absolutely anything and everything to help her go to school and provide her share of the children's support. The soon she can graduate, the better off that the taxpayers, as a whole, will be.
 

mistoffolees

Senior Member
I have a very different opinion than most of the people on these forums regarding education.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with using student loans, grants or any other aid you can get, in order to go to school full time. As long as you are providing your share of the children's support...I don't care if you use student loans to do it.

I would rather see someone, in a situation like hers, finish school as quickly as possible, and become a productive taxpayer as soon as possible...rather than the reverse.

So I would encourage her to apply for absolutely anything and everything to help her go to school and provide her share of the children's support. The soon she can graduate, the better off that the taxpayers, as a whole, will be.
Except that's not really the dichotomy.

The implication is that she can get a job good enough to support herself and the kids right now, but wants to go to school for a BETTER job so they have a nicer future.

I don't have any problem with that, nor do I have any problem with student loans, grants, whatever to help pay for it. Getting an education is important and I have more years in school than 99% of Americans to back that up. Ideally, she SHOULD get enough education to get a great job. It's just a question as to whether she CAN.

I am simply skeptical that she's going to be able to get enough government money to cover all of her educational expenses, all of her living expenses, and all the living expenses for her kids. She is probably going to need to come up with a significant contribution either from savings or from her stbx to make up the difference. If she can't do that, she should plan on going to work to support herself and her family, even if it takes a bit longer to go to school.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
Except that's not really the dichotomy.

The implication is that she can get a job good enough to support herself and the kids right now, but wants to go to school for a BETTER job so they have a nicer future.

I don't have any problem with that, nor do I have any problem with student loans, grants, whatever to help pay for it. Getting an education is important and I have more years in school than 99% of Americans to back that up. Ideally, she SHOULD get enough education to get a great job. It's just a question as to whether she CAN.

I am simply skeptical that she's going to be able to get enough government money to cover all of her educational expenses, all of her living expenses, and all the living expenses for her kids. She is probably going to need to come up with a significant contribution either from savings or from her stbx to make up the difference. If she can't do that, she should plan on going to work to support herself and her family, even if it takes a bit longer to go to school.
Student loans can be very helpful in that respect. That is not actually government money either. Its government insured, but its basically her own money because its a loan.

Most likely there are going to be some marital assets to split which would also give her a cushion.
 

CourtClerk

Senior Member
Uhhh...pardon the intrusion, but the OP isn't asking about student loans, grants and all the rest of the stuff, which I agree, is NOT going to be enough to support herself and her children.

What she's asking is can she ask the government and taxpayers to support her by way of welfare so she can finish school. Finishing school is great. Doing it while I have to work my arse off so she can sit on hers and do homework... is not.
 

commentator

Senior Member
Okay, if she and husband have not separated, I bet they are living in a very nice home. If she and husband separate, she is probably going to get proceeds of sale of very nice home and property, or at least a part of that.

This will be computed in her income when we start dealing with whether she qualifies for public assistance, loans, grants, etc.. She will probably have a nice car, which has in the past been provided by her husband. There will be marital assets, which will have to be distributed. It is tough to say yes, she will qualify for public assistance and student loans and low income child care when none of this is in place right now.

If she does get in position to qualify for all these things, that's fine. She will not get them unless she qualifies, and to qualify, you honest to goodness have to meet the income criteria, which is pretty tough.

It's a better life, we hope, after you get a degree, but then again, not all the college degreed people in the world have jobs which are better than they would have gotten if they hadn't finished their degrees. I hope the lady will be able to finish her education, but what I'm saying is she should set herself up based on the separation or divorce before she moves forward with this. She should not assume that she will be able to get these assistances.
 

ohara82

Junior Member
Thanks for replies.

Thanks for all the replies, positive and negative. Just to add some more imformation, I do not plan to just go to school. I do want to remain at full time status so I can finsih as soon as I can and provide everything for myself and not the government or a man. I know walefare is frowned upon. I will only be able to get a minumum wage job at this point. I see it as I can work part time, go to school full time, get child support and maybe some government assistance for another year and a half instead of getting a full making nothing , putting school off, and needing government help for a significant longer amount of time. I think that staying in school is the best thing I can do for myself and for my children, and I will also be one of those people that will be paying it forward with taxes once I graduate. I wouldn't mind my taxes going toward single mothers actually trying to better themselves and their lives rather than using government walfare as their career choice. Of course my question was not "should" I , but "can" I? Thanks
 

CourtClerk

Senior Member
Thanks for all the replies, positive and negative. Just to add some more imformation, I do not plan to just go to school. I do want to remain at full time status so I can finsih as soon as I can and provide everything for myself and not the government or a man. I know walefare is frowned upon. I will only be able to get a minumum wage job at this point.
If all you are qualified to get at this moment is a minimum wage job, then I wonder what your major is, because very few of them are going to shoot you into a middle class/upper middle class lifestyle with simply a piece of paper hanging on your wall....
I see it as I can work part time, go to school full time, get child support and maybe some government assistance for another year and a half instead of getting a full making nothing , putting school off, and needing government help for a significant longer amount of time.
Any reason why you can't work full time and go to school full time at night (or opposite your work schedule)? Yeah, requires hard work, dedication and being able to work on little sleep but people do it (including myself).
I think that staying in school is the best thing I can do for myself and for my children, and I will also be one of those people that will be paying it forward with taxes once I graduate. I wouldn't mind my taxes going toward single mothers actually trying to better themselves and their lives rather than using government walfare as their career choice.
I still mind. Having children is a choice. Having children you can't afford is a choice. I shouldn't have to pay for your decisions.
Of course my question was not "should" I , but "can" I? Thanks
I would say that as long as you're still married, you wouldn't.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
Uhhh...pardon the intrusion, but the OP isn't asking about student loans, grants and all the rest of the stuff, which I agree, is NOT going to be enough to support herself and her children.

What she's asking is can she ask the government and taxpayers to support her by way of welfare so she can finish school. Finishing school is great. Doing it while I have to work my arse off so she can sit on hers and do homework... is not.
One of the reasons why I view things a little differently than others, is because I am a tax professional.

Most working parents of modest means actually pay no tax, and get a form of welfare in EIC and the additional child tax credit. So, in essence, not only do they pay no tax, but they get back all of the social security and medicare taxes that they pay in, while still receiving the social security and medicare credits.

Therefore, I would rather give them a "boost" right up front, so that they can be earning enough, more rapidly, so that they are actually contributing to the tax base, particularly for social security and medicare, rather than taking away from it.

Let me give you some examples:

A working mother with three children earning 30k a year.

Her withholding for social security and medicare taxes would be 2305.00

She will have a standard deduction of 8k plus 4 personal exemptions equalling 14k, leaving her taxable income of 8k. Her tax on 8k will be 800.00 which will be wiped out by 800.00 by her daycare credit.

She would then get 634.00 of EIC plus another 3000.00 in additional child tax credit which not only wipes out her social security and medicare tax, but also gives her about 1300.00 more back besides that. So the rest of us are still paying for her, despite the fact that she is working a 40 hour a week job.

So if she stays in that same income bracket until her children are adults, we would be asorbing that cost for many years until her children are adults and she starts actually contributing to the tax basis

Same mom, 40k in income

Her social security and medicare withholding is 3074.00

Her taxable income is now 18k. Her tax is now 2140.00

Her tax is still wiped out by the daycare credit.

She gets no EIC, but she still gets 3000.00 of additional child tax credit, so her contribution to social security and medicare is 74.00, even though she gets the full credit for the contribution.

Again it could be many years until she actually starts contributing to the tax basis.

Same mom, 50k in income

Her social security and medicare withholding is 3842.00

Her taxable income is now 28k. Her tax is now 3620.00

Her daycare credit is 800.00, and she gets 3000.00 in child tax credit. Her tax is again wiped out.

She also gets a small amount of addtional child tax credit, so she is still not paying full social security and medicare taxes.

All of these examples are assuming that she has fairly low daycare costs, and no education credits. You put higher daycare costs and higher education credits into the mix, and the numbers jump even higher before she is paying any regular tax, and before she is making a full contribution to social security and medicare, despite getting full credits.

Now...if its a married couple with the same number of children, the numbers can get even higher.

So...I think that if you look at these numbers you will understand why I would rather see a parent get a boost in the beginning (getting that education done as rapidly as possible) rather than the popular view of these forums that they should work part time and go to school part time.

When you calculate in the social security and medicare tax, and the earnings on the social security and medicare tax, its costs the taxpayers a HECK of a lot less to get them educated and more productive sooner...rather than later.
 

ohara82

Junior Member
so RUDE

If all you are qualified to get at this moment is a minimum wage job, then I wonder what your major is, because very few of them are going to shoot you into a middle class/upper middle class lifestyle with simply a piece of paper hanging on your wall....

Well I am doing the best that I can. I hope the fact that so far I have a 4.0 GPA, and I have made the deans list every quarter will help me get my foot in the door. It's not simply a "piece of paper", it's a college education.

Any reason why you can't work full time and go to school full time at night or opposite your work schedule)? Yeah, requires hard work, dedication and being able to work on little sleep but people do it (including myself).
Yes. I have children that I would actually like a hand in raising. I am not going to let daycare raise my children.

I still mind. Having children is a choice. Having children you can't afford is a choice. I shouldn't have to pay for your decisions.
You are insanely rude! My husband makes over 60,000 a year. I'm old school and I really thought we were going to raise our children together. Do you think this was my plan? I was going to have graduated right around the time my youngest would start school. Then I could work during the day and have a career of my own without sacraficing important, impressionable years raising my children. You really have no idea what you are talking about. Maybe your life has gone exactly according to plan, I wish I could say the same.
 

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