Benefits advice, please help! John please!

[unfair]

After a long battle, I was granted a 2 year spouse visa in December, 2009. Phew, that was me living on a knife's edge until that glorious day when I received my ID card! You don't want to imagine what I went through and why I'm relieved now.

Now to the point. My wife is a British citizen born and bred. We had a beautiful baby girl on 11-01-2010.

I have done my little legwork and found out that we can make a joint claim for child tax credit and working tax credit.

We are also aware, that we can claim child benefit.

The problem is, that wouldn't suffice for our new family as I'm on a low income and my wife lost her job a little after she got pregnant. She's receiving maternity allowance now and that's meagre plus, it will come to an end soon.

HOUSING BENEFIT
In the past, she tried applying for housing benefit but the council insisted she put my name on the application as a joint claimant but we thought wise as that wouldn't augur well for my visa application. Another council worker advised her to put my name down, not as a joint applicant but a dependant who also lives in the house (a bit complicated, I know).

Can somebody advise me on how we could get round this without my application for ILR taking the same turn my FLR (M) took? That was a living nightmare! Please don't ask me why. LOL.

[bonnie]

HI you will need to put your name on the housing benifit claim along with your national insurance number if you have one,remember its not you making the claim its your wife and she is entitled to claim as she is not subject to NO RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS.
Also if making claim for CTC,child benifit,council tax benifit,unemployment
benefit etc etc you will be required to put your details on the forms as you are married and living together(i understand),as you say you are a dependent of her NOT a personal claiment for yourself.
(ps just read the first pinned topics in this section)

[unfair]

Thanks Bonnie, just wanted to be sure.