help needed - long, sorry

[DJH]

Apologies for the length of this but my circumstances are as follows.

My partner is self employed, working over 40 hours a week on a business that
filed a £10,000 LOSS last year. I work two days a week, the other three days
I look after my grandchildren for my daughter.

We get Working Tax credit of £346.10 every four weeks and I earn £433.33
every calendar month. We also get £6.63 a week towards our £16.97 pw council
tax. I own the house outright so have no rent or mortgage.

My partner cannot carry on as he is so what I want to know is, if he goes
bankrupt, our WTC will obviously stop so are there any other benefits we
would be entitled to in our circumstances? Of course he’s paid no NI Conts
so I know won’t be entitled to Unemployment Benefit or whatever it’s called
now.

Also what would happen if we split up? Would I be entitled to any extra help
on my own. I only work 16 hours a week so under the new rules couldn’t get
working tax credit but could I get anything else? If I managed to get
another job for one day a week, giving me 24 hours, how much WTC would I
get? I know in either circumstance our council tax benefit would increase
but would I /we get anything other help?

I have standing orders to pay of £247.58 which are insurances, gas, elec,
water rates, TV licences etc and I also have a loan of £186 a month, and now
I have credit cards with balances of £2500, £1500 and £5000 each of which I
try to pay £100 off per month – which basically takes every penny we have
coming in. My overdraft is £1250 off which currently £750 is used and we try
to live off that. WTC and my wage go in at different times so it gives a few
days leeway each month to pay different things.

I can’t afford to declare myself bankrupt as I daren’t risk losing the house
but are there any other options? I’ve transferred balances around to
different card companies etc and now have no further card companies to try.