father found and starting to pay; how does this affect my benefits?

I would highly suggest talking to a lawyer. There are lawyers who will charge you a couple hundred dollars, one time, to answer your questions.

These issues involving taxes, benefits and possible action to recuperate past benefits, could potentially involve thousands of dollars. Paying a couple hundred now to be able to make the right move now will probably be worth it.

Other than talk to a lawyer, I don't think you will find any good information on an internet site.

Yes, child support is considered income. However, 400/month shouldn't mean no benefits, maybe just a reduction. And after all, that is the purpose of them. They are supposed to be temporary. Sounds like you are moving in the right direction, getting a job. Welfare will help with child care costs for you to work. As for him claiming your child on his taxes, my opinion is don't do it. He will get a huge chunk of money back-thousands. And you'll get what? 2000? My suggestion- write down everything, especially since you dont have any court orders. Ask him to pay you the 2000 plus aortion of his return. Whether its half or a quarter, you've been supporting your child on your own all this time, and all of a sudden, he wants to claim him on his taxes and hand you 2000 as a trade off? Sounds like hes trying to get over on you. Ive been burned too many times by trusting people and taking them at their word. If you don't get him to sign an agreement, and verbally agree on something, then after tax return comes in, he doesnt give you anything, you're screwed. Nothing you can do. Then he has the info (child's social security #,etc) to claim him again next year. Internet is not the worst thung to use when researchung these tyors of things. I cant afford a lawyer either, so i file all of my petitions myself, been doing it for 13 years now, im sort of a pro now. Just use your states website snd it walks you through it. Good luck!

Actually Msorganized, with all due respect, I disagree with your advice.

Fighting over money is a bad idea. It usually means that both sides get less.

Because of taxes and state benefits, if they work together they can probably both end up with more money. In many cases where one parent makes considerably more than the other parent, giving the tax benefits to the first parent can mean considerable tax savings for them both. If it were me, I might say... look by doing it this way I can save $5000... and I will give you $2500 of that. That's a win-win situation.

If the issues are complicated, by paying a couple hundred dollars to a lawyer you might end up saving a couple of thousand. Personally, I couldn't afford not paying a lawyer.

Talk to someone you trust. I would highly recommend spending one or two hundred dollars talking to a lawyer.

Obviously you shouldn't blindly trust the father in this case, but if you can figure out how to work together to lower taxes and maximize benefits, you may be able to both come out ahead.

There is such a thing as a win-win, and in child support negotiations, they are much more common then you might think.

No, you're not a pro. You are in no position whatsoever to be doling out legal advice (which is against the Terms of Service of this site, anyway).