Jenny Wren's figures are bang on the nail

As your OH is still in education you should also be eligible for having your childcare costs paid in full - it's a Govt initiative to help young mothers finish their education. Oh - and if you are getting working tax credit then you also get free prescriptions, glasses, dentist etc for you and your OH.

On the subject of Gas and Electric If you CAN get them included in the rent then it's a real bonus, but housing benefit won't pay the bill portion of your rent and very few landlords offer it 'Pay as you go' meter cards are OK, but it is more expensive in the long run (the suppliers charge more per energy unit) and you risk the power being cut if you run out, so you have to contantly monitor things.

A better way is to contact your energy supplier when you move in and arrange to pay a set amount per fortnight by card (they will send the cards to you). That way you are still paying as you go along but at a lower price and without risking power cuts. They will then take what you have paid off of your quarterly bills, which means you shouldn't get any mammoth bills. If you DO still get a bill that you can't afford then they will just ask you to pay a little bit more each fortnight until it's paid off

If your landlord will let you then shop around for the cheapest energy supplier as well - there are loads of comparison sites to help with that

www.entiltedto.com is a great website for working out what benefits you may be entitled to