51.00p wage = 46.00 rent......

gothgirl · 29 January 2006 at 2:48AM

I have recently started a second job,[the first is in school kitchen,only term time for 10 hours a week].The new [second one is for 11.25 hours cleaning same school.Different company].Housing benifit have just reduced my claim to 24.00 a week from 69.95. Which means I'll be working 11.25 hours a weeek for 5.00.And have also to pay for school dinners [if I want my child to eat a hot meal at lunch time].The school does not permit hot food to be bought into school.My daughter has to walk 2.75 miles to school,as we cannot afford the adult fares in the morning.Yes the education service measured the distance!I was told I did not quaify for a job grant,although I am no longer on I.S. In fact nobody in Chatham Jobcentre or Social Security had heard of it!Now I am being told that I am exspected to clean toilets e.t.c. for an increase of income,of 5.00!Is this right?Would I be better off if I reduced my hours to 16?The local playgroup has offered me a job for 5 hours.Sorry for the length of this post,phoned to ask H.b. and they said they wouldn't decuss it.[also please excuse spelling,it's getting late!].

Spendless · 29 January 2006 at 9:30AM

Have you applied for child tax credit and working tax credit, now you are working more than 16 hours a week?

CindyC_2 · 29 January 2006 at 10:04AM

To qualify for a Job Grant people have to be starting work of at least 16 hours a week (24 hours a week for partners) with the employment expected to last a minimum of five weeks. They will also need to have been in receipt of a qualifying benefit continuously for 26 weeks.

To qualify for WTC you have you have to be working 16 hours or more. To claim benefits like IS or JSA you have to work less than 16 hours. Maybe the CAB could do the sums for you to establish which way would leave you better off financially.

gothgirl · 29 January 2006 at 3:13PM

I have had job no 1 for 5 years and have received I.S. because I coulld not [of course] live on 55.00 a week.Not that you get your wage ,I was working for 5 days and getting payed for 2,the other monies earned being deducted from my I.S..10 hours for 29.00 a week.And no pay in the holidays,but still the reductions!So I quailify on all accounts,as have been doing both jobs since may.I do get C T C AND W. T .C level for single parent with one child.My point is,that in making me pay 46.00 per week rent,I will have less to live on,than the 113.00 the gov.says that I need to live on! And for that I work 21 hours.Also I asked at jobcentre plus and they insist ther are NO allowances available to women my age [46]for retraining.Only for people 26 and under and 50 and over!So to recap,would I be better off working just 16 hours so I quaify for W.T.C.Because at the moment it seems the more work I do,The less well off my family is!Would appeciate anyones help to make sense of this,Thank You.P.s. I received my 2nd notice to quit the house in 14 months,thursday,H.B. had taken 4 months to pay it again,exactly the same thing happened last year at this time.I payed outstanding debt 621.00,because h.a. were going to take me to court,and add 150.00 in legal fees to bill if I didn't.Managed to pay it only because C.B hadn't bben payed for 10 months,and received it be fore christmas.They wouldn't pay it before because they wanted me to prove she was living with me.Where else would see be?Sorry to rave,but these people are supposed to know what their doing,how come I end up in their office,trying to sort out the mess they make.It's getting to the point were it seems pointless getting up and going to work at all!Love and Peace to all.And Thank You for your time .

Spendless · 29 January 2006 at 4:11PM

So you are financially worse off by working 16 hours plus and claiming CTC and WTC, than you were on IS where you were allowed to keep a small amount of your income, and anything over your wages was knocked £ for £ off your IS. I'm surprised you got the amount still deducted in the hols though when you weren't getting paid. Did you ever query this?

Does your childs father pay maintainance? On IS they only allow you to keep a small amount but you can keep the whole amount on WTC and it doesn't count as income for tax credit purposes.

It sounds like you already have the answer but somewhere like citizens advice can do a 'better off' calculation, where they work out whether youa re financially better off working or on IS. You could make an appt to check all figures are correct and you haven't overlooked anything.

As to re-training have you tried asking at your local college instead? I've started at college this week and it's amazing what is available. I am not usually entitled to anything (married with a husband earning a decent income) but I have found subsidised 'available to all' courses. Call in and have a chat with them.

[Deleted User] · 29 January 2006 at 11:20PM

No offence, but benefits are a safety net not a crutch.

The attitude of...'I'm working xx hours for £xx', really annoys me. You should be pleased to be working for a living and paying your way.

And as for the 'free money scheme'...sorry tax credits....it really angers me. As a single male who works full-time I get no help at all from anyone. Do I complain ? No.

elaine373 · 29 January 2006 at 11:23PM

charles_w wrote:

No offence, but benefits are a safety net not a crutch.

The attitude of...'I'm working xx hours for £xx', really annoys me. You should be pleased to be working for a living and paying your way.

And as for the 'free money scheme'...sorry tax credits....it really angers me. As a single male who works full-time I get no help at all from anyone. Do I complain ? No.

True, but when its a struggle for not much more you can understand why some people take the easy option.

springchicken · 29 January 2006 at 11:30PM

Charles ,Tax Credits are to help people on a low income ,who without their help, would be better off on benefits.

Spendless · 29 January 2006 at 11:36PM

charles_w wrote:

No offence, but benefits are a safety net not a crutch.

The attitude of...'I'm working xx hours for £xx', really annoys me. You should be pleased to be working for a living and paying your way.

And as for the 'free money scheme'...sorry tax credits....it really angers me. As a single male who works full-time I get no help at all from anyone. Do I complain ? No.

The tax credit system also supports childless people over 25 who work at least 30 hours a week by topping up their income if they are on a low one.

No offense but we reallydon't know what the future holds,you may lose your job, become ill, marry and have to become carer to your wife if she becomes ill. The list is endless.

I was once a single childless full-time worker and I got nothing too. Apart from I had a house and there was 1 income going into it so-the 25% council tax discount was nice

Be nice to have it now, still have 1 house 1 income but we don't get it cos there's me and hubby here :whistle:

[Deleted User] · 31 January 2006 at 2:05PM

springchicken wrote:

Charles ,Tax Credits are to help people on a low income ,who without their help, would be better off on benefits.

And they then don't get included in unemployment statistics.

I work in 'these circles' and i know how dispicable governments are (regardless of labour/tory etc) when it comes to massaging figures.

nogginthenog · 31 January 2006 at 2:21PM

charles_w wrote:

No offence, but benefits are a safety net not a crutch.

The attitude of...'I'm working xx hours for £xx', really annoys me. You should be pleased to be working for a living and paying your way.

And as for the 'free money scheme'...sorry tax credits....it really angers me. As a single male who works full-time I get no help at all from anyone. Do I complain ? No.

YOU should be grateful you are able to work full time.Benefits are a safty net for those unlucky in life
its amazing how one's personal circumstances can change so quickly in life ,one day you yourself may need help one day god forbid.

51.00p wage = 46.00 rent......

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free