how much can i earn without affecting housing ben...

[jak]

Does anyone know how much I can earn before it affects my housing benefit? I get full housing benefit and council tax benefit. I want to work part time but dont have childcare for my son. I want to do a few hours in a pub I used to work in so it fits round when my ex-husband has our son but I was wondering if there is a maximum I can earn before it affects my benefit? I can't work 16 hours a week or more due to childcare problems so I can't get WTC.
Hope that makes sense?

[Macro]

From what you've said it probably wouldn't affect your entitlement at all. I presume that you're receiving Income Support? So long as you would continue to be entitled to Income Support (even just a few pence a week) then you would continue to get full HB.

For example, if you worked four hours per week at minimum wage, you'd earn £23.20. The first £20 of your earnings would be disregarded for IS purposes, so your Income support would be reduced by £3.20 per week but as you'd still get some Income Support, you'd still get full HB.

Obviously if you work for much more hours/higher pay and IS stops, you'd be assessed for HB as a standard claim on your earnings and any other income/capital.

[AnxiousMum]

But.....if you were to lose benefits, wouldn't it be because you were now earning money to replace what benefits you lose? Working outside of the home has alot more 'benefits' than benefits themselves sometimes.

[Anthillmob]

if you worked more than 1t6 hours and lost your IS it wouldnt mean you woul automatically lose your HB and CTB. d be assessed on your earnings and may still be entitled to full HB and CTB or have to pay something toward each. as long as you are honest and report and changes you will also be free, one hopes, of any overpayments.

[jak]

Hi thanks for the replies. I dont think I was very clear. I wondered if there is a set amount that I can earn before it comes off my housing benefit. Basically, I get too much maintanence from my ex-husband to get income support so that doesnt matter. I dont want to leave my son in the care of strangers so I have to work on an as and when I can basis.
I know that while I was pg I could earn up to £100 pw before it affected my housing benefit, so as that was a while ago I was wondering how much I could earn now?
Maybe someone knows of a website I could go on that would have that info?

[Macro]

Originally Posted by jak

Hi thanks for the replies. I dont think I was very clear. I wondered if there is a set amount that I can earn before it comes off my housing benefit. Basically, I get too much maintanence from my ex-husband to get income support so that doesnt matter. I dont want to leave my son in the care of strangers so I have to work on an as and when I can basis.
I know that while I was pg I could earn up to £100 pw before it affected my housing benefit, so as that was a while ago I was wondering how much I could earn now?
Maybe someone knows of a website I could go on that would have that info?

Ahhh, I see. Well for a start there is a lone-parent earnings disregard of £25 per week taken from net earnings. However, if your housing benefit claim is calculated based on your child tax credits, child benefit, (potential earnings) and maintenance only then it's likely that you could earn quite a bit more than that as both child benefit and maintenance are disregarded for HB, so your income will be well below your needs on your HB claim as it is.

For example, if you have one child, your needs would be £64.30 (for you), £56.11 (for your child) and £17.30 family premium, totaling £137.71.

Your income, if you have max child tax credits is probably around £50ish for one child, plus maintenance (disregarded), and child benefit (disregarded). So your income for HB purposes is only the £50ish, which would be £87ish below your needs. So in that situation you could potentially earn £87 + the £25 disregard = £102 net before it affected your housing benefit.

Does that make any sense whatsoever? You could have a play with the figures, adding £56.11 for each additional child and using your correct tax credit figure to get a more accurate estimate. In short though, I think with a few hours bar work you'd be fine.

Caveat - I'm assuming that the maintenance is purely for the children and includes no spousal maintenance, you have savings below £6000 and no other income. You would also still have to declare the earnings to the local authority even if it did not affect your entitlement.

[jak]

That is right. Thanks. I'm hoping to get out and do some sort of work soon as my husband and I have only just split up and I really need to get a life! That sounds about right and I would declare any earnings. I'm hoping to get some casual work in a pub I used to work in so fingers crossed!
Thanks so much!

[Macro]

Good luck!

[AnxiousMum]

As Makro has said JAK - good luck! It's not easy when you've got little ones at home, but i t can be done! I remember well heading out to work relieved to be 'me' for a while, and at the end of the shift, more eager to get home to be back with my kids. Time for you to be an adult will do you the world of good too