Cant get help at all.........!

PRINCESSX87

Hello i have started this thread, to see if anyone can assist me further.
Basically this is how it goes:

My partner last his job, in sep 08* after working there since leaving school, And so we both ended up being on benefits, So we was on there around 3 weeks, then luckly my partner got his job back (Thanks to a lucky bank loan in the business!:o ) So since the last week in sept we was living off his wages which is around 400 a month.:mad: So i got employment, but that didn't start until jan 09* Now i have been working for 3 months on top of my partner working as many hours as he can. In all working out our wages we make less a year then someone on jobseekers allowance. I can only work 6 hours per week, and have been looking for another job, whilst doing the one i'm at.

I have called, been down the job center to see if they can assist us, and they did by giving us information for taxs credits, But again have been refused as we are under the age limit.

My OH is 23 this year and i'm 22 and there is no way we can make ends meat Every-month. We dont want to use credit cards, but its looking like i might be something we will HAVE to do:mad: :mad: !!

I have been told by 3 different parts of the un-employment agenties, that we are only entitled to help if we have a baby!!!:mad: :mad:

Does anyone know if we are entitled to anything..............This is getting worst everyday.......???

PolishBigSpender

Why can you only work 6 hours a week?

whitelabel

can your oh not get a better paid job than 400 a month ?!

try mystery shopping to increase your wage ?
I do it part time and well see the below...

Have you tried ringing direct gov and asking to speak to some one else perhaps rather than just the people in the job centre ?

PRINCESSX87

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

Why can you only work 6 hours a week?

Where we are living, is nearly out in the sticks, so travelling to and from work via public transport would cost (With those monthly passes) bus: 56.00 to the center, and by train 77.98. Other then that it was finding a job near to where i lived so i could walk there. But like i said i'm still looking for another job, just thought it would be better if i started working to help with the cost of things!

I have spoken to direct.gov (emailied) and they have basically said that unless i got another job or had children someone of our age is not entitled.

As for my OH he works in the building trade, so his work is when he needed...Finding another job in the middle of a credit crunch is proving to be very hard.........So i'm thinking we are lucky to even have jobs....!

Dont you get charged tax and stuff on the shopper work.......? I have never heard of it??:rotfl:

brooke3

Of course you get charged tax on the shopper work but you know that you get a certain amount of income tax free. I would be surprised if working so few hours and for so little pay if either you or your partner pass the threshold where you have to pay tax...I think it's around 6,000 per year that you get tax free. I don't really know much about these things though.

£56 isn't actually much to pay for transport for a month...it's a lot less than I pay! Maybe you should consider travelling to a nearby town or city where there is more work.

I think the most important thing is not to be too fussy about where you work. It is difficult to find a job in the current economic climate but it's not impossible. There are always bars and fast food restaurants looking for people.

Good luck.

PRINCESSX87

brooke3 wrote: »

Of course you get charged tax on the shopper work but you know that you get a certain amount of income tax free. I would be surprised if working so few hours and for so little pay if either you or your partner pass the threshold where you have to pay tax...I think it's around 6,000 per year that you get tax free. I don't really know much about these things though.

£56 isn't actually much to pay for transport for a month...it's a lot less than I pay! Maybe you should consider travelling to a nearby town or city where there is more work.

I think the most important thing is not to be too fussy about where you work. It is difficult to find a job in the current economic climate but it's not impossible. There are always bars and fast food restaurants looking for people.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice, Well i was offered a job at a local nursey 20 miles from where i worked and that was full-time pay, once i took out:-
Ni
Tax
Travel

i would have been left with the same about the same amount as what i'm earning now...!

Also i cant be too far from home, As i'm also a un-paid carer for two family members, so day or night i might have to be called home...

As for my OH, Its his wages that atm Keeping our head's above water, Intil we can both find better one's!

Rustvaar

I know you're looking for guidance and all, but without getting too offensive, you say that a full-time Nursery job twenty miles away would have left you with the same money you're earning now?

Just trying to break that down without any sort of benefits included, that'd suggest you're doing 6 hours work per week at £7.50 per hour - A total of £45 per week. Assuming no tax is paid.

The full-time nursery job must have been about 35 hours per week at £4.00 per hour (Thereby breaking the law) - A total of £140; include tax at 20% leaves £112, round that down to £100 because I'm going on vast assumptions here; knock off the £56 for your travel expenses leaves £44. Which is "about the same amount".

I think it's good you're looking for other work but right off the bat it just seems really difficult to see how a full-time job isn't a good offer. First off the minimum wage (You're 22 I think you've said) is £5.73. You say you're earning less per year than someone on JSA. I happened to be on JSA for a brief period between my resignation and finding a new job - I was paid £91 for two weeks. Which is £182 per month. Again - the math really isn't adding up for me.

For the record; I am not trying to annoy you, upset you, or cause an argument!

I think you really need to sit down and calculate how much money's coming in between the two of you. You, personally, need to figure out how much the travel expenses into city are going to cost you and then what I would recommend that you find yourself an employment agency and perhaps take up work in an office.

I hope I've not been too harsh on you, obviously there are some circumstances, such as you being an unpaid carer, that you need to be able to still deal with regardless of where you work so look local for now, but don't resign yourself to small hours - I'm fairly certain if you spoke with an employer about your situation beforehand they might be happy to cater to your needs so long as you can make up hours elsewhere.

Best of luck to you, hopefully something better comes along soon (And do your best to avoid the credit-cards!!)

cheap_charlie

PRINCESSX87 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice, Well i was offered a job at a local nursey 20 miles from where i worked and that was full-time pay, once i took out:-
Ni
Tax
Travel

i would have been left with the same about the same amount as what i'm earning now...!

Also i cant be too far from home, As i'm also a un-paid carer for two family members, so day or night i might have to be called home...

As for my OH, Its his wages that atm Keeping our head's above water, Intil we can both find better one's!

Can't you claim Carer's Allowance for the family members you are helping out?

You can still earn up to £95 per week and claim it, assuming the family members meet the criteria for you to be able to claim.

Granted its not very much, but its something.

schneckster

If you're looking at the self-employed options then yes you would pay tax.

However, you're only taxed on your profits, not you're income. So, for mystery shopping, you have to get to the shop to do your job. That's travel taken off your profits. You'd need an office at home... so thats paper, pens, phone, pc, printer, etc. Plus you can charge your business a nominal rent "for the use of office space" within your home. Notice I say "for the use of"? If it's dedicated space, you'll get hit for Council Tax!

Basically, you earn it, take off what it cost to earn it, and anything left over that is above your tax allowance, is what gets taxed.

Just keep all your receipts and records.

Schneckster

PRINCESSX87

Rustvaar wrote: »

I know you're looking for guidance and all, but without getting too offensive, you say that a full-time Nursery job twenty miles away would have left you with the same money you're earning now?

Just trying to break that down without any sort of benefits included, that'd suggest you're doing 6 hours work per week at £7.50 per hour - A total of £45 per week. Assuming no tax is paid.

The full-time nursery job must have been about 35 hours per week at £4.00 per hour (Thereby breaking the law) - A total of £140; include tax at 20% leaves £112, round that down to £100 because I'm going on vast assumptions here; knock off the £56 for your travel expenses leaves £44. Which is "about the same amount".

I think it's good you're looking for other work but right off the bat it just seems really difficult to see how a full-time job isn't a good offer. First off the minimum wage (You're 22 I think you've said) is £5.73. You say you're earning less per year than someone on JSA. I happened to be on JSA for a brief period between my resignation and finding a new job - I was paid £91 for two weeks. Which is £182 per month. Again - the math really isn't adding up for me.

For the record; I am not trying to annoy you, upset you, or cause an argument!

I think you really need to sit down and calculate how much money's coming in between the two of you. You, personally, need to figure out how much the travel expenses into city are going to cost you and then what I would recommend that you find yourself an employment agency and perhaps take up work in an office.

I hope I've not been too harsh on you, obviously there are some circumstances, such as you being an unpaid carer, that you need to be able to still deal with regardless of where you work so look local for now, but don't resign yourself to small hours - I'm fairly certain if you spoke with an employer about your situation beforehand they might be happy to cater to your needs so long as you can make up hours elsewhere.

Best of luck to you, hopefully something better comes along soon (And do your best to avoid the credit-cards!!)

Hi and thanks for the advice, I was being offered £5.00 per hour to work at the nursey and it would have only been 25 hours per week. (So i dont know how they would say it was full time)
My employer, now is currently ok with me having to dash off every now and then at very short notice, But with many (When job hunting) was told they said they needed someone that could be called in at short notice....So was at a lost end.

I have applied for so many different jobs, Receptionist, Carer, Barmaid ect.. the list is endless but with no luck as i have not got the exp they needed!
Just to add, I'm working for less the £7per hour!

Just to try and make ends meat, i dont want us to quit our jobs, in case all falls through

Rustvaar

grace1990 wrote: »

Maybe if your spelling skills were better, you would have a better chance of finding a better job.

.
Forum Etiquette, we can has some?

Pls be nice to all MoneySavers.

Back to actual topic at hand ...

If they were offering you £5.00 they are breaking the law. I would consider going back to them and mentioning minimum wage - You'd be walking away with £353 after travel expenses which is more than double what you'd be getting monthly just now. That's a HUGE difference to your income stream! Even for only twenty-five hours work.

I really think you should check for agencies in your area, they'll place you in clerical work without much trouble; they're not too fussed how experienced you are. Failing that, there's fast-food, bar-work, cleaner; all sorts - One hurdle that people often need to overcome is feeling ashamed at the work they do. At the end of the day it pays your bills and keeps you alive. Once you're in a position that you have steady income you can start looking at moving 'up the ladder'.

How about finding employment where you can work night shifts? Does that suit you a little better - even just temporarily?