Advised Not To Go Bck To Work

cdanskin

i have been advised by lone prent advisor not to take any work between 4 or 16hrs per week as its not benefiticial financally. I may have the opportunity of a job at 15 hrs paying 110 pre tax per week. I understand my income support would stop (£60) but nothing else seems to be effected. im a single mum of 3 living on my own and want to get back to work rather than living on benefits. can anyone make sense of this advice im a bit lost in it all.

space_rider

I was told the same as I lost £200 per month by going back to work. I lost mortgage interest payments, free school meals, council tax benefit and carers allowance.

Had I given up my old job at their advice I wouldn`t be earning as much as I do now as I would have eventually gone back to work anyway. I would have also been stuck in the same house as wouldn`t have got a bigger mortgage. At the end of the day you`ll need to be back in work when your youngest is 12 so if you can go now and you want to then I would do just that.

There are times in the winter when I wish I had stayed at home but I`m sure that goes for the most of us!

Fran

It would be better to work 16 hours and claim Working Tax Credits. On Income Support you will only be £20 better off as you are allowed to earn that but anything over £20 gets deducted £ for £ from your IS. Can you get another hour or two of work?

For Working Tax Credits maintenance isn't taken into account as it is with IS too. Also you can get help towards childcare.

alwaysonthego_2

As Fran says you can get WTC if you work 16 hours which will up your income. If you can not get another hour, you can either make it up by doing self-employed job like Avon etc or another employer and combined the hours with your other job.