JSA housing benefit query

b-man

Hi there,

I've have been running my own IT company and been working in top end IT jobs for the last 10years. My limited company has recently folded due to the recession and im wanting to claim housing benefit till everything blows over.

I have applied for well over 500 jobs in the last 2 months and am being told that there are between 350-400 applicants for every job. which means i should have a lookin but apparently alot of those roles are being pulled as the budgets for them are not getting signed off even though they are being adversised. So im looking for an alternative plan till things get better. Ive paid more than my fair share in tax over the years and so am now going to work part time as a barman and use the rest of the time to study to increase my industry qualifications. Im
im not prepared to work as a helpdesk person on minimum wage. the stress just isnt worth it.


the point is that ludiciously the housing benefit system seems to mean that working more in a low paid job doesnt seem to have any incentive as it looks like your housing allowance drops accordingly.

I dont want to claim JSA - id rather just go out and work 2 days a week and earn the same money. My question is then if i work 13 hours a week i.e less than the 16 hours a week needed to get jsa - can i opt not to claim JSA and still be eligable for housing benefit?

is this acceptable within the rules?

thanks for your time. And heres to the bad times blosing over as quickly as possible.

all the best,

BMan

LizzieS_2

You can claim housing benefit and council tax benefit if you are earning (as opposed to being on means tested benefits).

Each £1 you earn over the means tested allowances reduces your entitlement to HB/CTB, but it is not £1 for £1 up to a certain amount. Entitledto.com will give you some idea.

You may be better off working 16 hours as opposed to 13 hours if you are over 25, as you can then claim working tax credit.

All above is on the assumption you live alone (the way your post implied).

b-man

thanks lizzie - didnt know about the working tax credit.

just done my maths on that site and its all looking pretty bad. thought i was in a different catchment area for the housing than i am. so i dont think that plan is going to work, which is all a bit scary as now ive got to think about moving and the whole rug being pulled from under my feet.

im thinking i might be best to get one of those livin working jobs for a bit. dont think the alowances are going to enable me to stay where im living at the moment. but i guess theres a few people thinking about doing that right now.

either way its going to be a tough period for a while. gonna have to declare personal bankrupcy as well so no savings to help me through.

ah well. life goes on. suddenly that helpdesk job isnt looking so bad!