Help with my entitilements please...

Snarf2

Hi,

I hope somebody can help me.

I've been off work for about a year because of serious depression.

Recently I started work and was eager to get my life going again.

I am 28, I live alone in rented accomodation.

My new job pays £7 an hour and I work for a total of 15 hours a week.

Having phoned up the Benefits enquiry line it became apparent that I am not entitled to any support other than Housing and Council tax benefit.

Because my earnings exceed the average amount of income support I am not entitled to it. Also because the job is less than 16 hours a week I'm not entitled to Working Tax Credits.

I'm finding the situation very confusing and stressful. I am currently paying of a Social Fund (Budgeting Loan) from the DWP and am also paying the bank £30 a month because I am in my overdraft.

My goal was to slowly ease myself back into work so I could minimize the impact of stress on myself.

Can anyone confirm what I've been told is true and if there are any other avenues I can take....?

It feels as if though entering work was a stupid mistake, one which I will live to regret.

I hope someone can help PLEASE...

Oldernotwiser

Congratulations on getting your life together and getting back to work.

Surely you're better off now than you were on IS and, of course, if you're well enough to work, you aren't eligible for IS anyway! You now have a platform to build on when you feel well enough to work more hours and if you could pick up another hour a week from somewhere you would be eligible for Back to Work credit of £40 per week (I think).

Good luck.

karenx

You would need to be working 30 hours or more to get WTC as you are over 25.
I know it all sounds stressfull and you probably think you will be better of not working but in the long run working is alot better. Not just for the money side of things but the social aspect also! Gets you out the house, make new friends etc! I had to give up work after my first son was born and I was on IS for about a year and a half, in a way it was good not working but once I got a job I felt alot better about myself! Gave me more confidence too! Good luck

DX2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Congratulations on getting your life together and getting back to work.

Surely you're better off now than you were on IS and, of course, if you're well enough to work, you aren't eligible for IS anyway! You now have a platform to build on when you feel well enough to work more hours and if you could pick up another hour a week from somewhere you would be eligible for Back to Work credit of £40 per week (I think).

Good luck.

Return to Work Credit

Return to Work Credit is a tax-free payment of £40 per week. It can be payable for up to 52 weeks as long as:

• your job is expected to last at least five weeks
• you are working on average over 16 hours a week
• you are earning no more than £15,000, before tax, per year
• you are earning at least the National Minimum Wage
• you have been getting an incapacity benefit for 13 continuous weeks or more

GlasweJen

OP is only working 15 hours a week so is not entitled to return to work credit or working tax credits so the advice given was probably correct.

bigbill

As you have been sick for over one year and had Income Support you can work under 16 hours earning up to £111.80 and still be entitled to some Income Support.

Indie_Kid

karenx wrote: »

You would need to be working 30 hours or more to get WTC as you are over 25.

Unless entitled to it due to disability. In which case, the OP would only have to work 16 hours plus and be 16 or over.

BANNEDfromTV

You say you have been off work for a year? Were you in receipt of benefit during that time? If so, what was it?

I'm assuming Incapacity Benefit or Income Support (because you were ill).
It would be easier to help if we know how you got to your current situation.
If you have returned to work from a sickness benefit you should be entitled to WTC when you hit 16 hours per week. However like I said, to offer correct advice I'd need to know a little more.