income support and part time job

lisamummytoarchieplusbump

i am currently on income support and i have just got a part time job, i dont start till saturday and its only for 7.5 hours so i know i cant claim working tax credits and that the first £20 earnings is allowed then my IS is deducted £ for £.

im seeing my adviser tomorrow at the job center to go through everything before i start.

my employers asked would i be available if needed due to short staff holiday/sickness to tempory pick up extra shifts, so im not sure what happens then as if i cover someones shift and it takes me over the 16hrs for that week do i have to stop my IS claim and do working tax credits for that week and then claim IS again when im back to my contracted hours????

ive been applying for loads of jobs and this one is perfect for me as its only 5mins walk from my house, i can find childcare easy as its weekends and if i have to pick up an extra shift i can sort that out within family. i would have liked it to be saturday and sunday but would rather do this and see that if maybe i could pick up extra hours later on once ive been there awhile

so if anyone has any advice on the working more than contracted hours just to prepare me it would be apprieciated

thanks lisa

lisamummytoarchieplusbump

well i went to see an adviser today she was abit useless as she didnt know the answers to my questions or got them wrong as she had to keep asking another adviser.

and tried getting me to apply for a 3 week full time tempory job?!?

and told me that im only going to be £20 better off so its not really worth it as if i take on an extra shift to cover sickness/holiday then it will cause alot of hassle as ill have to send in payslips so it will be better to just volunteer in other jobs or to not get paid for the extra shift?!?! or to just refuse to do extra shifts even though i stated at the interview as long as i had abit of notice to provide childcare then occasionly to cover sickness/hols it wouldnt be a problem

DX2

lisamummytoarchieplusbump wrote: »

my employers asked would i be available if needed due to short staff holiday/sickness to tempory pick up extra shifts, so im not sure what happens then as if i cover someones shift and it takes me over the 16hrs for that week do i have to stop my IS claim and do working tax credits for that week and then claim IS again when im back to my contracted hours????

Very confusing situation to say the least
From HMRC:

If you qualify for tax credits for a period of less than a year, a 'pro-rata' limit needs to be used. This is a way of working out what proportion of the income limit your income makes up. The pro-rata limit will apply for each period you qualify for tax credits.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/payments-entitlement/entitlement/short-periods.htm
It will probably be a very confusing situation and I doubt many advisors would have come across it. Not helpful I know! I would be aiming for the 16 hours, the thing with refusing overtime/sickness etc will they ask you again.
You would be better off money wise securing the 16 hours if possible.

tr82

I think the rules define remunerative work as being 16 hours per week on average. So if you do 22 hours one week and 4 the next then DWP shouldn't spend all their time opening and closing claims, they can just average it out.

The codes suggest part time earnings should be averaged out over a 5 week pattern if at all possible, and it can take into account you slipping over the 16 hours for a week or two, but which weeks they choose to average out and which earnings they choose is entirely up to them ... and they've got the discretion to ignore the 5 week recommendation anyway and to choose a different period if one exists.

So there's no real hard & fast way to advise you, it's entirely up to the person who looks at your claim.

Bit lame this explanation I guess.

lisamummytoarchieplusbump

tr82 wrote: »

I think the rules define remunerative work as being 16 hours per week on average. So if you do 22 hours one week and 4 the next then DWP shouldn't spend all their time opening and closing claims, they can just average it out.

The codes suggest part time earnings should be averaged out over a 5 week pattern if at all possible, and it can take into account you slipping over the 16 hours for a week or two, but which weeks they choose to average out and which earnings they choose is entirely up to them ... and they've got the discretion to ignore the 5 week recommendation anyway and to choose a different period if one exists.

So there's no real hard & fast way to advise you, it's entirely up to the person who looks at your claim.

Bit lame this explanation I guess.

thanks for the replies

TR82 that is how she sort of explained it to me as i said i doubt that i will recieve time sheets and all that it will say on my payslip would be my contracted hours plus X amount overtime but wouldnt say week 1 x hours, week 2 x hours etc so she said then if its the odd day they will just average it out over the month

DX2 i know it would be better for me to work 16 hours, i have been applying for jobs with more hours but not getting anywhere. this job is 5 mins walk. its for a good company, weekends work out better for me with childcare as i have 2 little kids. and once im there if the hours become available i can nick them before anyone else gets them as i already have my foot in the door. so i am thinking of the long run.

thanks i really apprieciate the replies. im so excited about tomorrow i cant wait

DX2

lisamummytoarchieplusbump wrote: »

thanks for the replies

TR82 that is how she sort of explained it to me as i said i doubt that i will recieve time sheets and all that it will say on my payslip would be my contracted hours plus X amount overtime but wouldnt say week 1 x hours, week 2 x hours etc so she said then if its the odd day they will just average it out over the month

DX2 i know it would be better for me to work 16 hours, i have been applying for jobs with more hours but not getting anywhere. this job is 5 mins walk. its for a good company, weekends work out better for me with childcare as i have 2 little kids. and once im there if the hours become available i can nick them before anyone else gets them as i already have my foot in the door. so i am thinking of the long run.

thanks i really apprieciate the replies. im so excited about tomorrow i cant wait

Good luck!