Benefit Help

77ricky

Hello

Im gona try and keep this as short as i can but i can provide more info if needed.

I am 32 got my first child due very shortly, i work full time earning 13k P/A my partner will be returning to work later in the year but only doing 16 hours Per Week earning £6 P/H.

Using one of the on line benefit calculators i beleive we will be entitled to Housing Benefits and Child tax credits this would give us a household income of approx £400 Per week.

What i would like to do is to reduce my hours at work to 24 Hours per week and go to college to re do my GCSE and enrol on a 2 year Electricans Course, i again used the on line benefit calculator and found that the Housing Benefit & Child Tax Credits increase as well as also now being eligible for working tax credits, after adding these benefits to our low wage would give us a household income of £390 per week just £10 less than me working fulltime???

My question is this:
If i voluntarily reduce my hours to do as i have mentioned above will i be able to claim for the extra benefits or will they say tougth you reduced your own hours.

karenx

Yes you can do that, but bear in mind that the online calculators are an estimate only and you should never take those figures as being true.

77ricky

Thanks for the quick reply, i am a bit sketchy about this as ive never claimed for any benefits before so please excuse my prehaps silly question, i beleive with some benefits unless you lose your job you cant claim for so long 3 months or 6 Months etc?? is this the case with my scenario i can i claim straight away?

bestpud

It's JSA that may be sanctioned if you voluntarily leave work but that won't apply to you.

With tax credits it is just a case of calling them and saying what hours you now do - only one of you needs to be working 16 hours or more to claim wtc though.

When are you looking to start your course?

You will both need to be working 16 hours or more to claim help with childcare and this may not be an issue until you enroll on the electricians course...

Will that be full time and have you considered how you will fund it?

Once the baby is born, you will likely be able to claim the surestart maternity grant of £500 too, in case you haven't heard of it yet...

77ricky

Hello

Im planning to start the courses in September, baby is due in March, my partner is only doing two eight hour shifts so child care will be covered by myself or my mother.

The courses have a concesion price if you are in receipt of various benefits including housing benefit and working tax credits so the costs are really reasonable i will be doing approx 15 hours per week at college.

karenx

Have you even thought about how working and going to college will effect the baby? Its hard enough as it is with a new baby but with both of you working and you going to college will it not be tough? Especially if its a day you are working and at college then that will leave your partner alone all day. Being alone and with harly any help is how post natal depression can start etc. If I were you I would leave college for just now and see how you both cope with a new baby before you decide to go to collge.

Oldernotwiser

karenx wrote: »

Have you even thought about how working and going to college will effect the baby? Its hard enough as it is with a new baby but with both of you working and you going to college will it not be tough? Especially if its a day you are working and at college then that will leave your partner alone all day. Being alone and with harly any help is how post natal depression can start etc. If I were you I would leave college for just now and see how you both cope with a new baby before you decide to go to collge.

If he carries on working full time his partner will still be on her own all day as is normal in traditional parenting. I don't see that part time study and part time work should be a problem.

GlasweJen

the only barrier i see is that student finance isn't usually taken into account on these calculators but is taken into account for benefit purposes so the OP could end up with less money coming in than they expected if there is student funding coming into the house, but this would all depend on the course and the college.

77ricky

Hello Guys

Thanks for your comments and suggestions.
Karenx i will be reducing my work hours by approx 20 hours per week and attending college approx 15 hours per week which will give us even more time together we will be spending more time together than a standard family set up were the husband works full time.

Hello Glaswejen the main electrical course will cost £80 per year and this is at a local college whithin walking distance, the GCSE are approx £30 Each and these are being held at the same college, i have not budgeted on receiving any financil help with the exception of the reduced course costs, so initialy there will be £170 to pay for the yearly costs.

GlasweJen

But even if you don't take the financial help (if there is any) you will still be assessed as receiving it so you'd best have a word with the college before you start.

Oldernotwiser

GlasweJen wrote: »

But even if you don't take the financial help (if there is any) you will still be assessed as receiving it so you'd best have a word with the college before you start.

There wouldn't be any financial help for maintenance available at this level so that's not relevant.