Would I be better off reducing my working hours and claiming benefits??

Indie_Kid

karenx wrote: »

And it does not automatically entitle you to an NHS card, if you are entitled then it gets sent to you. It depends on your income as to whether you get it or not. And I suspect on 13k it will be too high to get it


Where did you get all your info from??????????????????????????????????????

It's around £15k for the cut off point.

sazzybum

Caz3121 wrote: »

How things have changed. I am from the era where the only benefit was child benefit and if you needed/wanted more you worked more....not less!
Not that these people are doing anything wrong it is just that the ability is there so it can be done.... if you are given the entitlement then you claim.

I have stepchildren that believe that money comes free and have no ambition for careers as 'there is no point' 'ain't doing that it's boring'...it is really sad that they see their mates on benefits and aspire to join them. (they see their father and myself both working full time on good wages that have less than their mother who works PT to get every benefit going)

As has said there is going to be a huge shock for a lot of people when the benefits stop and they are responsible for supporting themselves (probably needing multiple jobs to sustain their lifestyle)

I'm from that same era Caz...I worked all through my sons childhoods, although I think there was 'Family Credit' at the time-I never even thought to claim it as we could afford to live the way we wanted. I honestly wasn't advocating it, I just wondered how many people would do it-given the opportunity.

bunny999

Caz3121 wrote: »

How things have changed. I am from the era where the only benefit was child benefit and if you needed/wanted more you worked more....not less!
Not that these people are doing anything wrong it is just that the ability is there so it can be done.... if you are given the entitlement then you claim.

I have stepchildren that believe that money comes free and have no ambition for careers as 'there is no point' 'ain't doing that it's boring'...it is really sad that they see their mates on benefits and aspire to join them. (they see their father and myself both working full time on good wages that have less than their mother who works PT to get every benefit going)

As has said there is going to be a huge shock for a lot of people when the benefits stop and they are responsible for supporting themselves (probably needing multiple jobs to sustain their lifestyle)

The sooner this happens the better.

MissMoneypenny

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Just to point out that the OP has only been talking about cutting his hours to full time which isn't at all the same thing as our two trolls have been advocating.

People who look work to look after their own are trolls?

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Nobody should have to work 50/70 hours per week to earn a decent wage.

People should learn to live within their means and cut their cloth accordingly.
I too don't believe that all this working less to get more money, has helped the mental attitude of some people today.

Oldernotwiser

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

People who look work to look after their own are trolls?

Translation please.

bambammy

That would be foolish. Local housing allowance is as you say, for private rentals only. Don't give up your council home. It will always be easily more secured than private renting.

If you had financial difficulty paying the rent with a private landlord, you would be evicted, and made intentionally homeless. The council would have no duty to rehouse you. ( although this maybe chainging in 2012, then the trouble starts :eek: )

I had a chat and explained to my DSS tenants at the start of their tenancy what it would mean to them renting privately. And their slack attitude to the whole matter says it all. They think they'll be put up in the homeless units and be rehoused with a house the same as my property within 8 months, because they have children.

Is moving your children from pillar to post really worth all the agro for an extra room ? Go and see your MP with your housing/financial concerns. Responde to that meeting with a letter recorded delivery. ( worked for me 5 years ago ) Also, a recall a friend of mines years ago, same income as mines, somehow managed to get her rent reduced to £21 a week.

I don't know how the tax credits work with the couple scenario. I do know that when I worked 16 hours a week, I was approx £40 a week better off, after I paid rent and council tax. £20 a week better off after travel money to work was paid. I hated leaving the children, travel time and 16 hours work for an extra £20, just doesn't quite cut it. But me personally, I needed social interaction, routine for health purposes, or I would go crazy sat about the house all day.

MrEmirates wrote: »

I will have a go with entitledto in the morning.
I don't think I made myself clear when i referred to my housing situation. If I qualified for LHA I would leave my council house and look for a long term lease private rental.

bambammy

No, i'm sure it's more than that ? My OH and I aren't entitled this year, but would get approx £41 tax year April 2010. Pending income from rentals.


http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/wtc2.pdf


http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pdfs/wtc1.pdf

sh1305 wrote: »

It's around £15k for the cut off point.

bestpud

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Just to point out that the OP has only been talking about cutting his hours to full time which isn't at all the same thing as our two trolls have been advocating.

Nobody should have to work 50/70 hours per week to earn a decent wage.

I agree.

It would make far more sense for him to work normal fulltime hours and his OH work part time than him working 50-70 hours for her to stay at home.

That way they both get to see the children, and each other, and they both maintain a foothold in the labour market.

Btw, I also agree that giving up social housing for a private rent is madness, OP.

bambammy

I think this advice is not helpful at all. Landlords do care about who is going to be living in their property, and consider the long term effects of tenants situations. LHA's paid via the council and is administered from a shareholder company aboard or something like that, and is why it can take up to 8 weeks for payments. I can't remember the exact details of origin, but I do remember reading it.

I was working 16 hours a week, and was not entitled to free school meals and had to pay for certain dental treatment over and above the basic dental check ups, fillings. I was not entitled to legal aid over ten years ago, when my childrens father demanded visitation via the courts and had to contribute £500. I paid £500 for him to then not be bothered to take the children. Definately convinced it was done out of spite, knowing full well I would have to pay.

Each dental patient on benefits is entitled to a % £, every quarter. If you've used that %, the dentist has to write to the reveiw board asking for more funding. Leaving you to wait until the next quarter to be entitled, or cough up the cash.

Local housing allowance is determined by broad rental market. At the start of my DWP tenants Tenancy, the award was £115. They're suppose to make up a short fall of approx £12 a week. The LHA rate on the BRM level has dropped to £110, effectively contributing to my tenants rent arrears.

For example on a 5 bedroom property. My councils BRM last year for a 5 bedroom house was £288.00 per week, this has now dropped to £230.00. If someone signs a contract at the higher BRM, which then reduces dramatically, this will put them into arrears under the contract and could face eviction with an unscrupulous landlord.

dktreesea wrote: »

Landlords couldn't care less if you are getting WTC. It's not the same as income support, and is administered by HMRC, not the DWP. Working is working, even if you don't get enough to live on so qualify for some help with housing costs, council tax and the rest. "DSS" refers to people who are not working, not the working poor. So don't let "non DSS" deter you. You just give them your employer's name and don't mention the council or WTC at all.

I think you'll find that with three children, you are entitled to at least three bedrooms, not two. The local housing allowance (which used to be paid in full, but these days is restricted to the actual rent plus £15 a week for people who already get housing benefit and actual rent only for new claimants, so no opportunity to rent a cheaper place and pocket the difference) should reflect an allowance for three bedrooms, not two. Don't just take the council's word for it - check on the internet. Why won't the council give you a better place?

My advise would be to first reduce your hours and claim WTC. At that point you should be able to reduce the rent you pay the council. Because you are working you likely wouldn't get the full amount of housing benefit. So, once you have WTC and your award notice from the HMRC, go and ask the council exactly how much local housing allowance and council tax benefit you would be entitled to. For the latter, you should get it straight off, backdated to the date of your WTC award notice. For LHA, if they say it depends on the rent of the private property, ask them to explain exactly how this will work. For example, if you have a LHA of £900 a month and you rent a place for £700, but your income means there is a £200 a month claw back, does this mean they will pay you the full £700 a month or only £500 per month towards the actual rent. Don't take anything for granted - whatever you don't understand ask them to explain in detail.

Once you get WTC, you are entitled to free school meals if your children are in school. And also make sure you get an NHS exemption card. This means you can get things like free adult prescriptions and free dental care.

DX2

sazzybum wrote: »

Hi, nothing really helpful to add I'm afraid...but someone I work with's husband lost their job-along with the house that came with it. They got a privately rented house, and since they had 4 children, she found she was better off dropping down to 24 hours a week instead of full time-she ended up with HB, WTC CTC blah blah. At first I thought 'isn't that terrible' but then I had to be honest with myself. If I could get more money going part time (which I wouldn't, both sons grown up-maybe I should go and have another few while I'm still able) wouldn't I do the same? More money for less hours? Everyone be honest- wouldn't you do the same?

So if everyone with kids were to work part time and "rake" in benefits, can someone please tell me where the bleedin hell all this money would come from?
Would I do it no!
Jesus christ what is the point in me educating my disabled child if this is the mentality of some people. He might aswell not bother his *rse and just live on benefits for the rest of his life.