Can they really cut your benefit if you take a job?

hugger38

Hi a friend of mine has had her benefit cut if she earns over £16 a week is that right? They will give it to her back if she works a 21 hour week. I dont get it so if she is offered a job that is 12 hours the goverment are making her not take it by penalising her for working. Cant they just reduce the benefit?

dmg24

What benefit is she on? Is she single, a single parent, disabled, in a couple? How old is she?

Caroline73_2

Surely the wage will replace the benefit money?

DaisyFlower

They are not penalising her for working and neither are they stopping her taking the job, she would be supporting herself rather than than relying on the state. Why would benefits not stop if you gain employment?

hugger38

I dont quite know what benefit it is to be honest. I'll find out more maybe and will post when I know, thanks anyway

LeeSouthEast

You earn your own money of course benefits go down.. benefits are there to support those who cannot support themselves, not for a free lunch.

C_Mababejive

Yes. Back in 1980 i spent two weeks on JSA.

It was in between leaving school and starting work.

Guess what? As soon as i started work they cut off my claim and they havent paid me a penny since despite paying lots to the government in the last 30 years..

Its a swizz....

dktreesea

hugger38 wrote: »

Hi a friend of mine has had her benefit cut if she earns over £16 a week is that right? They will give it to her back if she works a 21 hour week. I dont get it so if she is offered a job that is 12 hours the goverment are making her not take it by penalising her for working. Cant they just reduce the benefit?

There is a "grey" area, where you can earn too much to be entitled to income support, but not work enough hours a week (16) to be entitled to working tax credit. Yes, if you only work 12 hours a week, it is possible you will end up worse off financially. I had a friend in this situation who found some work, but it was only one day a week. I guess he thought some work was better than none at all. I was with him when the DWP advised him his best course of action (he was a single parent) was to work at least 16 hours a week and move onto WTC, or not work at all and stay on income support.

DX2

dktreesea wrote: »

There is a "grey" area, where you can earn too much to be entitled to income support, but not work enough hours a week (16) to be entitled to working tax credit.

30 hours per week if you are not a parent for wtc purposes.

dktreesea

DX2 wrote: »

30 hours per week if you are not a parent for wtc purposes.

Yet another example of how our system discriminates against those who decide, for whatever reason, not to bring children into the world. However, even though you wouldn't be entitled to WTC, you could still get some council tax benefit and housing benefit.

aimee0763

hugger38 wrote: »

Hi a friend of mine has had her benefit cut if she earns over £16 a week is that right? They will give it to her back if she works a 21 hour week. I dont get it so if she is offered a job that is 12 hours the goverment are making her not take it by penalising her for working. Cant they just reduce the benefit?

You are allowed to earn below £20 a week and still get benefit all she ned to do is ask the job centre what money she can earn befoer her benefit is cut.


hope this helps