Can I claim contributory based jobseekers??

twinmumagain

Brief outlines..........

I was working till December 2009. Gave up my job to concentrate on bringing up my 5 children(2 still at home-start school September 2010).
Husband works full time.
Just spoken to tax credits and they are SLASHING my money from April-so much so that I feel I am bring forced back into work when I am enjoying being a full time mummy

I need a job and am willing to do anything that doesnt disrupt my children and thier afterschool clubs etc Looking for part time work with a maximum of 30 hours a week-hopefully nearer to 20.

Now I recieve tax credits based on my husbands wages and I am awaiting a HB claim which I have 'guesstimated' at about 25% of what we pay.

Can I claim anything else?? I HATE the thought of signing on and feel a fraud because my husband works but I will work by butt off looking for a job if it means I am better off financially.

How much is contributory JS and do you think I have a claim??

Many thanks

Caz3121

twinmumagain wrote: »

Just spoken to tax credits and they are SLASHING my money from April-

Is this due to overpayment?
I am assuming that they have taken both your husbands and your wages from last year in the calculation, have you advised them that your income will be 0 to recalculate?

sammyjammy

You can claim if you are actively seeking and availalbe for work, you may find you have to be available for fulltime hours though and you are also at risk of having the benefit then stopped if you left your last job voluntarily.

twinmumagain

They said they had me down for £0 wages for next year (
Even entitledto.com is out by £40.

I will seek work but will struggle with the hours available. In my last job was the staffing manager so I basically chose my hours and did 3 half days and one full day.

I am willing to do anything, I am not work shy.

Really cant commit to full time hours though with the children.

dmg24

Surely you can work more than twenty hours per week? Does your husband not help out at all?

codwidow

Hi

You may struggle to claim because you left your job of your own accord (thats how I read it from your post, apologies if I am wrong)

It seems odd that TC are cutting your tax credit when you have 5 children and no income yourself, just your husbands unless he earns a massive amount.

You may be able to sign on, you would need to speak to the jobcentre really, its £64 a week for 26 weeks if you are eligible, if your husband works you are unlikely to get income based jobseekers once the 26 weeks has ran out.

If you do get JSA they will probably amend your jobseekers agreement to reflect your childcare situation and put you down as seeking a job in school hours, that it was they have done with me.

The jobcentre help with things like travel expenses to interviews etc and can help you get on courses so it will probably be beneficial to speak to them

codwidow

dmg24 wrote: »

Surely you can work more than twenty hours per week? Does your husband not help out at all?

Five kids, two not at school, I think 20 hours a week would be enough unless she also has 5 pairs of arms :rotfl:

5 kids worth of holiday schemes etc wouldnt really be worth going to work in the holidays !

dmg24

codwidow wrote: »

Five kids, two not at school, I think 20 hours a week would be enough unless she also has 5 pairs of arms :rotfl:

5 kids worth of holiday schemes etc wouldnt really be worth going to work in the holidays !

Plenty of people do it - there is nothing to stop one person working full time and the other working six hours a day - staggered start times would mean care could be needed for as few as two hours a day.

The OP made the choice to have five children, and if they make the choice to limit their working arrangements, they need to accept that the state will not subsidise this choice.

codwidow

Plenty of people work 30+ hours a week with a partner working full time with 5 kids two of which are below school age. Sorry, I dont think so.

How can care be needed for as little as two hours a day when you have two children who are not at school age, I think you have misread the post.

I am not advocating mum claiming benefits but surely 20 hours a week is quite a good chunk of time to find childcare for already.

methinks you dont have any "lifestyle choices" yourself then especially 5! correct me if I am wrong.

And there are loads of employers falling over themselves to offer whatever start and finish times an employee with 5 kids needs arent there LOL. Come join us in the real world......

twinmumagain

dmg24 wrote: »

Plenty of people do it - there is nothing to stop one person working full time and the other working six hours a day - staggered start times would mean care could be needed for as few as two hours a day.

The OP made the choice to have five children, and if they make the choice to limit their working arrangements, they need to accept that the state will not subsidise this choice.

Right for starters I planned to have 4 children but I was blessed with 2 sets of twins. I couldnt help that numbers jumped to 5.
I can not afford to work full time-my husband works any hours between 9am and 9:30pm for up to 6 days a week. He is a bookmakers manager and earns much more than I could.
I dont want to work around his hours-we are a couple afterall and not ships passing in the night.
Nurseries round here are about £75 a day for my little 2 and then afterschool clubs about £50 on top of that.
I really wish I had never asked.
I am not some 'sponger'. My husband has worked for 20 odd years even though he has a lot of medical problems and could easily get long term sick/disability but as a family we choose to work so our children understand you have to work hard to have nice things in life.
Many thanks to those with sensible answers

codwidow

I would get in touch with the JC and see if you are entitled to anything, they may even help you find a job I am still looking though after a year