Cutting my working hours - will benefit cover the loss?

Arcana

I'm currently working full time, but I'm thinking of maybe only doing 4 days a week. It's not pure laziness The company I work for is really struggling financially and I think it might help the company financially by me cutting my hours - it's not like I work for BT - there's only one other employee apart from me (and the boss of course). Anyway...

I tried using entitledto.co.uk but with me being a EU citizen and my wife being even more foreign I am not able to use it. She is also a student. I'm currently on £23k. We have 1 child. Say if I was to lose £4k by cutting hours - would I be able to regain that in benefits. Again, I hate coming across as being lazy but in the 10 years I've been in this country I've been working probably almost 9 1/2 so I think I can consider myself unlazy.

We don't have any savings, but have quite a bit of debt unfortunately.
We don't receive housing benefits, although I think we might be entitled to it now? I had a paycut recently.
Rent is pretty cheap as it's a council flat.

Any ideas? Estimates? We can't really afford much less than now.

passatrider

Arcana wrote: »

I'm currently working full time, but I'm thinking of maybe only doing 4 days a week. It's not pure laziness The company I work for is really struggling financially and I think it might help the company financially by me cutting my hours - it's not like I work for BT - there's only one other employee apart from me (and the boss of course). Anyway...

I tried using entitledto.co.uk but with me being a EU citizen and my wife being even more foreign I am not able to use it. She is also a student. I'm currently on £23k. We have 1 child. Say if I was to lose £4k by cutting hours - would I be able to regain that in benefits. Again, I hate coming across as being lazy but in the 10 years I've been in this country I've been working probably almost 9 1/2 so I think I can consider myself unlazy.

Any ideas? Estimates? We can't really afford much less than now.

Iam not being funny but isn't it up to your employer to decide whether you ought to take a pay cut rather than you? I'm sure you mean well but I'd be inclined to wait and see what happens before you jump in and take any action to be honest.

paulofessex

oh oh l dread to think what can of worms you have opened.

A cut in hours to improve the balance of work and family life can only be a good thing, although l didn't get this impression with your post.

Arcana

Passatrider: One guy got fired recently and everyone else has taken a paycut - one guy even 2 paycuts so I thought I'd try to give the boss "options" before he gives me "less options".

Paul: Again, I didn't really post to discuss my working situation, but the fact is that I'm just trying to beat my boss to it as he could well just make me redundant or just cut my salary again - with perhaps the same hours involved.

Now, does anyone know what sort of benefits (if any) I could be entitled to if I would have eg. £4k less?

passatrider

Arcana wrote: »

Passatrider: One guy got fired recently and everyone else has taken a paycut - one guy even 2 paycuts so I thought I'd try to give the boss "options" before he gives me "less options".

Paul: Again, I didn't really post to discuss my working situation, but the fact is that I'm just trying to beat my boss to it as he could well just make me redundant or just cut my salary again - with perhaps the same hours involved.

Now, does anyone know what sort of benefits (if any) I could be entitled to if I would have eg. £4k less?

I just think the tone of your post will create a negative response...

Arcana

Well, I'm unable to change the headline now but I guess I should just have written:

How much benefit (estimate) can a married couple with one child, where wife is a student, expect, when combined income is only £19k.

That would have left out all the politics and wouldn't have given people a chance to discuss morals and ethics etc.

karenx

Your not entitled to working tax credits and I doubt you would get help with rent or council tax. You certainly won't get 4k to make up the loss

Tehya

Hello,

I would be surprised if you got much or anything at all on £19k. The cutoff for tax credits is around £17k so unless there are other circumstances i.e. disabilities I can't think of any extra help for you.

What about your wife, is she a full time student, does she get a bursary because that would be taken into account as income too making it even less likely you would be entitled to anything. maybe she could take on some part time work to make up the shortfall of your wages?

Good luck with the work situation,

Tehya

MyRubyRed

Arcana wrote: »

I'm currently working full time, but I'm thinking of maybe only doing 4 days a week. It's not pure laziness The company I work for is really struggling financially and I think it might help the company financially by me cutting my hours - it's not like I work for BT - there's only one other employee apart from me (and the boss of course). Anyway...

I tried using entitledto.co.uk but with me being a EU citizen and my wife being even more foreign I am not able to use it. She is also a student. I'm currently on £23k. We have 1 child. Say if I was to lose £4k by cutting hours - would I be able to regain that in benefits. Again, I hate coming across as being lazy but in the 10 years I've been in this country I've been working probably almost 9 1/2 so I think I can consider myself unlazy.

We don't have any savings, but have quite a bit of debt unfortunately.
We don't receive housing benefits, although I think we might be entitled to it now? I had a paycut recently.
Rent is pretty cheap as it's a council flat.

Any ideas? Estimates? We can't really afford much less than now.

My husband and I have spent the last 35 yrs working. He's been made redundant and gets the sum of £64.50 a week. I wouldn't rely on gettting benefit to make up the difference if you reduce your hours and on a personal note I'd be really angry if you did! Look for another full time job perhaps?

Arcana

Thanks Karenx.

Tehya: nope, no bursary. Isn't that mostly given to teenages? She's over 30 now.

FirewallRob: sorry, I totally didn't get that things about losing 3 hours? Do you mean that if I was to drop from 37.5 hours to 30 I might be able to compensate so that I'd get what is equivilant to 34.5 hours pay?

MyRubyRed: Yeah, maybe I should look for another job. I could perhaps look for a part time job if I went part time here. Dunno, might not be easy to find a job for 1 day a week.

leveller2911

This is a typical result of Nu Labours Tax credits system as it just encourages people to rely on the State more and more ,which of coarse is Nu -Labours plan .People are less likely to vote for another party in a General Election.Don't think I'm pro Tory or Lib Dems as they are all as bad as each other.

Not having a go at you OP, its the Government of the day. I'm self-employed and more and more people I know are cutting their hours purely because they will be "Entitled" to more benefits...........

My question is Who will be left working to pay for all this?....IMO ANY entitlement to benefits should be linked to peoples National Insurance stamps,so if you have paid in for a good number of years you reap a reward......

Arcana Im 41 yrs old and Ive worked 25yrs so far and during that time ive been out of work for around 1yr.We need a welfare state but don't be misled into thinking that working here for 10 yrs means you have paid much into the system.We have a very unbalanced welfare state here where the benefits bill each year is now more than the entire income tax receipts.........That is a frightening thought.All the income tax we all pay each year is less than the benefits paid out .......Shocking truth......... This year my tax bill will be around £6,500 and all of that will be swallowed up in the Benefits system......


I just hope a change of Government will change the incentives of the working population...... Jeezuz we need it.......Don't hold out much hope though TBH