Benefits advice for friend on really low income

SingleSue

generalcuster wrote: »

Maybe you would and I can understand why.

But I'm talking about the ones that already work and don't see the point in putting those extra hours in if all that will happens is that they will lose their benefit and be in this case £3 better off after working an extra 5 hours.
AND
Those that claim JSA, who will not take a job until they can be guaranteed a minimum amount in their hand to make it worthwhile getting up and going to work. In a way I don't blame them, what incentive is there to work for 40 hours pw week to end up £20 better off at the end of the week because of the loss of benefits.
What I was simply saying was that they could earn that extra £20 by other means that does not involve 40 hrs of work.

I gave up a well paid job £30,000pa last year to go on benefits as I could not cope any longer. My benefits are £14,000pa (Pension Credit + DLA(self) +AA(wife))+ CTB (£1600pa) + Mortgage Interest Payments (I receive £600pm actual interest payable £315pm). When these are added all together they amount to over £22,000pa net - about the same as I was bringing home when working!!
The mortgage interest help is going down next month but only to the amount I am actually paying. Up until then, I have been having £300 paid off my capital each month.

Yes I know it feels better to be working, but after 46 years of it, I have had enough!

One of the advantages of being over 60 unfortunately!

As already stated on this thread, I went back to work when I didn't have to (because of tax credits) and whilst there, my pay increased, I took on extra shifts as and when the boys allowed and each extra shift impacted on our tax credits and as a result, we eventually moved completely off tax credits.

But, at any point, I could have given all that up and received similar (if not more due to travel) via the tax credit system but I chose not to as I much preferred being my own boss on finances and not being beholden to having to fill out endless forms each time a change of income occured.

I cried when I had to leave, not just because it was a lovely company with lovely staff but also because I was having to give up my independence of the state and having to have intrusive forms to fill in once again...my life being controlled again.

I like to be in control of my own destiny and not be dictated to on how many hours I can work, how much I can earn or when I earn it...one reason why I feel so frustrated about the situation I have now.

Benefits_Bod

dktreesea wrote: »

Yes, but being eligible for working tax credit, i.e. working 30 hours a week, would make someone eligible for housing benefit and council tax benefit. And there are other useful things that follow on from having WTC, like an NHS health exemption card, so free prescriptions.

Just to clarify, HB/CTB can both be claimed with, or without, tax credits. Payments of tax credits count as income for HB/CTB and, in turn, this usually results in a reduction of HB/CTB.

generalcuster

Benefits_Bod wrote: »

Just to clarify, HB/CTB can both be claimed with, or without, tax credits. Payments of tax credits count as income for HB/CTB and, in turn, this usually results in a reduction of HB/CTB.

Thank you, at last somebody may be seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel.
The more you earn/WTC the less the benefits you can receive = very little extra for the extra effort.

Sam____2

generalcuster wrote: »

Thank you, at last somebody may be seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel.
The more you earn/WTC the less the benefits you can receive = very little extra for the extra effort.

But just think how good the feeling of being self reliant will be!!

Indie_Kid

generalcuster wrote: »

Thank you, at last somebody may be seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel.
The more you earn/WTC the less the benefits you can receive = very little extra for the extra effort.

WTC is a benefit.

Blackpool_Saver

sh1305 wrote: »

WTC is a benefit.

No, it's to subsidise mean employers.............. just kidding

generalcuster

SingleSue wrote: »

As already stated on this thread, I went back to work when I didn't have to (because of tax credits) and whilst there, my pay increased, I took on extra shifts as and when the boys allowed and each extra shift impacted on our tax credits and as a result, we eventually moved completely off tax credits.

But, at any point, I could have given all that up and received similar (if not more due to travel) via the tax credit system but I chose not to as I much preferred being my own boss on finances and not being beholden to having to fill out endless forms each time a change of income occured.

I cried when I had to leave, not just because it was a lovely company with lovely staff but also because I was having to give up my independence of the state and having to have intrusive forms to fill in once again...my life being controlled again.

I like to be in control of my own destiny and not be dictated to on how many hours I can work, how much I can earn or when I earn it...one reason why I feel so frustrated about the situation I have now.

Hi,
First of all I admire what you are doing with your family and looking for independence in your life.

Not everyone sees it like that.

To get those on JSA who won't work you have to offer incentives to make it worth their while - possibly the first £150 of their wages before their benefit is affected.

For those that work but won't do more hours, let them have their extra pay, up to a max of say £50 without it affecting their benefits.

In my case after 45 years of grafting I think I am entitled to a rest no matter what anybody else thinks.
Forms. Pension Credit is for life - subject to other income remaining fairly static. The Pension Service do home visits to get this benefit up and running.
DLA & AA,- these forms, the renewals and all medical reports are all completed and gathered by Age Concern/DIAL. They come to our home and everything is sorted by them for us.

Time not working is now spent with my lovely wife, seeing my daughters' and grandchildren. Simple things like picking them up from school, teaching my grandson to ride a bile, growing plants, flowers, fruit and veg in my garden and on a nice day taking my wife out for lunch in the country.

generalcuster

Sam___ wrote: »

But just think how good the feeling of being self reliant will be!!

No not for me. Been there and done that for 45 years. It's nice now to have others look after me instead.

generalcuster

sh1305 wrote: »

WTC is a benefit.

OK clever!!

Course it is, but you know what I mean - it is treated as income when assessing the level of benefits paid.

The more that comes in, the more in benefits you lose.
100% up to 90% = you keep 10%

Benefits_Bod

generalcuster wrote: »

Thank you, at last somebody may be seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel.
The more you earn/WTC the less the benefits you can receive = very little extra for the extra effort.

Just to be clear, I'm neither agreeing or disagreeing with what benefits should, or should not, morally be available in any given circumstances. Also, whether people should, or shouldn't, work in "x" circumstances is a matter of personal opinion. My posts are intended to simply provide information about what the law provides for, not to offer my opinion on what I think *should* be provided for. Hopefully, for the most part, my posts are accurate (sure, the nature of benefits is such that I'm bound to make an almighty howler sooner or later ).