Housing benefit and overtime

sue222

Hi - I wondered if anyone has experience of or knows about this:
Does Housing Benefit count overtime in the month it is worked or the month when it is paid?
I work part-time and receive a small amount of housing benefit. I have been offered the opportunity to do some extra hours just for a few weeks. I will be paid for September's extra hours in October, etc. I was going to cancel my claim and claim again when the work is finished, but will this cause problems if my first wage slip back at old hours still shows overtime?

StressedSam

I know this is not the right attitude but I would not do the overtime as it will cause more trouble than it's worth. I did an extra 9 hours a week for a month to cover when someone was off sick and after my benefit was recalculated I ended up earning 33P AN HOUR!

If you are already committed to doing this extra work, the best way to do it is inform the council that it was temporary overtime after you have received the payslip.

You may have to do is write to council again with your next payslip after your wages go down again for them to recalculate your wages back at your 'normal' rate.

Good Luck

dark_lady

33p AN HOUR THATS DISGUSTING!

dave030445

You would get less help for the months you do overtime. But then when you stop the over time, it will go back up. This may be the wrong way to look at it but you will not get hardly any extra money in your pocket. Then they may be on your case as they know you do over time checking you are not doing it each month.

sue222

Thanks StressedSam and Dave030445. I will wait till it shows up on my wage-slip and send that in. I worked out that if I do an extra ten hours per week I should be about 15 pounds a week better off which is better than nothing. I don't mind if it means they want to see my wage-slips every month.

Lip_Stick

When I first started claiming a couple of years ago, I asked an advisor what I'd do about overtime if it was once in blue moon, and just a couple of hours. She told me not to bother notifying them!!

Of course, I'd rather not get done for benefit fraud so haven't ever taken her advice. I've just taken any overtime as time off in leiu.

Makes me laugh, as if I had done as she'd suggested, and I'd been busted for a few quid, I bet the lady wouldn't be quick to admit what she said.