Advice needed..... job not safe........

missteapot

Hi, looking for some advice (don't know if this is the right board or not). I am a single parent and currently work 20 hours per week and get working tax credits. To cut a long story short i work for a voluntary organisation who receive most of their funding from local authority and due to the current economic crisis our funding has been cut and our jobs are not safe.

I suppose i am trying to work out what i need to do in a worse case scenario if i lost my job. I have been in work since leaving school (now 36) so haven't a clue how the benefit system works and what i would be entitled to.

Any advice would be gratefuly received. Thanks.

pandaspot

In respect of claiming housing and council tax benefit have a look at your local authority website. They will give guidance on there new claim policy. For employment support allowance/job seekers have a look at https://www.directgov.co.uk

They have a wealth of info on there about claiming benefits

nannytone_2

How old are your children? if any are under 7 you could claim income support, if over 7 it would be JSA, either contributions based or income based, depending on if you had paid sufficient NI contributions.
your WTC would stop, but your CTC would go up!
good luck!

missteapot

Thanks for the advice. My son will be 8 in June so i would have to claim JSA but I would be entitled to housing benefit, council tax benefit and still receive child tax credits then???? My head is a mess thinking about this, can't imagine not working!!

Does anyone know what benefits, financial help, etc would be available if i were to go to college? thanks.

RAS

College - do you mean an FE college or higher education? Funding is different.

pandaspot

You will get hb if you were to go to college and exempt from ctax