Job offer question

Savvy_Sue

At interview with a job like that, could it be worth asking "do many of your staff travel here from X?" might cut down travel costs.

agrinnall

If the job is full time for 3 days that's say 21 hours. At minimum wage (you don't say how old you are) that's around £125 per week. You wouldn't pay any tax on that so to get down to having only £55 a week to live on your travel costs would be £70 for 3 return journeys of 20 miles. I find it hard to believe any mode of public transport would be that expensive.

richpoortyke

agrinnall wrote: »

If the job is full time for 3 days that's say 21 hours. At minimum wage (you don't say how old you are) that's around £125 per week. You wouldn't pay any tax on that so to get down to having only £55 a week to live on your travel costs would be £70 for 3 return journeys of 20 miles. I find it hard to believe any mode of public transport would be that expensive.

But you fail to take into account housing and council tax benefit. the £65 i would receive is for me to live on (bills and food) The rent and council tax is paid for while i am out of work. As soon as you start any work this is reduced.
I have done my calculations for both jobs (the 3 day job i didnt get anyway) and they turn out as income after rent, council tax and travel costs as £55 and £40 respectively. (£10 and £25 less)

richpoortyke

hcb42 wrote: »

20 miles away is not a long distance to travel, especially as you acknowledge full time work in your own town is difficult. If moving isn't an option then you might have to accept it and hope something better comes out of it - you could end up with benefits sanctioned worse case.

I applied and failed to get the one that was 20 miles away. Only realised when i did the benefit calculator that i would have been £10 worse off anyway.
The other job i would like to do but is further away and i havent applied for it simply because the benefit calculator says i would be £25 worse off a week.

The question which i asked wasnt specifically about these jobs but more a general question as to if it came to it would i be forced to take a job that is obviously going to cause hardship for myself. I just gave the 2 jobs as examples as that seems to be a real problem that people are better off on benefits.

Noone seems to be able to answer the question i actually posed.

Jinx

I wouldnt take a job that made me worse off than being on benefits..... I couldnt live on benefits, far less a reduced amount!! I think there might be a rule that you dont have to take the job if it makes you worse off; why dont you give the job centre helpline a call?

cassieB57

You cannot be sanctioned for turning down a job which is under 24 hours a week

richpoortyke

Jinx wrote: »

I wouldnt take a job that made me worse off than being on benefits..... I couldnt live on benefits, far less a reduced amount!! I think there might be a rule that you dont have to take the job if it makes you worse off; why dont you give the job centre helpline a call?

Im going to pose the question to my adviser the next time in to see her. In the meantime ill be careful what i apply for. Now i know how much i need to be better off i will only be targeting those jobs.

Savvy_Sue

Would you really not continue to get HB and CTB on those figures?

kitschkitty

Your JC advisor should do a "better off in work calculation" and if you would be worse off then you wouldn't have to take the job.

I understand where your coming from. If you don't have kids then working between 17 -29 hours per week is rarely financially viable.

richpoortyke

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Would you really not continue to get HB and CTB on those figures?

Its a gradual reduction of benefit as you earn more.So in effect you make yourself a little better off as you work and earn more.
But when you start adding the costs of travel this is swallowed up.


For example
£65 JSA £70 HB £15 CTB = £150 pw

If i worked 16 hours at minimum wage
£95 WAGES £55 HB £10 CTB = £160 pw


So £10 better off

But if i had to go to work in nearby town £10 x 2 days travel = £20

Im now £10 worse off than i am signing on.


This is a rough example but you get the picture.