Single Parent - IS to work help please

fozziebeartoo

Can anyone advise me or point me in the right direction please?

My 19 year old daughter is a single parent and receiving IS.

She has no work experience but doesnt want a life on benefits for her or her 18 month old son and has been job hunting, with no advice or help from DWP.

Looks like she has finally found herself a full time (37 hours) job.....woohoo

I am so proud of her for not just sitting around, and trying so hard to help herself! :j

It is not a high wage of course, and it may just be for 6 months but she is over the moon that someone is finally going to give her a chance to work!

As her mum, I am thrilled for her.....but also concerned about her managing financially.

She lives at home, so no rent or council tax etc.

She will have her wages and child benefit and I have tried to see if she can get any:-

1) child care help

2) or help to buy clothes suitable for work (she lives in jeans and tshirt at home)

3) any help to help her cope going from regukar IS every 2 weeks to a job that pays monthly and a month in hand

I have found Job Grants, Working Tax Credit and In Work Credit......none of which means anything to me!

How on earth do I find out what is or is not available and whether she is entitled to any help.

I am so concerned she is thrilled to be working but may end up with less money, after working 37 hours a week.

Can anyone help me suss it out, so I can be of some help to my daughter please?

LL30

Does she have a lone parent advisor? I suppose they can be a little hit and miss, but mine's been great (only been unemployed officially for a week and 3 days mind!) She will get the £250 back to work job grant. I don't know the rules surrounding living at home and WTC - I assume it's no different, but get her to ring up the tax credits helpline. If she's eligible for that, she will be eligible for help (up to 70%) of her child care costs. The In Work credit, I'm not so sure about, I'm pretty sure she has to be contracted for at least a year, but get her to ring and query it, it's £40 a week for a year.

I use 'Working families' - google for their number. Get her to ring, and they are usually fantastic at pointing you in the right direction.

As for budgeting. It will take a little while for everything to get sorted and for her to settle into a rhythm. Once she knows what she's getting, it will get easier and I'd encourage her to do a statement of affairs so she knows what she has coming in and going out (and what she can save )

Clothes wise - I have no idea - I know there used to be something (grant I think) for this, but I don't know now, sorry not incredibly helpful!

Congrats to your daughter, I'm incredibly jealous!!

Fiver29

Clothes needn't cost a fortune. Asda and Tesco (perhaps Sainsbury too, but we don't have one) do a value range of smart clothes that would do to start her off, then as she starts to manage her money she could buy one item at a time, until she has a decent wardrobe.

Well done on her getting a job.

fozziebeartoo

LL30 wrote: »

Does she have a lone parent advisor?


Thank you for the advise!

No, she has no advisor......and had no advice actually. Didn't know there was such a thing as a lone parent advisor!

Is it someone from the DWP/Jobcentre? Thanks again.

fozziebeartoo

Fiver29 wrote: »

Clothes needn't cost a fortune. Asda and Tesco (perhaps Sainsbury too, but we don't have one) do a value range of smart clothes that would do to start her off, then as she starts to manage her money she could buy one item at a time, until she has a decent wardrobe.

Well done on her getting a job.

Thanks very much!

Budget clothes would be ideal but sadly we are too far away from big stores but walking distance to smaller (more expensive) ones.

Luckily I have been saving my £1 coins for Christmas, so guess "Christmas" will need to come early! :rotfl:

fozziebeartoo

LL30 wrote: »

I use 'Working families' - google for their number. Get her to ring, and they are usually fantastic at pointing you in the right direction.

Just wanted to say thanks again, just phoned them and they were very helpful :T

clearingout

the Lone Parent Advisor is a person at the Job Centre - phone the job centre and say you want a 'better off' calculation done as soon as possible (make it sound like you're waiting for that before you take the job!) and they should see you quickly. They will then put the figures through their calculators and show her and print if off for her to take away. She will get help with childcare - up to 70% of the cost which is very helpful but she will need to use registered childcare (which most is - she can't pay you to help her out!). Good luck!

cosmic-dust

fozziebeartoo wrote: »

No, she has no advisor......and had no advice actually. Didn't know there was such a thing as a lone parent advisor!

Is it someone from the DWP/Jobcentre? Thanks again.

That would be the person at the jobcentre that she has to see every six months for her work focused interviews.

She would get working and child tax credits and the childcare element.

In work credit: Is a payment ontop of her wages of £40 per week for lone parents, it is payable for a year as long as the claimant is working 16 hours per week and the job is expected to last five or more weeks.

Job Grant: £250 for lone parents if they have been on Income support for 26 weeks or more, and again working 16 hours per week and the job is expected to last for five or more weks.

Child support: Get a claim in if not one in already, doesn't affect her benefits either.

Plenty of money there to tide her over until her first pay cheque arrives.

LL30

fozziebeartoo wrote: »

Just wanted to say thanks again, just phoned them and they were very helpful :T

Brill, I've always found them brilliant - and sometimes it's nice to actually speak to someone opposed to typing figures in calculators etc As pps have suggested, she will have a lone parent advisor and they should be able to help with the sums. I was so much better off working, I don't know how I'm going survive on IS but I'm applying for things all the time, so I hope something comes up soon. It's a nightmare being a single Mum though, I just can't be flexible and that's causing the biggest issues.

Anyway, glad you're sorted :j

FBaby

congratulations on your daughter for getting a full-time job and congratulations on you for being such a supportive mum.

fozziebeartoo

cosmic-dust wrote: »

That would be the person at the jobcentre that she has to see every six months for her work focused interviews.

Thank you - no-one at DWP has wanted to see her since her claim but I have got her an appointment to see one now.......in order to close her IS claim!