Going back to work!!

pizzle84

Hiya im new here and would love some advice please

Im currently a single mum that doesn't work, my little boy has just started school so id love to go back to work. Im currently getting my rent and council tax paid and income support. If i go for this new job (which is my all time perfect job) i'll obviously lose my benefits as its a full time job. This would mean i'd be getting £400 less a month and i cant live off that, i wouldn't be able to afford my rent. Is there any other help out there for single working mums???

Thanks for the help

Tehya

Depending on the hours worked and also your earnings you may get working tax credits, child tax credits, help with childcare (for holidays, after school etc). You may also be entitled to some housing and council tax benefit.

I'm not sure if income support claimants get a four week run on of HB and CTB but it's definitely worth checking. If you get working tax credits you'll still get help with NHS charges and the costs of school uniforms but not normally school dinners.

Try putting your details into the entitledto benefits calculator as if you've working and see what it says you may get. There's also a calculator at the directgov website, (to be honest I always find the directgov one to be the most accurate for my circumstances).

You can access both websites on these links.
https://www.dwpe-services.direct.gov.uk/portal/page/portal/ba/lp?_piref278_36249_278_36248_36248.__ora_navig=

https://www.turn2us.entitledto.co.uk/entitlementcalculator.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

Good luck with the job.

chris1973

Is your 'all time favourite job' ever likely to pay enough to live off? (assuming eventual career progression, bonuses etc).

If not, then in stone cold reality you may have to try and find a job which pays more, but which you may not like as much.

pizzle84

The job starts off at minimum wage but it does prgress with training etc. Iv been on entitled to and it seems like i will be £400 short each month which will be impossible to life off!! All i want to do is get off the "no job" benefits and go back to work, build a career and not feel like a sponger!! why is it so hard to do that but so easy to sit around doing nothing and getting paid free money to do it!!

bestpud

How many hours is it and what's the hourly rate?

It's unusual to be that out of pocket once you consider tax credits etc...

Oldernotwiser

I agree with bestpud and do wonder whether you've calculated this correctly.

In addition, it's worth remembering that you'll have to come off IS and start looking for a job next year anyway.

outtawork

You should be entitled to a "back to work bonus" which is available to people finding a job while on Income support, for 1 year you will receive an extra £40 a week. Plus when you start the new job you shoulg get Income support run on as well as HB & C Tax run on. when you go on to JSA there is no Benefit run on at all, only HB & C Tax run on for 1 month. Not sure about the rules regarding getting a job & leaving JSA. You should speak to an advisor at JSA for up to date information.

LL30

Blimey, I'd be really surprised if you were worse off, IS is the pits - are you sure you've done the figures right as that sounds very odd (unless your living in a mansion!)

Tigsteroonie

Supposedly (according to some government body once upon a time) you should always be better off by coming off benefits and returning to work ...

When I was signing on, the DWP offered an appointment to help me calculate whether I would be better off in work with any particular job, in that they would work out all the tax, benefit & credit calculations. I don't know if they still offer that service?

jetplane

I agree with the posters who think you've miscalculated, even with childcare costs, travel costs or restricted housing benefit you shouldn't be £100 week worse off. Do you not have a lone parent adviser at the JobCentre? They can arrange for you to have a better off calculation and you can compare this with your own calculation and see what's missing. Welfare rights or CAB will also do this with you.

The back to work bonus does not count as income for tax or benefit purposes and as long as you qualify for the HB run on it will be automatic. Also if your rent is particularly high and you will struggle to meet the extra you can apply for a discretionary housing payment particularly if its to help you maintain employment.

There is help out there for single mums but its still not as easy as sending your child to school, signing off benefits and hopping on the bus to work. If this is your dream job though and has prospects do what you can to make it work.

pizzle84

Well i hope i have worked it out wrong, knowing me and maths i probably have!! At the moment i dont really know the details about the job, all i now is its full time with some on call work so im just going with minimum rate wages and 37.5 hours a week. Because im not working at the moment my parents give me £900 a month to help with stuff but they said when i get a job that'll stop (obviously that's alot of money and it cant be for a long period!!)

So not working per month.....
Parents help £900
HB + CTB £638
CB £80
IS £270
CTC £480
Total £2368
-£844 monthly outgoings (not including food, petrol etc)
total = £1524

Working per month.......
Wages £900 (roughly)
CTC £237
WTC £356
CTB £5.76
HB £128
CB £80
Total £1706
-£1140 monthly outgoings (not including food, petrol etc includes childcare) total = £566

So really my wages cover the help from my parents and i haven't included petrol, food, car insurence, car tax, loan and all that other stuff which total over £500 a month.