New rules for working tax???

mummyroysof3

BigAunty wrote: »

I never understood the Labour governments decision to provide extra state subsidies to households on benefits that are the equivalent or greater than they could earn in employment.

My friend's household income is virtually doubled through CB, CTC, WTC, HB, CT discount. This means on a salaried taxable equivalent, they have a standard of living equivalent to someone bringing in an experienced management graduate salary of approx 30k, even though one of them has a full time shelf stacking job. And she freely admits that the 'ridiculous' level of benefits they gets is one reason why she doesn't bother to get a job now her kids are at school.

but when the universal credit is introduced then she might need to look for work and it may be harder then with a big cv gap..im studying now in order to prepare for looking for a job in 2 years when my youngest starts full time school

adewolves

kezz wrote: »

Really easy for people with jobs to feel smug! Hope none of you lose your jobs and have to struggle. Everytime I visit this site I come across the same thing. Self righteous, smug morons!
Dont worry about giving me a mouthful either because this is my very last visit

Yes that is a major problem with this site.

Fiver29

kezz wrote: »

Really easy for people with jobs to feel smug! Hope none of you lose your jobs and have to struggle. Everytime I visit this site I come across the same thing. Self righteous, smug morons!
Dont worry about giving me a mouthful either because this is my very last visit

Yeah because none of those people have worked their arses off to get those jobs.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out :wave:

meemo38

oops didn't mean to start a riot...was merely pointing out the changes, BUT my husband works part time due to depression, and could quite easily say i don't feel up to it...but doesn't, he tries his best, and at his low times he cannot do anything, he needs me to be here to do things for him, and also look after the kids....
He has just had 6 months off work, but had a loss of sick pay after so many weeks...but not other help could be got, we struggled, but managed, with having a little savings to fall back on.
I definitley have to agree with those who say its hard to find a job....it is...my 17 year old daughter is in college, has applied to umpteen jobs since leaving school at 16, and has never had an interview, she has managed a job which is now and then as they require her, so what hope do older people with little experience have.
We get no housing benefit, and about £2 per week council tax as we have older kids still living at home, the 2 oldest give us as much board as they can, and i am currently looking for something part time but like i say at 44 with no experience it IS hard.
So yes some people genuinley don't want to work and wont, other are quite happy to...if we can at least be in with a chance!!!!!

BigAunty

kezz wrote: »

Really easy for people with jobs to feel smug! Hope none of you lose your jobs and have to struggle. Everytime I visit this site I come across the same thing. Self righteous, smug morons!
Dont worry about giving me a mouthful either because this is my very last visit

I put up a poll in Discussion Time to see which MSE members approved the change and nearly 90% are in favour of the increase to the WTC hours threshold for couples with children.

This is not random smugness, this is a popular decision.

neverdespairgirl

adewolves wrote: »

We got the letter today as well. I don't work and my wife works 16 hours a week so we won't be entitled to working tax credit anymore from what I can gather. The only other benefits we get are child tax credit and child benefit. We will be nearly £72.00 a week worse off, surely there must be something else we can claim, if we can't we wouldn't be able to survive. Any advice would be most welcome.

You have until April for your wife to find more hours, or you to find a job.

neverdespairgirl

geordie_joe wrote: »

I've paid into the system for over 36 years, so maybe its time to take some out.

You are already claiming tax credits and housing benefit, so you aren't exactly "paying in" at the moment.

meemo38

My opinion is....'it is a good idea'...IF people can get the work, once upon a time you could see job upon job advertised, especially in care homes....even care home jobs seem to be sparce these days...well they do in my neck of the woods, honestly i can see why there's so many people out of work, with factories/shops going under ect, my 15 year old is on a work placement with school, and his head of year has told me that she is finding it hard to place the kids as theres no work, so my son is in a placement he doesnt enjoy as theres no were else for him to go, he wanted car mechanics, but no garages would take him on, so he is doing body repair...but all he does is sweep up as the garage has no work on!!!!!

lin473

A thread like this is bound to bring the benefit bashers out of the woodwork but it is not always as black and white as you think.
Currently my OH is struggling to keep up his 20 hrs as he has serious health problems.
As he manages his own personal care and can walk (albeit slowly) he does not fit the criteria for DLA.
As a result he does not qualify for the disabled element of WTC.

I am carer to my profoundly disabled son - there does not seem to any allowance for this in the new rules.

Believe me , our lives are not easy, and now we have to accept either another cut in our living standards or i will have to use my respite allowance for going out to work.
(Which incidently is also being cut due to budget cuts in local services.)

nannytone_2

one of the issues with tax credits is highlighted in the forum all the time.

how often does a post appear saying 'my child is leaving school and i'm losing all my money!'

tax credits seem to have been designed to keep people dependant and so pliable.

as has been said ... why should a healthy couple only be rquired to work 16 hours a week betwen them to get working tax credits, just because they have a child?

before these benefits existed, we managed to raise children, so why have people become so dependant on them?