Benefits compared to a payrise

Killmark

distant_smile wrote: »

Taxpayer? Like me you mean? I pay Tax and NI into the system, so am I not entitled to claim benefit?

On £18,500 you are paying £3,357 in tax but are being handed £6,064 so your up £2,707 at the end of the day.

If we have a welfare state costing £200bn and Income Tax/NI receipts of £250bn, surely if you can increase your income to support your family as opposed to relying on state handouts don't you have a moral obligation to?

Your of course can claim any benefits to which you are entitled but they are subject to change and I doubt they will be becoming more favorable.

distant_smile

So families are not entitled to help? We are taxed on everything. Your fuel, VAT, Council Tax, Road Tax. I pay into everything that has to be paid. If someone was unable to work they may claim disability allowance or income support. People pay into pensions to help them when they retire. The government set the parameters for benefits and if you are entitled to it to help you, then why should you feel that you are un-deserving?

The problem is that people do manipulate the system and granted that angers me, but I dont feel I should feel guilty for claiming what I am entitled too. Of course it would be great if everyone could support their families with no help whatsoever, but some people are not that fortunate

wannabehermit

Why would you not want to better yourself? Give your children an example that working hard gets you somewhere rather than saying well it doesn't matter what I earn, the government will give us enough to live on.

We are currently in the position where DHs wages are an absolute pittance, we get a lot of benefit top ups, but you know what, it feels sh-it. I've just started a new job a couple of weeks ago and actually we're going to be worse off. We'll still be getting the benefits topping up our income, but hopefully we'll be in a position where maybe I'll get promotions and gradually we'll get to the point where we're earning enough to pay our own way.

I !!!!ing hate being on benefits (Child Benefit not included). It's not the way I was brought up and it's not the way I want my children to be brought up. Thank god that we do have the back up for people who fall on tough times but I don't want to be spending the rest of my life holding my hand out. ANy opportunity that we get to earn more will be taken with both hands and I don't understand why you wouldn't.

Sorry I'll get off my soapbox, I do know where you're coming from with regards to worrying about being better off, but why would you turn down an opportunity to (in the long term) be better off?

Killmark

distant_smile wrote: »

So families are not entitled to help? We are taxed on everything. Your fuel, VAT, Council Tax, Road Tax. I pay into everything that has to be paid. If someone was unable to work they may claim disability allowance or income support. People pay into pensions to help them when they retire. The government set the parameters for benefits and if you are entitled to it to help you, then why should you feel that you are un-deserving?

Benefits are based on need, not on whether you deserve them. Surely if you have the capability to reduce that need then you should?

But anyway as others have said you can model your circumstances on the benefit calculators.

distant_smile

I am more towards taking a promotion. And you are right, I never wanted to be on benefits, I had a disillusioned idea that it was !!!!!!!!!!s eho claimed. But being a parent I understand now that benefits are claimed by all sorts, it doesn't feel great to be on them. I can't even earn overtime as I am penalised by the benefit system and end up worse off. It's really sad to say.

It would be a good lesson to teach my children, bettering yourself is the way to go definately. I suppose what I am really trying to find out is just how much worse off I may be. At least Ithat way I can plan where to make cuts in my expenses

distant_smile

Killmark - I am not out to laugh at other taxpayers, it is embarassing having benefits, ask anyone who claims them. The problem is you do get used to it and end up relying on them, thats just the way it goes. And as I have siad in my last post, I would just like to know how much of an impact it may have

bargainbunny

distant_smile wrote: »

Killmark - I am not out to laugh at other taxpayers, it is embarassing having benefits, ask anyone who claims them. The problem is you do get used to it and end up relying on them, thats just the way it goes. And as I have siad in my last post, I would just like to know how much of an impact it may have

Welcome to the forum by the way
I think its good that you are looking into how a change in your job could affect your family..
Of course it would be better to not have to have your wages topped up by benefit but thats life at the moment.

Maybe you could move so the travel costs wouldn't come into play, choose a house thats a cheaper rent?
Moving up the ladder should be an accomplishment not a hindrance

good luck

distant_smile

Hi bargain bunny, thanks for the warm welcome. I am looking forward to a progression and I guess maybe my earlier posts were a bit defeatist. I am just hoping that someone can roughly estimate the decrease I will face, I would just feel more comfortable knowing what will be taken away and how the new wage would compensate.

I read through the benefits and to be honest it's not very clear. If I could say I would lose,say, £200 a month then I can budget for that, etc.

Killmark

distant_smile wrote: »

Killmark - I am not out to laugh at other taxpayers, it is embarassing having benefits, ask anyone who claims them. The problem is you do get used to it and end up relying on them, thats just the way it goes. And as I have siad in my last post, I would just like to know how much of an impact it may have

Having been in a similar situation to yourself, moving from £19,000 to under £25,000 I found that I wasn't worse off (was £250 better off).

Having said that I have 2 children, you need to put your circumstances into the benefit calculator.

Net salary wise you'd have £1,613 per month net, as opposed to £1,245.

You'd keep child benefit and likely lose most if not all your HB, I'm guessing you would lose most if not all your CTC in April.

So you'd lose a max of £414 pm in a worst case scenario you would be £46 pm worse off..

However you could confirm the situation in https://www.turn2us.entitledto.co.uk/entitlementcalculator.aspx

heathcote123

distant_smile wrote: »

Of course. But why put my children in a position worse off than we already are? I currently work 46.5 hours a week to support them, and we are still only scraping by. So if anyone can breakdown the benefits a little better for me I would appreciate it

You go for the 25k job. do it for a couple of years, then go for the 30k job, then the 35k job etc etc.

Or stay earning 18k for the rest of your life.