please help...dont know what to do ????

pammie39

hi all
ill try to be breif, this may be alittle confusing....

at present i work 16 hours a week earning £250, my husband is out of work, we have a 9 year old daughter. we receive ctc and wtc.
in april 2012 you have to work 24 hours a week to receive wtc.
THIS IS THE PROBLEM....
my husband and i are both bankrupt, so any thing over our income NOW will be taken and given to my creditors (IPA).
my employer can not garentee me 24 hours a week (only as an when they need me), so WTC WILL STOP losing me £75 ish a week.
i get part help with rent and c/tax at present.
so when the changes happen (WTC) we are going to be very short with money !!!!!!!

so im thinking..... reduce my hours to 15 and claim JSA income based OR leave my job and claim JSA IB.
i wish to stay at work...

what is the maximum i can earn to receive JSA IB (im earning £250 per week) and how will it affect my HB and C/TAX BENEFIT.


please help...dont know which way to go !!!!!!!!!!
stress levels are very high at present and depression kicking in again

MrsManda

If you leave your job voluntarily you may not be entitled to claim JSA for upto 26 weeks.

Is your husband claiming JSA? Is he actively jobhunting?

Can you get another job doing more hours? I know it's difficult but may be worth looking at your local supermarkets to see if they have any PT vacancies.

I'm unsure about the effect on CTB and HB, it may be worth putting the figures into a benefits calculator.
It also may be worth putting a statement of affairs on the Debtfreewannabe board to see if the people over there have suggestions on decreasing your outgoings.

lizzywig

I was going to say the same. You won't be entitled to JSA if you leave your job for 26 weeks. I would look for another job to top up your hours or another part time job offering 24 hours. Good luck.

Try not to get stressed it's just not worth it.

merlin68

Why do you think your better of claiming £105.95 a week as a couple? You wouldn't be able to claim anything a because your over the limit and b if you give up your job. You would probably get more HB.

pammie39

hi thank you for your reply

my husband is looking for work and has never claimed any benefits his work ended oct 2010, of which i was then claiming jsa IB for us both (i wasnt working then), one of us need to be home or working part time because of our child and child care is very expensive so out of the question even with the tax credit payment help.
as for looking around for other work, this is done nearly every day (staying at home all day is so boring, i have to get out...lol..).
also as said in above post anything i earn over what i do now, i will not see as it goes to creditors (except £20), yes they are our debts, but we still need to live, i pay £15 a week in fuel for 2 days work, so three days will be another £7.50, buses aren't much cheeper.

what should i do ???? please x

merlin68

There's nothing you can do, as your earnings are over the limit. My hubby works full time for the same amount that you get part time. We manage and i dont get HB or council tax benefit either.

pammie39

hi thanx again
a quick change to the post.... sorry just reading it back

£ 250 is what i earn every 2 weeks, not each week, i get paid fourtnighly so always say that....SORRY,

ANY CHANGES TO YOUR POSTS ???????

please note that £125 per week minus £15 fuel, leaves me with £110

cosmic-dust

pammie39 wrote: »

so im thinking..... reduce my hours to 15 and claim JSA income based

I don't know why people think working under 16 hours per week will make them any better off. It won't. You get to keep the first £10 then they deduct £1 for £1 from what you earn.

merlin68

Well you did put at present i work 16 hours a week earning £250. Which one would presume is a weekly amount.
your still over the limit as they wouldn't count fuel costs in benifit calculations.

pammie39

thanx cosmic-dust

sorry if i sound silly...i do enjoy my job..i ve done for 25 years now, i dont wont to leave but because off the WTC situation in april losing money untill i get another job im try to see what options are out there, this is all new to me.

sleepless_saver

Your problem is really the bankruptcy conditions, so why not post this on the bankruptcy board and see if anyone there can help.