Benefits on a 0 hour job - how does it work?

Ch3rrie

Hi everyone,

My partner has a 0 hour job now. It is the ideal job for him as he wants to go into nursing and this gives him the experience he needs and he so far is enjoying it.

Before this he was on job seekers, housing and council tax benefit.
I know he has to tell the job centre he is working. His first week he is on 9-5 all week so we are aware he shouldn't get any benefit but what I am not sure about is, if he gets little hours the week after, will he have to reclaim all his benefits for that week? If so, housing benefit takes up to 6 weeks to process, and while they are processing they stop the payments so I don't know how it will work? He is getting paid monthly also so would not be able to prove what he is earning.

and if he works over 16 hours, he will be entitled to working tax credits, can he just ring them every week and let them know his hours? or can he not do that? Should he wait till April and claim it all then?

I am just getting so worried he may work 9-5 next week and get all his benefits stopped and then the week after not have any work and have to reclaim everything again and then have to wait for it all to be paid, but then the next week he could get lots of hours again and he'd have to tell benefits about that and they stop his claim and not give us any money.

It is confusing me so much thinking about it so I am sorry if I have confused you!

pmlindyloo

I think these are questions that you need to ask Job Centre Plus and the Tax Credits office.

I believe that you can take in your OH's pay slips on a weekly basis at the Job Centre and they will adjust your benefits.

Tax Credits will be a little more complicated but if you ring their help line then I am sure they will tell you what to do.

The one thing you need to avoid is overpayments. Therefore, it is in your best interests to check with them both first.

I am sure this is a scenario that they have both dealt with before so try not to worry.