Best Way to Come Off Benefits Gradually

TryingToWork

Anubis wrote: »

Don't put your current benefits as income into the calculator - there are only certain benefits that are classed as income and if you are coming off them you don't put them in the income field or add them together.

As soon as you input that you are getting IS it will return a zero tax credit.

So you treat the WTC calculator as though you are working from today for example. You can input DLA in the DLA feild but this must not be added up and put in the income field.

Additionally if you are doing over 16 hours do not put IB or IS anywhere in the calculator.

Thanks Anubis,

I only put up to 15 hours, and I'm certain I omitted both IB and IS last time and only put in DLA. I will double check...


UPDATE:

DAMN! - Now it says £52.99 IS a week and the only thing I did different was say I was NOT on IS to begin with.

I think I DID say I was on it last time. So which result is correct?

Sorry - I already did several calcs with the benefits I am on now and still WTC came up with £0.00.

thanks

BigAunty

TryingToWork wrote: »

...

Yes, you are right about me getting a lot more than some people. In fact I wasn't looking forward to coming back onto the forum today, thinking I would not get much sympathy!

If posters would bother to follow the forum rules and etiquette, they would never post anything judgemental and would stick to answering the specific benefit queries without moralising. But we are stuck here with posters who want to blame the claimant and don't think to discuss policy matters elsewhere.

TryingToWork wrote: »

...


I played about with the Turn2us online benefit calculator and put in that you netted £25 per week in employment and I got the impression that you would qualify for £87.78 working tax credits per week, plus your existing £72.40 DLA and your employment income, coming to about £185 per week.

I don't know what you did that was different to me, but I am still getting £0.00 for WTC each time.

From memory, I did put in your DLA (as this doesn't impact other benefits anyway so shouldn't screw up calculations), I estimated £25 weekly income on one page and indicated that the forthcoming difference this coming tax year would be no more than 2k more than last year. I didn't put it any IB, ESA or IS. I didn't say 'no' to any employment capabilities in the next 52 weeks.

It's obviously worth getting an expert to work out whether it is the IS or WTC route that is best. I don't really understand how IS works. On the directgov website, I got the impression that it isn't payable to anyone who works more than 16 hours so perhaps this is different for those claiming DLA?

Anubis_2

TryingToWork wrote: »

Thanks Anubis,

I only put up to 15 hours, and I'm certain I omitted both IB and IS last time and only put in DLA. I will double check...

I also need to see the difference for 16+ hours. Forgot to do that before.

thanks

15 hours is why you are getting zero tax credits......

You have to work 16 or more.

I amended my post afterwards as I forgot you were on IB, and that is classed as income but working 16 hours or more means you are not entitled to it anyway.

As WTC goes off the year before, you need to do a simple WTC calculation including your IB as income (but not IS!) and DLA should not be added in the income field, only your IB should (amount without IS topup)

If you want to work out on this year or have an idea what you will get when not in receipt of benefits, don't include any IB or IS benefits apart from DLA (but don't add DLA up in the income field.). Put an income amount in the income field you think you may make as income.

The incapable of work for 52 weeks means if you have been on sickness benefits for 52 weeks or more (PW not included) or have not been able to work for the last 52 weeks.

If you are going to be working under 16 hours, you may be better going the PW route, and keeping most of your benefits. For PW you won't claim WTC.

Try here too http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/benefits-check

BigAunty

Sorry, Anubis, what does 'PW' mean?

Anubis_2

Permitted work, sorry BA!

Anubis_2

TryingToWork wrote: »

Thanks Anubis,

I only put up to 15 hours, and I'm certain I omitted both IB and IS last time and only put in DLA. I will double check...


UPDATE:

DAMN! - Now it says £52.99 IS a week and the only thing I did different was say I was NOT on IS to begin with.

I think I DID say I was on it last time. So which result is correct?

Sorry - I already did several calcs with the benefits I am on now and still WTC came up with £0.00.

thanks

Because you are putting under 16 hours. You cannot get WTC unless you work 16 hours or more and if inputting 16 hours check if you are entitled to the disability element of WTC, because if you put "no" to this and you have input 16 hours, it will come out as zero as the calc will presume you should be working 30 hours as a single person.

How long have you been continuously receiving IB and out of work? If more than 13/26 weeks to a year, if you move off benefits you should also be entitled to four weeks run on of HB and CT and MAYBE in work credit of £40 pw for the year and a job grant possibly.

See here and check it out - NONE of these apply to PW though, only 16 hours or more. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/benefitstaxcreditsandothersupport/employedorlookingforwork/dg_10013908

TryingToWork

Anubis wrote: »

15 hours is why you are getting zero tax credits......

You have to work 16 or more.

I amended my post afterwards as I forgot you were on IB, and that is classed as income but working 16 hours or more means you are not entitled to it anyway.

As WTC goes off the year before, you need to do a simple WTC calculation including your IB as income (but not IS!) and DLA should not be added in the income field, only your IB should (amount without IS topup)

If you want to work out on this year or have an idea what you will get when not in receipt of benefits, don't include any IB or IS benefits apart from DLA (but don't add DLA up in the income field.). Put an income amount in the income field you think you may make as income.

The incapable of work for 52 weeks means if you have been on sickness benefits for 52 weeks or more (PW not included) or have not been able to work for the last 52 weeks.

If you are going to be working under 16 hours, you may be better going the PW route, and keeping most of your benefits. For PW you won't claim WTC.

I can be flexible on hours as it depends on how well I am. So I could work less or more than 16 hours to fit the criteria without lying.

I have said no for Permitted Work each time, as I didn't understand it.

I need to go back and put in IB but omit IS as you suggest...

thanks

Anubis_2

TryingToWork wrote: »

I can be flexible on hours as it depends on how well I am. So I could work less or more than 16 hours to fit the criteria without lying.

I have said no for Permitted Work each time, as I didn't understand it.

I need to go back and put in IB but omit IS as you suggest...

thanks

See my updated post:

How long have you been continuously receiving IB and out of work? If more than 13/26 weeks to a year, if you move off benefits you should also be entitled to four weeks run on of HB and CT and MAYBE in work credit of £40 pw for the year and a job grant possibly.

See here and check it out - NONE of these apply to PW though, only 16 hours or more. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytax...rk/dg_10013908

What are you failing to understand about PW?

PS - if you input 16 hours or more in the calc you say "no" to the PW question. The calc will show zero tax credits for anything if you have input less than 16 hours.

TryingToWork

Hi Anubis,

This is to reply to your last question, not this new one:

I just did the calculation with IB 15 hours, and not IS and it came up with even less IS: £51.49

Will have a look at your new post after my meal thanks.

Anubis_2

TryingToWork wrote: »

Hi Anubis,

This is to reply to your last question, not this new one:

I just did the calculation with IB 15 hours, and not IS and it came up with even less IS: £51.49

Will have a look at your new post after my meal thanks.

To be entitled to WTC you HAVE to be working at LEAST 16 hours. If you keep inputting anything less than 16 hours you will never get a WTC result, it will ALWAYS show as ZERO.

Therfore when you are calculating for WTC please input at least 16 hours, I am unsure why you keep inputting 15 hours as the result will only then show you your IS entitlement (based on the fact you are not including IS)