Back to work how many hours?

Onearmedbandit_2

I'm just looking for some clarification as to how many hours I need to try and seek work for to manage to keep ontop of my bills. I've been looking for a job for months now in the hope of getting something to fit in with my children's school hours as my youngest starts school in September.
However he has wrap around care at nursery that I can organise if I find something sooner(haven't had much luck as yet).
He is the youngest of our 6. Oldest is 13. Hubby has worked hard all his life until a couple of years ago when he became very ill. He is in the support group on ESA and is unable to care for the children for any great length of time and is considered a danger to himself and others.
My eldest is amazing and is always happy to help and supervise when I need to be anywhere but obviously he needs his own life. So my question is do I look for 16 hrs,24 hrs,30hrs? Just I cannot afford childcare. Do I need to do 16 or 24 hrs to qualify for childcare help and wtc?
Any help and advice greatly appreciated,I've been applying for anything I can find. I'm a trained nursery nurse but there's not much about so am willing to try anything.

rogerblack

Onearmedbandit wrote: »

He is in the support group on ESA and is unable to care for the children for any great length of time and is considered a danger to himself and others.

Have you investigated if Disability Living Allowance - is a possibility?
Is he on contributory, or income-based ESA?

Onearmedbandit_2

Hi it's income based and we applied for dla may 2011 after advice from his dr he was turned down. We appealed and went to a tribunal jan 2012 which he lost as they said he could cook a meal. I care for him far more than 35hrs. Nights are the worst. Some nights he is up all night therefore I get little sleep aswell. I really want to work during school hours as I feel it would be good for myself to get out. I have neighbours who would check on hubby. I just can't leave him with the younger ones as he is just unable to watch them and care for them. My 2 oldest are able to help where possible.

BigAunty

Here is the link to disability and working tax credits from the HMRC, which includes a fact sheet

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/payments-entitlement/other-benefits/affect-taxcredits/disability-benefits.htm

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/tc956.pdf

Onearmedbandit_2

Thanks for the link. I can't seem to find anything that states if I need to work 16hrs (like a single person) or 24hrs for a couple. As although I'm part of a married couple my hubby just can't work at the moment.

rogerblack

Onearmedbandit wrote: »

Hi it's income based a

You do know that even at 16 hours a week - his ESA will be either entirely eliminated, or vastly reduced by you working?

ESA (couples, support group) is 138 or so per week.
If you earn more than this, the ESA would stop.

pmlindyloo

rogerblack wrote: »

You do know that even at 16 hours a week - his ESA will be either entirely eliminated, or vastly reduced by you working?

ESA (couples, support group) is 138 or so per week.
If you earn more than this, the ESA would stop.

Mmmmm, I have been puzzling over this aspect.

The link I found about the number of hours you need to work:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/incapacitated/index.htm

suggests that if your OH was on contribution based ESA then you would only need to work 16 hrs a week to receive tax credits.

However, you say your OH is on income based ESA.

Looking at your previous posts they seem to suggest that your husband was working before he went on ESA and therefore might have been entitled to contribution based ESA. I know from your posts that his ESA was stopped and you appealed.

There are some peculiar 'quirks' to the system so your best way forward is to check with Job Centre Plus about your OH's ESA.

It may be that he is actually on contribution based ESA with some kind of income based entitlement/top up.

If he is, indeed, on contribution based ESA then from the link above you would only need to work 16 hours a week. Best to confrim with tax credits though.

If he is on income based ESA then this will be affected if you work as said above.

Onearmedbandit_2

Hi he was ib first after his work ended his ssp. Then at his medical in 2009 we had to go to a tribunal which he won. He was migrated to ESA income based support group nov 2011. I understand anything I earn would start cancelling it out but as I understand it we would still receive a substantial amount of hb and c/tax benefit. So I'd rather work if I can.

Onearmedbandit_2

We receive £298 a fortnight. He worked non stop from 16 until he went sick from work in 2007,they paid him for so long then let him go as when head office visited him and received medical reports they said his drs had told them he would be incapable of work indefinitely. So he paid ni and tax as a full time employee all the time. Without breaks.

pmlindyloo

I really do think that you need to reapply for DLA. Consider getting some help from CAB (you need to go to a CAB with a Welfare and Benefits specialist).

I understand that you want to work but considering your situation I think that if your OH received DLA you could work 16 hours and still receive tax credits.

Otherwise you are looking at 24 hours.


Have you tried using the benefits calculator on www.turn2us.org.uk putting in 24 hours (salary at the national minimal wage ) and see what your entitlements would be?

Onearmedbandit_2

Hi yes ive worked it out at the moment including my hb,ctax benefit,hubbys esa which i am included on,child benefit and child tax we receive £762.46 if i were to work 24 hrs for £6.50 an hour we would get £774.07.(it sounds alot i know but our rent is £700 pcm) and we live in a poor area private rent and council tax is nearly £2000pa. And there are 8 of us.
So not much better off.
However i really would like to work,just wondered if at 16 hrs id get working tax as there are hardly any 24 hr jobs. Lots at 8-12 hrs though.
We received a letter a few weeks ago stating about the benefit cap next year and as we have more than £500 a week it may affect us,however after speaking to them we were informed as my hubby receives the care component it wont affect us.

But like i say as my little one will be in reception come September id like to go back to work. I didnt actually realise we could reapply for dla so i think i will take your advice and go to cab and see if they could help with the forms.