£40-a-week in-work bonus

elisebutt65

How do you qualify for this???

I am a lone parent and have been studying for a degree that finally finishes in June. Usually I sign on to IS in the summer but it looks as though I may have a job starting in September. It's a government incentive type thing allowing me to stay on at the college doing research and some teaching, and get my Masters at the same time, with a basic £12,000 salary.

So I intend to sign on for IS for the summer to get me through and sign off when the post materialises. Will this entitle me to the lone parent back to work bonus or do I have to be on IS for 26 weeks first? I can't find very much about it apart from press announcements when I google it - nothing on the government support site that I can find - seems a bit too well hidden - lol

Scarlett1

yes it does seem well hidden, the only reason I know about it cause my lone parent advisor told me, all she said that when I went back to work for 16 hours or more then I will get the bonus, Im on IS at the moment. I would imagine there is some kind of guideline on this, but I think its for people that have been on IS for a while

shameless-about-money

It isn't hidden at all!!

The Scheme is called Pathway to Work

The link is here

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers/JobsAndCareers/DG_10030662

There are also the New Deal schemes too.

shellsuit

Return to Work Credit is a payment of £40 a week for people starting work of at least 16 hours a week and earning no more than £15,000 per year. Anyone wishing to apply has to have been receiving an incapacity benefit (including statutory sick pay) for 13 weeks immediately prior to starting work. It is payable for up to 52 weeks.

So looks like it is for people who have been claiming sickness benefit over a certain period of time ~ obviously trying to get them back into work by offering this incentive.

shameless-about-money

It is given in areas of higher unemployment.

I don't see anything wrong with that.

If someone is off sick for genuine reasons then dangling a £40 per week carrot is not going to make any difference at all.

£40 on top is not much at all!

shellsuit

£40 is a LOT of money ~ it is to me anyway.

astonsmummy

I get the £40 in work credit, i had to be on IS for over 26 weeks, i'm a lone parent, i signed up last may when it was being piloted and wasnt available in some areas.
EDIT- i may get flamed for this but it is an incentive for the unepmloyed to help them ease back into work, ifd you are doing a degree and gonna be starting a job in sept then it kinda defeats the object

astonsmummy

yes that £40 is alot of money for me too, especially seeing as they disregard it for HB aswell.

shameless-about-money

sherbetpops wrote: »

what a stupid thig to say

No it is not a stupid thing to say at all.

If you are back to work and earning up to £15K per week, £40 is not a lot of money.

I was referring to "dangling the carrot". A £40 incentive to get me to work wouldn't have any effect. It is too small an amount of money.

shameless-about-money

I don't agree since when I was working I was earning over £25K per year. I now have to change work.

The £40 "incentive" would not specifically make me go back to work.

With children you have money through CTC, child benefit, etc,etc.

shellsuit

astonsmummy wrote: »

I get the £40 in work credit, i had to be on IS for over 26 weeks, i'm a lone parent, i signed up last may when it was being piloted and wasnt available in some areas.
EDIT- i may get flamed for this but it is an incentive for the unepmloyed to help them ease back into work, ifd you are doing a degree and gonna be starting a job in sept then it kinda defeats the object

Were you not claiming a 'sickness' benefit of any kind then?

I thought it was an incentive to get the sick back into work, not just a bog standard lone parent?

I'm only asking because I've been on IS for more than 26 weeks now (actually rang on thursday for an appointment with a lone parent advisor because i just cant find any work suitable with hours around the kids)