what benefits - if any?

sandraroffey

will my son be entitled to claim anything to top up his pay, if he takes a job that is LESS hours than the tax credit criteria??

at the moment he is single.

paddedjohn

How old is he? AFAIK single under 25's can't get tax credits.

sandraroffey

he is 32. and has been job hunting for a while!! there seem to be more part time jobs than there are full time. and some of them are only as much as less than 20 hours a week. he is now looking at taking anything (such as a job with those hours) and hope it turns into somthing better. but on those hours, its not enough for tax credits.......

BigAunty

No, those hours thresholds are non-negotiable. For example, The self-employed are sometimes targetted by the HMRC as part of a compliance investigation and are forced to prove the hours they work or repay their tax credits.

zagfles

He needs 30 hours for tax credits (assuming he's single no kids and no disability). What's he getting now? If he's getting HB/LHA/CTB he might still get some with a low hours low paid job, and if it's really low (below or just above what he gets in JSA) he might still get some JSA, though he'd need to keep looking for further work.

UC will make this a lot better, no artificial hours thresholds to get over. Any work would make him better off.

sandraroffey

he is getting the new thing when you have been off work as sick, for a time. only started getting this week and his first appointment with them is the first week in november.

i wondered if he was working and doing such low hours, he may still qualify for something like a bit of income support to top it up.

BigAunty

Do you mean he receives Employment Support Allowance which replaces Incapacity Benefit?

AFAIK, Income Support is a top-up for lone parents or those with disabilities on a low income. I do believe that qualifying households can get IS with ESA but wonder if single people without dependents can get IS even if they have an ESA award - someone else on the forum will know.

Under ESA, there is something called permitted work to encourage them back into employment and perhaps someone else can outline how this works but he's got to get the award of it first.

sandraroffey

yes thats it. the employment support allowance. he started to receive it this week.

hope someone who knows more than me will come along soon.

thanks all, for the advice.