Is it true 16+ hrs is classed as full time?

ditzyat50

As part of a couple with no dependants I can claim WTC if I work 30 hours. Hence my thinking 30 hours is full time. However I have read 16 hours is classed as full time. If you work less than 16 hours you are eligible for some JSA but what about people who work between 16 and 30 hours. Is this the 'you get nothing' band'? So many rules, so many headaches.

princessdon

The JC set their version of FTE for JSA at 16 hours. The Tax Credits have their own system.

For a couple it is 30 hours MAX betwen 2 people, not each.

It's not the "get nothing band" as other benefits apply, but it's you get less and it's unfair in some ways.

nannytone_2

thats wrong. if there are no kids, one person has to work 30+ hoyrs. it cant be split between 2 people

ditzyat50

I have just googled working credit tax rules, and nannytone you are correct. One person has to work it if there are no kids. Many many thanks.

Horseunderwater

Full time work is normally anything over 16 hours per week - but I think full should mean a min 35 hours worked each week. Not many people seem to do that kind of job these days - that is assuming that there is a job for those hours out there! I have been known to do 90 hours in a week of driving buses, back when I first started in 1998. Domestic work permitted it back then as there were things like a spreadover and you had mandatory rest periods included, some of which you got paid for and some you did not. Then there were split shifts and different pay rates for driving different bus types. All very complicated back then. Fun though. I kind of miss it, but am now so ill with an incurable illness that I am glad to be out of it now. I do when I am reasonably well enough do some permitted work, but am typing on this post now instead as I am ill with leg infections. Normally I would just be getting back to the depot yard after driving my bus on my bingo run.

wayne0

ditzyat50 wrote: »

As part of a couple with no dependants I can claim WTC if I work 30 hours. Hence my thinking 30 hours is full time. However I have read 16 hours is classed as full time. If you work less than 16 hours you are eligible for some JSA but what about people who work between 16 and 30 hours. Is this the 'you get nothing' band'? So many rules, so many headaches.

if you are a single parent, WTC considers 16 hrs full time.

a couple with kids can work 24 hours (one of them) and get a reduced WTC

30 hrs+ is full (minus income reduction)

there is essentially no "get nothing band"

you can claim the following benefits:

JSA/ESA/Income support (all will pay you the same set amounts, but if you are working over 16 hours, its unlikely you will get a payment due to excess income.)

Housing benefit / council tax benefit: income assessed, you do not need to claim JSA/ETC for this... (contrary to what many believe
*note that council tax benefit changes early next year (april i believe) so different council rules will be different, it wont be based on gov legislation etc as it is now...

you then get
Child tax credits / working tax credits

in addition there are other benefits, such as DLA/IB / Motorbility ETC...

just because you cant claim WTC it doesnt mean you will be worse off for it, it just means you may qualify for a different benefit...

ditzyat50

wayne0 wrote: »

if you are a single parent, WTC considers 16 hrs full time.

a couple with kids can work 24 hours (one of them) and get a reduced WTC

30 hrs+ is full (minus income reduction)

there is essentially no "get nothing band"

you can claim the following benefits:

JSA/ESA/Income support (all will pay you the same set amounts, but if you are working over 16 hours, its unlikely you will get a payment due to excess income.)

Housing benefit / council tax benefit: income assessed, you do not need to claim JSA/ETC for this... (contrary to what many believe
*note that council tax benefit changes early next year (april i believe) so different council rules will be different, it wont be based on gov legislation etc as it is now...

you then get
Child tax credits / working tax credits

in addition there are other benefits, such as DLA/IB / Motorbility ETC...

just because you cant claim WTC it doesnt mean you will be worse off for it, it just means you may qualify for a different benefit...

Many thanks. So much easier to post a question and get helpful replies than to go into long winded government websites with so many rules and regulations. Main thing I am struggling with is that we live in a shared ownership 50% rent and 50% mortgage. While claiming JSA we get some rent but no help with mortgage until after 13 wks. However i have only just got a part time job (income same as JSA) and cant find out if the 13 wks help with mortgage starts at wk 1 from date of employment or continues from where left off when signing on. Does that make sense? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I get so muddled up when I try to make sense of the government sites.

Icequeen99

wayne0 wrote: »

if you are a single parent, WTC considers 16 hrs full time.

a couple with kids can work 24 hours (one of them) and get a reduced WTC

30 hrs+ is full (minus income reduction)

there is essentially no "get nothing band"

you can claim the following benefits:

JSA/ESA/Income support (all will pay you the same set amounts, but if you are working over 16 hours, its unlikely you will get a payment due to excess income.)

Housing benefit / council tax benefit: income assessed, you do not need to claim JSA/ETC for this... (contrary to what many believe
*note that council tax benefit changes early next year (april i believe) so different council rules will be different, it wont be based on gov legislation etc as it is now...

you then get
Child tax credits / working tax credits

in addition there are other benefits, such as DLA/IB / Motorbility ETC...

just because you cant claim WTC it doesnt mean you will be worse off for it, it just means you may qualify for a different benefit...

I think there is a 'no nothing band' for couples/single people without children or disabilities though when you compare like for like.

If you are single, you need to work at least 30 hours to get WTC. If you work 29 hours you get nothing. You need to go below 16 to get IS/IBJSA.

HB/CTB is likely to be the same on 29hrs as 30. So I don't think you can say 'it just means you may qualify for a different benefit'.

IQ

rogerblack

Icequeen99 wrote: »

If you are single, you need to work at least 30 hours to get WTC. If you work 29 hours you get nothing. You need to go below 16 to get IS/IBJSA.

In limited circumstances, you can do permitted work on ESA of over 16 hours.
However, you would need to earn under 20/week.

Icequeen99

rogerblack wrote: »

In limited circumstances, you can do permitted work on ESA of over 16 hours.
However, you would need to earn under 20/week.

Yes, that's why I left out ESA and said barring someone who was disabled for the tax credits bit.

If we are talking about someone who has no disability or limited capability for work (i.e. no WTC dis element and no ESA) then there is a gap between 16 and 30 hours. HB/CTB not withstanding because you could claim those at 16 and 30 hours respectively and everything in between.

IQ