Benifits for a part time employed 22 year old

pauljoecoe

I wonder if someone could state simply for me what my son (22) is entitled to.

He is living away from home at his university town having graduated last July. He has a part time bar job and also earns cash in hand payments for unregular work that he does relating to his course of study which he is hoping will turn eventually give hime the experience and contacts to enable him to go into full time (possibly self employed) work.(I am being very non specific here as I am aware he is not declaring this income, however is not earning anywhere near enough to pay tax)

So at the moment for a couple of bar shifts a week and extras illregular cash in hand income he is paying his rent (private landlord) council tax, all bills and food, travel etc.

He has not claimed anything but is obvioulsy stuggling to make ends meet.

What benefits is he entitled to (how much?) and how can he legally contine to work in this 'informal' way but make it all above board and get some help whilst he carves a way to his long term career hopes? He is quite reluctant to claim anything as he is quite proud of the fact that he is self sufficent at the moment but it is a very insecure situation.

Lego_house

if he's not willing to pay into the system by not declaring the cash in hand work why should the system pay him? :mad:

pauljoecoe

He is not earning anywhere near enough to pay anything into the system. I have already stated that. By working the way he has for the last 10 months he has saved the 'system' money. I have told encouraged him to go 'legit' as he will do better (but it will cost the government more). His bar work is all declared but obviously not taxed due to the small amount he earns.

This is a question from a parent and a son who haven't got a clue on benefits because I have worked and paid tax (40% at at that) for 30 years. He also has student loans and a overdraft due to his studies.

What I am wanting to know is how it all works for someone with a low and varible income.

Lets not make this a judgemental fingerpointing exersise. As a family we have put in much, much much more than we have ever taken out!

zzzLazyDaisy

pauljoecoe wrote: »

What benefits is he entitled to (how much?) and how can he legally contine to work in this 'informal' way but make it all above board and get some help whilst he carves a way to his long term career hopes?

He can't legally continue to work in this informal way. He is not declaring his income, and the fact that his total earnings do not at the moment take him over the personal tax threshold is irrelevant. They are still earnings and should be declared. Failure to do so is tax fraud, and if he claims any benefits without declaring this additional income, he can add benefit fraud to that too.

He is on PAYE for his part-time job, so depending how regular these additional earnings are, he should either register as self employed in addition to his normal employment, or notify HMRC of the earnings at the end of the tax year, if it truly is only the occasional one-off. This is not a moral stance, he is breaking the law.

As to what benefits he might be entitled to, he should go to the turn2us benefits calculator and input his details:

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

Be aware though, that he needs to check the LHA rate for a room in a shared house in his local area. Where the benefits calculator asks for his rent, that is the figure he should put for his rent regardless of whether his actual rent is higher, as under 35yr olds are limited to that amount.

Lego_house

It does not matter what you say you've paid in over the years, nor what the family has allegedly paid (oh it's ok, my sister pays tax so I am exempt! DUH!) as it is an individual responsibility.

How many hours does he work in the bar?

Jobseeeker

OK if he is thinking of claiming benefits he needs to start declaring his other income (otherwise would be benefit fraud)

he may be entitled to some housing benefit, possibly council tax support

Elzmumof3

Also by not declaring ALL income, he is missing out on paying his National Insurance Contributions, which also go back into the system regardless. why should he claim anything if he is unwilling to be upfront with his earnings in the 1st place!

Dovah_diva

pauljoecoe wrote: »

He is not earning anywhere near enough to pay anything into the system. I have already stated that. By working the way he has for the last 10 months he has saved the 'system' money. I have told encouraged him to go 'legit' as he will do better (but it will cost the government more). His bar work is all declared but obviously not taxed due to the small amount he earns.

This is a question from a parent and a son who haven't got a clue on benefits because I have worked and paid tax (40% at at that) for 30 years. He also has student loans and a overdraft due to his studies.

What I am wanting to know is how it all works for someone with a low and varible income.

Lets not make this a judgemental fingerpointing exersise. As a family we have put in much, much much more than we have ever taken out!

Blah, blah, blah, paid loads of tax, put in more than taken out etc. There's that mythical pot again (I wonder if the Government keep this 'pot' at the end of the rainbow!)

Your son is breaking the law and you are complicit in that. End of. Tax paid by you is neither here nor there.

HOWMUCH

Lots of people have 2 part-time jobs and even 3 jobs can he not look for another job?

pauljoecoe

HOWMUCH wrote: »

Lots of people have 2 part-time jobs and even 3 jobs can he not look for another job?

Oh my goodness. I didn't realise this genuine enquiry for info from someone who has never calimed a penny off the state and paid his way all his life on behalf of a person who IS NOT CLIAMING BENEFITS and is working damn hard to make headway in a career would wake up all the self righteous fingerwagging preachers on here. Save it for the real scoungers who are using this forum to try and screw the government for every penny it has.

Of course he could get more bar work. He could work in a bar 7 days a week 12 hours a day. He doesn't want to and he is trying to work out the best way to get a good job with a good income so he can start paying tax and supporting you lot CLAIMING YOUR BENEFITS! :eek:

Personally I think all benefits should be scrapped and I'd be quite happy to support my children if he needs it and not give a damn about the rest of society.* As long as the government agree to stop scfewing me by taking away over 50% of my hard earned!

*playing devils advocate a little here.

Until that time I will try to help him get the best for himself and preferbly legally. Which was the point of my orginal enquiry but missed by many of you self righteous folk.

Anyway I think I will leave the 'scroungers' area of this forum and make my way back to the workers, savers, investing capitlist area where I clearly belong.

:wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave:

Cornish_piskie

To be fair, you could have posted your query without all the information about the cash in hand working (not that any of the posters above are actually wrong about the fact that it should be declared, but you know that anyway ...) you did rather invite those comments.

However, to answer your question, he can use the website http://www.turn2us.org.uk/?gclid=CJLGwKPKn7cCFTMRtAodSCMAEg to give a good idea of what he might be entitled to - I would imagine some housing benefit and Council Tax benefit (shared rate for the HB, enter his postcode/Local Authority to see how much).