18 hrs or 16 hrs?

scoobysue_4

hi, due to my working hrs being cut i have for the past 7 months been working 18hrs a week. needless to say this is causing me considerable hardship and though i have applied for and attended interviews within other jobs i havent yet been successful. I rang the benefits agency some time back requesting advice on whether i was ellegible for some kind of financial help but i was told that to get income support i was not to be working but would only get 45.00 a week and although i worked 18 hrs but dont have dependant cjildren i didnt qualify for family/working tax credit.as a single woman i would have to be working over 30 hrs to get working tax credit. Im somewhat confused now as i spoke to a lady at debtline today and she seems to think i could get jobseekers allowance if i worked 16 hrs, i will have to wait till monday now before speaking to jobcentre plus, does anyone else know what the situation might be?. thank you in advance.

digp

If you work less than or 16 hours I think you can get JSA.

Hapless_2

it has to be less than 16hrs. you can do 15.5hrs, not 16.

scoobysue_4

Hapless wrote: »

it has to be less than 16hrs. you can do 15.5hrs, not 16.

thanks for the info, If i conciously reduce my hours from 18 to 15.5 to obtain JSA are job seekers plus likely to penalise me? im aware that if a person gives up a job voluntarily then they have to wait several weeks before becoming eligible for benefits, otherwise i will spk to my boss tomorrow and explain the problem with her, i cant see it causing great hardship to her really. i have other interviews coming up for full time positions elsewhere so maybe it wouldnt be for long anyway. thanks again.

Scarlett1

scoobysue wrote: »

thanks for the info, If i conciously reduce my hours from 18 to 15.5 to obtain JSA are job seekers plus likely to penalise me? im aware that if a person gives up a job voluntarily then they have to wait several weeks before becoming eligible for benefits, otherwise i will spk to my boss tomorrow and explain the problem with her, i cant see it causing great hardship to her really. i have other interviews coming up for full time positions elsewhere so maybe it wouldnt be for long anyway. thanks again.

you can get JSA if you work under 16 hours per week, but any monies you earn from your job apart from £5 of this will be taken off your JSA, so you wont benefit, JSA is £59.15, you would be better off finding extra work to supplement your income even if its just bar work.