I'm sick.. No better off working :(

mejaa

As it stands my husband has now got a job on for 6month, assumed contract will be renewed then he will be took on.
From jan-aug things were a bit tight, but since our tax credit renewal got done and our payments upped and I'm also doing more hrs at work. (18hour contract but doing 25-30each week)
My husband was also able to claim carers allowance for our son, obviously that will be stopping when he gets his 1st wage.
Or tax credits have gone down by 80 a week, then the carers allowance of 59 a week will be stopping , so that's 140 a week.
His wage will be about 1250 after tax so after rent of 340, council tax of 100, the shortall of the money me have lost weekly.... Leaves us with 250, however I am only contracted for 18hours and by me doing more hours brings in an extra 300 a month, but my company are not obliged to give me more than 18hours, they won't up my contract, so if I don't get the extra hours we will be worse off by 50.
Just not sure what to do-its fab that he has got a job don't get me wrong but it surely can't be right to be better off on benefits!!!!!
Has wage from now till tax year will be approx 9000 plus his carers allwance of about 2000, takes his total for tax year to roughly 11000, I'm hoping that he won't be taxed fully in his job as he is not over the tax free allowance by much.
I'm so stressed and upset

mejaa

And to top it all off, my amended tax credit award came yday and it said we are entitled to 65 per week but it will result in an overpayment of 900 come April

FBaby

Well you only feel how so many working people feel about benefit claimants. When you are suddenly in the position to be working to be no better off you realise why there is so much frustration expressed on these boards.

Don't stress and be upset though. Working will bring better things on for you and your family. The more you work, the more your chance of getting better paid job/increase hours. You also get the feeling of a sense of achievement, that you are teaching your child good values, and more importantly, once you've paid tax, you don't have to explain what you do with your money.

It might not feel like much for the moment, but it will longer term. In the meantime, you have to accept that this is how it is in this country and you were very fortunate to have the life you had thanks to tax payers and now that you can offer that life to another family on benefits.

toomuchinfo

Good news that your hubby got a job.
At the moment you will be better off but you are worrying incase you don't get the extra hours at work?
Try not to worry because you might still get the hours and if you don't you can decide what you can do then to up your income.

mejaa

I just get so angry that because of his new shifts and my long working hours -14 hour shifts-we will hardly get to see one own other they say absence makes the heart grow fonder lol.
I am very fortunate to have been able to claim tax credits at a time when it was needed.... Also the carers allowance.
I'm all for setting a good example to our children, but when my son comes in from school and says that his friend got a brand new Xbox at the weekend coz his broke and his parents don't work... I think where is the justice in that ? We both work and couldn't afford to go and do that makes me so mad.

mejaa

Yes I'm petrified I'm not going to get the extra hours.... If not then we will really struggle. W have a new boss and if I go and say to her I can't do this this and this as my hubby is on shifts she will be nasty and just say well I'm only inclined to rota u in for 18hours.

seven-day-weekend

That's life I'm afraid.

Well done on the new job.

Prothet_of_Doom

It's called a benefit trap for a reason.

It's hard, but you both need to look carefully at where work takes you. What training and development can you get from it, that leads to something better? How can you use it to shape your CV, and your self-confidence for the future?

osdset

It might not feel like much for the moment, but it will longer term. In the meantime, you have to accept that this is how it is in this country and you were very fortunate to have the life you had thanks to tax payers and now that you can offer that life to another family on benefits.

What patronising sarcasm.

You neglected to add that the OP should go around in sackcloth and ashes muttering 'ever so humble' Uriah Heep fashion in eternal gratitute for the opportunity to obtain a few crumbs from the table of prosperity.

FBaby

osdset wrote: »

What patronising sarcasm.

You neglected to add that the OP should go around in sackcloth and ashes muttering 'ever so humble' Uriah Heep fashion in eternal gratitute for the opportunity to obtain a few crumbs from the table of prosperity.

A few crumbles? More disposable income than a hard working family AND plenty of time to enjoy with their family. Why is OP feeling so annoyed? Because they are now on the other side of the coin. Again it's a pity that many who claim benefit can't appreciate how fortunate they are to be able to spends quality time with their family yet still having as much cash in their pockets. However thankfully it still always pays off in the long term to be in employment....at least for the time being as I am starting to wonder if it always will be. I hope OP will see that and continues with employment even if they are worse off for a short time.

NYM

osdset wrote: »

What patronising sarcasm.

You neglected to add that the OP should go around in sackcloth and ashes muttering 'ever so humble' Uriah Heep fashion in eternal gratitute for the opportunity to obtain a few crumbs from the table of prosperity.

Sarcasm doesn't come into it because what FBaby wrote is true ....and therein lies the problem.

Being better off on benefits is not going to encourage people to look for and take on work.

Did you bother to read beyond the first paragraph ?

She (?) also wrote 'Working will bring better things on for you and your family. The more you work, the more your chance of getting better paid job/increase hours. You also get the feeling of a sense of achievement, that you are teaching your child good values, and more importantly, once you've paid tax, you don't have to explain what you do with your money'.