working vs benefits

victoria04

briefly
i have been offered a job 19 hours a week permanent £6.70 per hour

husband on income related esa support group for approximately another 15months

i receive carers for hubby

also he is getting dla middle care / high mobility

1 son student also on dla middle care due for review may 2014

also receive tax credit for son and child benefit will both end when son 20 in may 2014

full council tax and housing benefit

Have tried all day to gain information if going to be worse off financially no answer from job centre ESA helpline did not know,
i know i will only gain £20 but is the rest of my wages deducted from husbands esa? or do we loose carers housing benefit aswell

any help would be brilliant x

krustylouise

I don't mean to sound nasty (I'm sure plenty of people out there will probably be along to give you their opinions shortly) but if you can work, you should. How much better off you are shouldn't come into it, we'd all be financially better off not working and on benefits (this has recently been confirmed to me by a lady in my local town hall, but what example would anyone be setting turning up their nose at good honest employment over benefits simply for financial gain?

I can see why many stay on benefits as their is simply no financial incentive to do otherwise, compliments of our lovely government, but personally I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring up DD knowing I'm not providing for her myself. Knowing I'm not setting her a good example, showing he that you have to work for things in life. But then again, we're all different aren't we?

Good luck with whatever you decide and I genuinely hope it works out for you, and your family.

Heycock

Go to the governments website. It'll show you what you're entitled NOW and you can then play around with the figures to get "what if?"s


https://www.gov.uk/benefits-adviser

victoria04

hi
i do want to work, but i did do this a few years ago and ended up paying full hb and council tax on a part-time wage,i just did not have enough money coming in to not get into debt i do not want to be in that place again this was before i married ..husband is having intense physio and he wants to go back to work in march next year when it finishes regardless length of esa award we do want to both get off benefits asap..should i wait and both go back to work at the same time to come off benefits completely instead of rocking the boat just before xmas?is there help for carers to get back to work i know there is assistance for hubby?
have tried the benefits calculator but i am putting in our current situation and having not started the job i cannot put in what the deducted amounts would be as no one at dwp seems to know what we would lose
i do not mind gaining no money through working but i do not want be financially worse off

SJI85

krustylouise wrote: »

I don't mean to sound nasty (I'm sure plenty of people out there will probably be along to give you their opinions shortly) but if you can work, you should. How much better off you are shouldn't come into it, we'd all be financially better off not working and on benefits (this has recently been confirmed to me by a lady in my local town hall, but what example would anyone be setting turning up their nose at good honest employment over benefits simply for financial gain.

That really isn't the case, it depends on a person's individual circumstances.

Ideally people would take work over benefits, even if it means being, say, £10 a week worse off. However, £10 a week can be a substantial amount of money for someone on such a low income.

victoria04

hi do you not get a carers premium i think thats what its called if you earn over £100? and is working tax credit paid if you have no dependant children? i have done the benefits calculator and it does not look to bad if its right i could still get full hb and council tax but it cant calculate hubbys esa x

krustylouise

SJI85 wrote: »

That really isn't the case, it depends on a person's individual circumstances.

Ideally people would take work over benefits, even if it means being, say, £10 a week worse off. However, £10 a week can be a substantial amount of money for someone on such a low income.

I agree, it can cost people dearly, but I'd sooner be out of pocket than take more money off the government! When I start work full time I lost £300 a month. That is obviously alot of money, but something I would rather have done.

tomtom256

victoria04 wrote: »

hi
i do want to work, but i did do this a few years ago and ended up paying full hb and council tax on a part-time wage,i just did not have enough money coming in to not get into debt i do not want to be in that place again this was before i married ..husband is having intense physio and he wants to go back to work in march next year when it finishes regardless length of esa award we do want to both get off benefits asap..should i wait and both go back to work at the same time to come off benefits completely instead of rocking the boat just before xmas?is there help for carers to get back to work i know there is assistance for hubby?
have tried the benefits calculator but i am putting in our current situation and having not started the job i cannot put in what the deducted amounts would be as no one at dwp seems to know what we would lose
i do not mind gaining no money through working but i do not want be financially worse off

Welcome to the real world of working and earning a living.

This scenario is what most people deal with daily on a single wage with a family.

Marisco

krustylouise wrote: »

I agree, it can cost people dearly, but I'd sooner be out of pocket than take more money off the government! When I start work full time I lost £300 a month. That is obviously alot of money, but something I would rather have done.

Until such time as you cannot pay the rent/bills and then what happens, accumulate debt? Everyones' circumstances are different, if you have things you can cut/remove, i.e Sky package, lower mobile tariff, get rid of the car etc, it is possible, but if you are already struggling then it's a different story.

I'm always in favour of work above benefits as well, but you have to be realistic about it though, and if it's going to cause you to go into debt month on month, then it might be better waiting until your oh goes back to work, only you know your financial position and what would happen if you lost XYZ benefits.

pmlindyloo

You will lose your Carer's allowance because you will be earning over £100 a week.


However, you will have a Carer's premium added to any means tested benefits because of your husband's DLA.


Your earnings will be deducted from your husband's income based ESA save the disregard.


You will be eligible for working tax credit because you only have to work 16 hours a week because your OH is 'incapacitated' (receiving DLA)


http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/keep-up-to-date/changes-affect/work-changes/changes-to-hours.htm


Your son's child benefit and the child tax credit would end whether you went back to work or not. He may be eligible for benefits in his own right and will be able to contribute to the household (enquire at the Job Centre when your CB and CTC ends)


You will still be eligible for housing benefit and council tax reduction.


Just notify all the relevant departments about your change in circumstances.


I would take the job now while you have the opportunity as with your salary and Carer's premium added to your claims it is most likely that you will not be worse off.

victoria04

thank you for all your replys some very helpful..but to others please dont try to judge all people on benefits as lazy or scroungers i would love a healthy son and husband and not to be in this horrible benefits situation that we are trying very hard to get out of
have an appointment at CAB this morning x