Going from benefits to work

Lizard_Lady

Me and my partner currently have a joint claim for JSA, and receive housing benefit, also I have a daughter that lives with us which I receive CTC and CB for.
My partner has been offered a job doing cleaning on the graveyard shift, its 24 hours a week at £6.35 a hour spread over 7 nights a week. I done the benefits estimator on directgov, which said we would get half of our rent paid (£84/wk) by HB, and then I done another estimator where you put in your current situation then at the end you get the "what if...." option which I did and that said we would only get £4 a week in housing benefit. I'm confused at how it came to 2 totally different estimates.

It also says on the breakdown part of what we could claim and how much we would get if my partner worked the 24 hours a week that I could claim JSA of £56.80 a week. But yet when I looked up claiming JSA it said as a couple you have to work under 24 hours a week. I don't really want to sign on, as the reason were looking at the 24 hours a week job is to try as hard as we can to get away from the jobcentre. Can someone please help me to clarify all this?

Poppie68

Sorry can't help more precisly with your query but try the .turn2us.org.uk/benefits_calculator it's more accurate..

pmlindyloo

You would not be eligible for JSA if your partner was working 24 hours a week.

The benefits you would be eligible for are:

Housing Benefit
Council Tax support
Working and Child Tax credits (as a couple with children you would only need to work 24 hours between you)

Another calculator here:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/benefits-check

Lizard_Lady

See I was sure I wouldn't of been able to claim JSA if he was working 24 hours, but according to the benefits calculator on directgov, I could of. Ive just done a calculation on Entitledto, and they estimated that we would get HB of £40 a week. So then once CT and rent have been paid we will have £280 per week to live on.

pmlindyloo

Lizard_Lady wrote: »

See I was sure I wouldn't of been able to claim JSA if he was working 24 hours, but according to the benefits calculator on directgov, I could of. Ive just done a calculation on Entitledto, and they estimated that we would get HB of £40 a week. So then once CT and rent have been paid we will have £280 per week to live on.

So how does this compare with what you have to live on now?

Lizard_Lady

At the moment were on about £190 a week, once bills have been paid were left with about £25- £30 spare cash, which goes to bus fare and milk, bread etc. If he worked the 24 hours and we received WTC and HC etc a we would then have £350 a week coming in and be left with £190 a week spare once bills had been paid.

Lizard_Lady

I was also wondering as with most jobs and you have to work a month in hand before you get paid, how does that work with the JSA? As was going to ring the jobcentre to say he had a job (as soon as he gets his start date) so will they stop all benefits as soon as he starts which I guess would then leave us with no income for a month?

pmlindyloo

https://www.gov.uk/moving-from-benefits-to-work/support-when-you-start-working

useful website.

Torry_Quine

Lizard_Lady wrote: »

I was also wondering as with most jobs and you have to work a month in hand before you get paid, how does that work with the JSA? As was going to ring the jobcentre to say he had a job (as soon as he gets his start date) so will they stop all benefits as soon as he starts which I guess would then leave us with no income for a month?

You contact job-centre and sign off as soon as you start work. JSA will then be paid up till that date.