Help regarding income and benefits please

xx1991xx

Hi Im looking for some urgent help. I will try and give as much information as I possibly can.

I'm 23 years old, I live in a housing association property in a rural area. I have no dependents.
I work 12 hours per week( from home)
I am entitled to partial housing benefit.

I earn a maximum of £87 per week.
My rent is £79.52 per week
My housing benefit I receive is £63.50 per week.


£16.02 per week of my income goes towards my housing benefit.This leaves me with just over £70 per week to manage the rest of my outgoings.
After my outgoings (food shop, gas, electric, water, council tax, tv license, internet and phone line) I am left with £20 for the month (maximum- providing i get the full 12 hours per week).

I am not entitled to any other benefit. I am too young to qualify for working tax credits and I am literally at the end of my tether.

If i increase my hours at work, the extra money I earn will be deducted from my housing benefit. So which ever way I look at it, I am in no better financially situation.


I am already in debt with some of my utility bills due to my monthly income sometimes being lower.

I have tried applying for energy grant funds and other charitable grant funds but I still have had no success in being awarded any help.

I currently CANNOT pay any excess into my outstanding debts on utility bills because I frankly do not earn enough.

Is there anyone who can make a suggestion, or point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance

retepetsir

Can you look for full time work?

dippy3103

The taper is 65p in the pound. So it's not all deducted.

Do you have health reasons for only working 12 hours a week?

xx1991xx

sorry I forgot to add that I'm a full time student, studying with the open university (double modules). This is the reason I can only work 12 hours as they recommend 35-40 hours per week study for double modular for the course I am studying.

I don't get any maintenance loans or grants. The student loan covers course fee's only and I do not see any of this money.


I understand I could pick up more hours of work at the weekend, but like I stated above this wouldn't help me financially unless I worked full time (which is not possible at the moment).

Hope this makes sense and thankyou for your comments

xx1991xx

And Dippy3103 it's not 65p to the £1 for me as I am under 25 years of age. (according to my housing office anyway)

nannytone_2

open university courses are distance learning and are intended to be fitted around employment.
if you have chosen to do a double module, then that is personal choice and you dont receive extra benefit for it.
mayne you need to consider completing the course over a longer period?

just to add ... i thought that you could now get funding for OU courses, or is that just for course fees?

Indie_Kid

Nannytone - it's only course fees OU students get help with.

Lioness_Twinkletoes

xx1991xx wrote: »

sorry I forgot to add that I'm a full time student, studying with the open university (double modules). This is the reason I can only work 12 hours as they recommend 35-40 hours per week study for double modular for the course I am studying.

Studying with the OU does not preclude working full time. I also did double modules, as well as working full time, running a home and rearing children.

You do not earn enough to only work 12 hours a week. You NEED to earn more money; there are no more benefits available to you. Therefore, you will have to get a full time job and fit your study around your work.

MissMoneypenny

Lioness_Twinkletoes wrote: »

Studying with the OU does not preclude working full time. I also did double modules, as well as working full time, running a home and rearing children.

Ditto

Lioness_Twinkletoes wrote: »

You do not earn enough to only work 12 hours a week. You NEED to earn more money; there are no more benefits available to you. Therefore, you will have to get a full time job and fit your study around your work.

Which is the beauty of using the OU. It will look good on your CV too.

Thomas_The_Tank_Top

The amount of people on the Bennies Board who live out in the sticks and can't possibly work due to: No buses, lifts, bicycles, rickshaws or other means of transport. Is unbelieavable.

mattcanary

Thomas_The_Tank_Top wrote: »

The amount of people on the Bennies Board who live out in the sticks and can't possibly work due to: No buses, lifts, bicycles, rickshaws or other means of transport. Is unbelieavable.

What exactly has your comment got to do with this thread??!!!!


Did OP mention transport issues?