WFTC or income support?

Minxz

Hi all, i wonder if anyone out there can help.
I work full time in a school, but at the moment i'm signed off sick. When i go back in 10 days time( after 6 weeks off) I have asked to go part-time, as I know full time straight away will be too hard.
the job isn't one of the best paid jobs about, so going part time will affect me and the kids a lot.
Work have been great, and said part time is fine, they'd rather that than lose me... BUT.. part time means 16.5 hours.... topped up with wftc etc, as i get now, but increased.
or.. the other option is to reduce my hours by anoth half hr per week, so i fall into the income supp bracket. I don't want to shoot myslef in the foot- but do you think I'd be better off on inc supp and working half days, or half days, one full day and wftc?
Is there anywhere where i can be advised on money terms what the effects of either choice would have?

All ideas gratefully recieved!!

Spendless

You'd have to drop your hours by more than half an hour. You can claim WTC for jobs of 16 hours plus.

There are things you could claim for if on IS such as housing benefit if renting, free school dinners, but you can only keep earnings upto a certain amount (think it's £20 for single parents).I think that anything over this they would take off you £ for £-but not sure.

You need somewhere to do a better off calculation, try CAB.

Curry_Queen

Are you currently getting CTC as well as WTC? I'm not sure IS is payable for people in work unless they were already claiming before April 2004 and WFTC ended before that too.

You need to give your local CAB a call and ask them to go through the calculations with you and see if you would also qualify for HB and CT benefits on a low income.

Fran

If you were to work 15 hours, the amount coming in would be deducted from Income Support except for the amount you are allowed to earn (£20 for a single parent, £10 for a couple - I think (check this). You would almost certainly be better of on Working Tax Credit than IS, but as already suggested, CAB can do a "better off calculation" taking all of your circumstances into account.