PERSONAL EXPERIENCES - Leaving benefits and starting a job

Prinzessilein

The first place I worked, the boss offered to pay new employees their wages in two payments for the first month ...so your first month wages you could have 1/2 the amount after 2 weeks.....and monthly thereafter....you/your friend could ask if the boss would do this for you.

Once earning, it is useful to put aside a little each month to build up an 'emergency fund' to tide you over when changing jobs.

ska_lover

tomtom256 wrote: »

Benefit fraud is normally greed over need.

If you are starting work, you could ask for help with travel via the flexible support fund or you could just commit benefit fraud as it's ok in these circumstances.

You get me wrong, I don't condone benefit fraud, but I can see why someone would need to do it in these circumstances

A person starts work, and their first wage is not for four weeks - bt their benefits are stopped immediately. What are the options? There seem to be none.

Be unable to top up their gas/elec and buy no food - so sit in the dark and starve, basically - whilst getting up and going to work each day. It is not about having money to travel to work, it is about basic things like eating or having gas/electric

ska_lover

KatrinaWaves wrote: »

Haven’t you worked out by now that their experiences always match whatever the OP is going through? They’ve been working for three weeks already according to a recent one, despite being sacked 3 weeks ago too...

Are you talking about me? Or am I getting the wrong end of the stick

If you are meaning me, this is incorrect info

ska_lover

Prinzessilein wrote: »

The first place I worked, the boss offered to pay new employees their wages in two payments for the first month ...so your first month wages you could have 1/2 the amount after 2 weeks.....and monthly thereafter....you/your friend could ask if the boss would do this for you.

Once earning, it is useful to put aside a little each month to build up an 'emergency fund' to tide you over when changing jobs.

Great advice about the emergency fund, this is something I have mentioned to the person in question

I will mention your info to them, see if they can ask about getting a part payment early

ska_lover

SingleSue wrote: »

What I did:

I always like to stock up on yellow stickered food so I worked my way through what was in my freezer, there were some weird and wonderful combinations I can tell you!

I cut all journeys down to only the essential ones (just to work and back) to conserve fuel, the rest of the time I stayed in the house (I'm disabled and can't go out anywhere without the car, not even to the post box down the road!)

Gas and electric were not a problem, I am quarterly billed and I timed it right for it not to be an issue.

Other bills I had to unfortunately let slide for a while and caught up later (I was without internet for a few weeks and mobile phone for a few days).


I have to admit there were a few days/times when I could only have a packet of crisps found at the bottom of the cupboard or a sandwich provided by parents over the course of the day as food and funds ran very very low/ran out.

Thanks Sue, this is pretty similar situation to my friend, they have been on ESA for over a year and have a long term health condition - even the thought of going back to work is stressing them out - how will they cope in the workplace etc etc

Did you get the council tax and housing benefit run on?

Its very hard isnt it. Really, other than CTR and HB (hopfully my friend will get the run on) they only need money for food, and gas/elec top ups. It isn't much. Like you say, there are some bills you can let slide isnt there, but food and energy (as they are on a top up meter) aren't possible really

ska_lover

Sncjw wrote: »

I meant the user keep calm as I can’t quoye

Oh I see, my bad! x

ska_lover

Thanks all for responding, it is very much appreciated

SingleSue

ska_lover wrote: »

Thanks Sue, this is pretty similar situation to my friend, they have been on ESA for over a year and have a long term health condition - even the thought of going back to work is stressing them out - how will they cope in the workplace etc etc

Did you get the council tax and housing benefit run on?

Its very hard isnt it. Really, other than CTR and HB (hopfully my friend will get the run on) they only need money for food, and gas/elec top ups. It isn't much. Like you say, there are some bills you can let slide isnt there, but food and energy (as they are on a top up meter) aren't possible really

I still receive HB and CTB as my earnings are very low...I would receive more claiming ESA but that was not an option for me (my personal choice rather than refusal). Due to my disabilities I am unable to work full time, in fact I can only work very part time hours so I survive on those earnings and my PIP care component with no additional tops up outside of HB/CTB.

Returning to work was scary, I had no idea if my body could take it and to be honest, it is an absolute struggle the vast majority of time to keep going which has had a knock on effect on my mental health plus a more severe increase in my physical disabilities than expected (I have a couple of degenerative disorders as part of my health conditions). However, the thought and fear of having to go through the ESA process (and universal credit) keeps me in the mindset of making it work...somehow.

Re an emergency fund, at the end of every day I clear my purse of small change and put anything 20p and below in my POD (pot of dreams) plus any money left over on payday is also dropped into the pot. It is surprising how quickly it can mount up and the peace of mind it brings just having it there available if you need it. I am also extremely strict with expenditure with a strict budget for food. In a way it's 'lucky' that all I can do is rest and work and be too exhausted/in pain to go shopping/nights out/social events or even cook as you tend not to spend much money that way :rotfl:

By the way, this isn't a woe is me, feel sorry for me post. I am actually perfectly happy with my choice and feel quite liberated to not to be claiming all the top ups, less stress, less involvement in my life and more certainty of how much I will be budgeting with is worth an awful lot more to me than the extra money.

ska_lover

SingleSue wrote: »

I still receive HB and CTB as my earnings are very low...I would receive more claiming ESA but that was not an option for me (my personal choice rather than refusal). Due to my disabilities I am unable to work full time, in fact I can only work very part time hours so I survive on those earnings and my PIP care component with no additional tops up outside of HB/CTB.

Returning to work was scary, I had no idea if my body could take it and to be honest, it is an absolute struggle the vast majority of time to keep going which has had a knock on effect on my mental health plus a more severe increase in my physical disabilities than expected (I have a couple of degenerative disorders as part of my health conditions). However, the thought and fear of having to go through the ESA process (and universal credit) keeps me in the mindset of making it work...somehow.

Re an emergency fund, at the end of every day I clear my purse of small change and put anything 20p and below in my POD (pot of dreams) plus any money left over on payday is also dropped into the pot. It is surprising how quickly it can mount up and the peace of mind it brings just having it there available if you need it. I am also extremely strict with expenditure with a strict budget for food. In a way it's 'lucky' that all I can do is rest and work and be too exhausted/in pain to go shopping/nights out/social events or even cook as you tend not to spend much money that way :rotfl:

By the way, this isn't a woe is me, feel sorry for me post. I am actually perfectly happy with my choice and feel quite liberated to not to be claiming all the top ups, less stress, less involvement in my life and more certainty of how much I will be budgeting with is worth an awful lot more to me than the extra money.

Thank you so much. This is a very honest and informative post of what my friend can expect to go through. Do you mind if I print this out and show them? I think it would really help

My friend is of a very similar mind set to you, determined to work - but it is obvious there will be hurdles to overcome, on a permanant basis - and it would in some ways be 'easier' to stay on ESA, it is not my friends wish, same as yours.

My friend has become increasingly isolated and is only young still, in their 20s , so they want to get out and meet people and hoping this will be positive for them as well as the fact they will be supporting themselves and the pride that comes with that

I really admire your tenacity and resilience, Sue - you indeed are an inspiration

poppy12345

Permitted work is always an option to start with. This was also advised in a previous thread of yours about your "friend."