Hanging by a thread.

Kazzg66

Need advice please.
I work 20 hours a week, I'm a autism/learning disability support worker, I'm a lone parent, my son is at university and my daughter due to start college in August. I receive some help towards my rent and cut but I'm now being asked to pay £200 a month towards my £550 rent/ct, my pay is £743. It costs me £100 a month in bus fares just to get to work. I get no other benefits. I am struggling to make ends meet, I would be better off not working but I love my job..what can I do? I can't earn more as they take it off to pay my rent. My ex husband hasn't paid child support in 10 years, I am so stressed, I have no life and can't even afford to buy clothes or do anything to my home.I cry myself to sleep every night. Any help/advice very welcome. 

calcotti

Can you provide more detail about what benefits you currently receive. How old is your daughter?

Kazzg66

I get housing benefit and council tax benefit but I have to pay £120 towards my rent and £69 towards council tax. I receive no other benefits. My daughter just turned 18, all tax credits/family allowance stopped 2 years ago.
Thanks.

calcotti

Not clear if your £550 is rent or rent and CT combined.

What I suggest you do is put your details into a benefits calculator and see of you would be better off on Universal Credit. Bear in mind however that UC will reduce by £86.67 in October so I would take this off whatever monthly figure the calculator gives you for UC.

poppy12345

Kazzg66 said:

 My daughter just turned 18, all tax credits/family allowance stopped 2 years ago.
Thanks.

Did your daughter remain in full time non advanced education? If so then why did your tax credits stop?

Kazzg66

Rent £550
CTax £69(reduced rate)
I would be £20 worse off on Universal Credit according to the benefits calculator. 

Kazzg66

My daughter left school at 16, did not qualify for any benefits, tax credit stopped when she reached 16.

calcotti

I should have said - do the same calculation with two calculators just to make sure you get roughly the same answer.
I'm surprised you'd be worse off on UC but it depends on how CTR is calculated for your local authority.

Kazzg66

From what I can see, I would be better off reducing my hours to 16 a week, I  find this difficult to understand, I would also be better off being unemployed..so much for government 'better off in work' narrative. 
Thank you for your replies. 

poppy12345

When your daughter starts college is this non advanced education? What has your daughter been doing for 2 years since she left school?

I don't understand how you would be better of being unemployed. If you give up work and claimed UC then you would likely be sanctioned if you didn't have good reason for quiting your job.

Kazzg66

If I was unemployed I would get my rent and council tax paid, as it stands I am getting by on less than £100 a week, my daughter suffers from anxiety and extreme shyness, she tried college after leaving school but it was too much for her. It costs me £100 a month to get to work, I do not wish to quit my job, I love it but why should I be worse off in work?