leaving full time work and claiming housing benefit

nikosoboushi

Hi Sam

Was wondering if you could help..

I currently work full time but want to leave where i work and go part time somewhere else for various reasons. I expect toe arn about 80 per week and have worked out what id get where i will be living. However I know that when you leave a full time job voluntarily you cant claim Jobseekers allowance - Although I dont wish to claim JSA as ill live off my 80 quid, can you claim HB when you have voluntrarily left a full time job or do you get penalised? I have not seen this mentioned anywhere..also if when i move into the place Im in full time work for a few months then change as above would this make a dif or will i have to be only part time as i move in - i ask as i really need to get deposit and tide me over money together so it would be best if stayed full time for a couple of months after moving in..

Cheers

Nikos

dmg24

Hi Nikos,

Welcome to MSE.

Housing Benefit does not take into account your reasons for leaving work, or your eligibility for JSA, so you will be able to claim based on your low income.

To check how much you may be entitled to, you will find a calculator at www.entitledto.co.uk, or on your local council's website.

nikosoboushi

ok, thats a releif, thanks a lot for your help..

ta

nikosoboushi

Another question sprung to mind - If im claiming HB on my low income part time job, what happens if i then find a new full time job but im in a place thats too expensive to pay from a wage - as I live in inner london a 1 bed flat is around 220 pw which seems to be covered by LHA - however if i get a new full time job Im afraid I cant expect to earn more than 24k on a monthly basis this would mean:

1440 take home pay

- 953.33 rent

= 486.66 left

from this Council tax would be about 93.75

= 392.91 for the month..this deosnt seem much in the pocket, this would make me about 30.33 a month better off than just working one day a week for 80 quid..

could i get any top up HB and CTB or would 24k be to high regardless of the reality of rent prices in london?

Any input much appreciated

Nikos

dmg24

The best advice would be to move into shared accommodation, that is what most people do.

Use the calculators noted above to see if you would be entitled to anything.

Oldernotwiser

Why are you planning to move into a flat that you can't afford?

nikosoboushi

why did you bother posting in my thread?

dmg24

nikosoboushi wrote: »

why did you bother posting in my thread?

It was a pretty fair question really.

Could I ask how old you are? You are aware that if you are under 25 you will only get LHA for the equivalent of a room in a shared house?

chatty123

In your opening post you say if you took a part time job you would live off £80 a week..... QUOTE""" Although I dont wish to claim JSA as ill live off my 80 quid"""


SO WHY are you complaining that you would only have £392.91 left to live off if you took a full time job at a later date.

A lot of unfortunate people on MSE are today realising they are in so much debt because they lived beyond their means. Meaning you can only do what you can afford, so if you can't afford to pay over £200 per week rent.. then don't


sorry if all that sounds nasty but its reality

Oldernotwiser

nikosoboushi wrote: »

why did you bother posting in my thread?

If you were already living in this expensive flat, lost your job and could only find part time work then your original post would be understandable. I can't see why you would want to take on the commitment of such a high rent when you are unable to afford it at present and the cost is going to be a barrier to your taking full time employment in the future.

You seem very pleased to think that you've discovered a loophole in the benefits system that you can exploit. As one of the people who will indirectly be paying for you to do this I see no reason why I can't express an opinion on it. I hope that the system is not so crazy as to allow you to do this but unfortunately it probably will.

betterlatethannever

nikosoboushi wrote: »

why did you bother posting in my thread?

On an open forum, you asked for peoples opinion of your situation.