Receiving benefits while working...please help?

Question

I've been receiving Income Support for the past 2 years and have been offered a job for 15hrs per week, there's a chance that my hours could increase! I'm on trial for 3 months, can i still receive my benefits while on trial? I know i'm better off working but that's if i work 16hrs plus because i'd be entitled to working tax credit so is it easier for me to just come off IS altogether, if so what benefits am i entitled, coz i'm a little confused... I get child tax credits, housing benefit and council tax benefits...

Answer 1

Visit the Citizens' Advice Bureau, they will clarify things for you.  I used to be a volunteer adviser and they have all of the answers.

Answer 2

You can stay on income support if you work less then 16 hrs a week but what they do is take any money you make from your job from your income support, for example 15 hrs you'd be earning about £80 a week or there about. Your allowed to keep the first £20 before it effects you benefits, so you'd deduct £60 from your income support which actually only leave you about 50p. So they may decide not to award any income support at all. So you'd only get your wages, child tax credit and continue to recieve housing and council tax benefit and any maintenace you receive!

Answer 3

No. You have to declare the earnings even if you are only on a trial. if it doesn't work out you will have to reclaim Income support.

When calculating your benefit entitlement you can keep the first 5 pounds if you are single, 10 pounds if you are part of a couple and 20 pounds if you are a single parent. thereafter everything is taken from your benefit pound for pound, so you can only be better off by the 5, 10,20 figures.

If you do 16 hours you will get Working Tax Credits. You can work out how much Tax Credits you would get for 16 hours here http://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov....

Assuming you are aged over 22 even with the disregards the amount you will earn for 15 hours exceeds the level of Income support so that will stop during your trial period. you will still receive some Housing and council tax benefit but that depends on how much you actually eran.

You can't keep your benefits and work (not even if it is a trial)

Answer 4

Sorry but this question is 'too difficult' - there are too many variables for anyone to give an opinion here  -  it's not just your Income Support that has to be considered as there are are interactions with the other benefits you are on/will be on i.e. Income Suport, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. Just about the only benefit that will not change is Child Benefit!

What you need to do is to go to either your local Citizens Advice Bureau or to your local JobCentre. Ask them to do a 'better off' calculation for you. You will need to be able to tell them how many hours you will be working and how much you will get per hour. It would be a good idea to take your existing benefit award letters with you if you go to the CAB so they can see exactly what you get now. Ask them to try the calculations for a varying number of hours worked so you can see what will happen to your benefits as your earned income rises.

Good luck with the job!

Answer 5

There are lots of questions needed to be asked before I could tell you what you could be entitled to. (age, savings, marital status, age of children etc etc)  However, they would be far too personal for this site. Can I suggest you have a go at the entitlement calculator on the link below, to see what help you may be able to get. It is anonymous and you don't need to register. You may also like to have a look at the public CAB site. The link is also below. Its worth persevering with the job. Good luck.x