Going to work 16 hrs per wk, After almost 3 years on ESA, due to mental illness

[freyapoppy]

Please can anyone help me before I have another breakdown!!!There is just too many questions & form filling as well as different answers to what I need to know!!
Basically I have been offered my first job in years & feel ready, although a little wobbly to get back out there & earn my keep & get a better life for my 2 very needy teens still at home.One is only going to school half a day due to anxiety attacks & bullying, the other has home schooling & hospital visits, so as well as my Bipolar & BPD, I really don't think it's possible or sensible to do more than minimul hours as a single mum!I also support my older child who lives alone, but has Aspergers, So life is very stressful as it is!!
Thats a brief "Where I'm coming from" explanation,.My hope is that I can take on the flexible pub job & be better off financially as well as mentally through boosting my confidence & self esteem, I hate being labelled as "Idle/Lazy" because I rely on benefits!
So, does anyone know how the system works??I have people saying I will be better off, through working tax credits, others saying they will take my ESA away as well as housing & council tax benefit,.so I will be worse off, or if i'm lucky break even!!!!....At the risk of my mental health deteriorating through more tiredness & financial worry, We owe £ 2500 now!!(living in overdraft & paying fees & interest) I just want to make a plan & lift us out of this rut & afford the odd take away etc!!
The job only pays £ 7 per hour but is close to home, so I petrol wont cost much., So....Can anyone please advise???I can start this weekend, but just don't know what to do!!!
..Or how to get straight, honest reliable answers & figures!!I really can't mess this up by losing benefits, working & not being able to pay the bills!!!
Thanks for taking the time to read this"Essay"!!....I'm just in such a state!!!One minute flying high I got the job,all proud & looking to a better future, the next deflated & panicking that I can't afford to come off benefits!!! Thanks Guys xx

[webwiz]

Have you tried this

www.gov.uk/benefits-adviser

it will give you an idea what you will be entitled too if you start work.

The CAB can also do the calculations for you.

[freyapoppy]

Thank you, will have a look, but if it's anything like the rest It will take me days and stress me out!!!
So many different answers its driving me mad!!
some people are saying if you do 16 hrs, they just take it out of housing benefit, I just don't get how people like me are supposed to get back on thier feet theses days!!!?:(

[KittensandKids]

I just filled it in out of curiousity and for 16 hours per week more than half my rent would get paid, and I would get WTC @ £70+ and CTC @ £114+

[webwiz]

Do you have a local CAB that you can drop into freya? We check people's benefits all the time and do calculations to see how work effects them.

[freyapoppy]

Yes I think I can go to one tom thanks,will keep you posted x