Been offered my dream job! - anyone out there able to advise on how benefits change when going back to work?

[PiperBeeley]

I'm a single mum of four, I have been receiving the usual financial support/benefits - this new job is going to be 23 hours a week, I need to make a few phone calls obviously informing people of the changes, but I'm getting rather conflicting advise from different departments for example one lady said I would loose my housing benefit entirely and my tax credits would go down significantly - if this is true then it would be worthless me even taking this job - I'd be worse off! If anyone has been in this position, or knows how this job would financially affect me, I'd be most grateful for some advise please tia x

[gillybean2]

www.entitledto.co.uk/
This will help you with actual figures.
Depending on your income you may still get some help with housing benefit and council tax, but it will go down.
You also get taxed on your salary remember.

Also worth speaking to your lone parent advisor at the job centre.
Mine was really helpful and offered me lots of help and information about what I was entitled too (including a discretionary fund which she applied to for money to help buy some work clothes) when I went back to work after being on benefits for 5 years.

You should be better off working than on benefits. However mine was borderline when I first went back as I started working 18 hours but had a very long commute with associate petrol and parking costs and could only work school hours. It has got better over the years as I managed to increase my hours. I now work 30 hours a week term time only and we manage ok.

Remember you will be expected to look for work when your youngest dc is of school age. So if yu can get on that rung of the ladder sooner rather than later, and with a job you actually want and fits in with you and your dc, it will solve you lots of headaches in the long run.

[Quitelikely]

I genuinely believe because you have four dc your working tax credits will be quite high.

Is your house private or council?

[Quitelikely]

Oh and congratulations

[Quitelikely]

What is the yearly salary?

[PiperBeeley]

Thank you gillybean2 - I'll go check that website out! I have been desperate to get back to work for years, but I have very little support from my dc's dad. My youngest is now 5 and at full time school and this new job has a boss who also has young children and is very understanding, and it seems like an absolute ideal job for me. I really want it to work out, but I'm starting to worry! Surely anyone should be better off at work?? Or am I being naive?

[PiperBeeley]

Thanks Quitelikely haven't worked out salary yet - she is going to pay me £7.80 per hour. My house is privately rented. I'm really hopeful about this job - REALLY want it to work out!

[NAR4]

I just accepted a new job (start Monday) which is minimum wage and brings my average working week to 16 3/4 hrs. I was able to do the extra work due to my two year old getting 15 hrs free nursery. It would of meant my income stayed roughly the same as on benefit. Found out now that I now won't qualify for the free two yr old funding, as working, so will have to pay for that. Which now makes me out of pocket. I was really upset about it last night, but am now viewing it as the first rung of the ladder, as said up thread, and any more money I earn, will be money in my pocket. In a years time my little one will get free pre-school for 15 hrs anyway.

Congratulations.

[gillybean2]

NAR4 if you are a single parent and your child care is ofstead registered you should be able to claim up to 70% of it via tax credits. So make sure you make an amendment to your claim on Monday and include your average weekly child care costs.

[TimetohittheroadJack]

I'm a single mum of 4 and work full time and still receive a sizeable amount of tax credits (and earn a bit more than you have said). I bet you won't be worse off.

Benefits calculator here : www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/startcalc.aspx

Congratulations !