Had brilliant work focused interview today.

[CrackerOfNuts]

The guy doing the interview could not have been more helpful and worried about me not feeling I was being pressured into anything.

He did some calculations for me based on if I got a job working 20 hours a week, and worked out i'd be roughly £35 a week better off. Plus he told me i'd be entitled to a £250 back to work grant, plus possibly a £40 a week wage top up for 12mths, and my housing benefit and council tax benefit would all roll on for a month after I started to help me get sorted financially.

He said there is all sorts of other stuff too and I am going back in a fortnight to discuss it somemore.

Oh there is also this thing where, if you actually manage to get to interview, you take this card with you which explains that if they are interested in employing you, but aren't sure, they can have you work there for 15 days unpaid (you still get all benefits) so both parties can se if it would work.

All I need to do noj is get a job LOL.

[Iota]

that sounds useful.

(interesting name... do I know you?)

[CrackerOfNuts]

LOL, sory tis nutty.

[Iota]

I suspected as much

[AMAZINWOMAN]

From that £35 you may need to pay bus fares to get to work. Also you won't qualify for school dinners.

What about childcare costs?

[CrackerOfNuts]

Travel, school dinners and childcare were all taken into account.

[littlewoman]

It all sounds very positive and it will give you a sense of belonging to the big wide world - you lose that when you're at home all the time. Good luck job hunting, cracker. Hope you find something you'd love to do.

[Tinkerbel6]

£35 pluse £40 per week is a good sum but that £40 only lasts 12 months so you would have to calculate can you manage council tax, school lunches, your lunches, petrol, minimal rent and 20% child care fees out of the £35 that you are left with.

[Prettyfull]

hi, that sounds very good but i hope hes taken in to account everything you pay out. I went to do a "better off calculation" they said id be £12 better off per week and also £60 in work credits which last up to a year. So heres me thinking £70 per week!! WOO HOO but its not that simple.

At the mo i receive £100 per week on benefits and turns out id be paying out MORE on this £70 then i do on the £100. Such as they pay a percentage of your rent & council tax and a % of childcare (think thats 75%) so basically out of this £70 id have to pay £25 rent, £15 council tax, £10 elec, £10 gas, £30 childcare, £20 food, then all my extras,tv license, internet, tv package, then my debt,..store cards, credit card, loan and over draft!! So basically im better off on benefits!!!

crazy huh!!!

I hope that made sence lol!!!

[Ulysees]

The girl I saw more or less told me I'd be no better off. I'm going back to college anyway to update my hairdressing skills so that and the equipment is paid for. I'm fully qualified but just want to do a refresher.

Hope it all works out for you though nutty

[CrackerOfNuts]

The calculations he did, included rent and council tax benefit calculations, so the figure he gave me had taken that into account.

The £35 is what i'd have on top of what I normally get, so I can't see how that would make me worse off after bills etc, as I already pay those now out of less money.

Tbh at the moment, I need a job to build my confidence and self esteem back up, so even if I only broke even then it will still be good for me.

I don't think I will be eligable for the £40 a week top up, anyway, as it depends on your postcode, and mine puts me in an affluent area, so i doubt i will get it.

[Ulysees]

good for you nutty go for it. I like your drive....wish i had a bit more. Although I am going back to college. Well done though

[Ilovesleep]

It's good to hear there are some good advisors out there after my experience! I've requested another one and am going back this week.

I totally agre with you nutty about it being far more about having a positive state of mind, than being potentially slightly better off financially. I know, like you, I'd rather work & break even, or even be slightly worse off.

Good luck with your job hunt.

[Mumcentreplus]

That sounds more like it Cracker...a good adviser should give you all the options...I'm still shocked about your experience Ilovesleep...I could'nt comment at the time had a broken keyboard

[KatieScarlett2833]

From 7th April, the £40 per month is for everone, not just the pilot areas as long as the job is over 16 hrs and you have been on IS for 52 weeks or more prior to starting work.