To think there's little point taking on extra shifts at Christmas as it will mess up my benefits and I won't get any more money

[Ginzjam]

Sister thinks I'm being selfish not taking on the extra shifts at Christmas, but if I won't take home any more money and it will cause loads of Hassel affecting my benefits. I'm not saying it's right, but im right it's good business sense to refuse them?

I would do them if I ended up with a bit more money but I won't and I would be saving the company money as I'm mjuch cheaper than agency workers to cover the shifts.

I wouldn’t bother, tbh. It’s too much hassle getting them sorted and it’s only for a couple of weeks. If it was a case of going full time from part time and you were able to sort child care etc, long term, that’s different.

Why does your sister say that, is she working there?

No, no point. I’ve been there. I used to get quarterly bonuses in work and every time my housing benefit would be stopped and reassessed. It really fucked me off.

no point at all, why wouldn't anyone bother working if they didn't make money out of it.

Not your fault at all, but this is why the benefits system needs a huge overall and we have to make sure people are better off working, and the only losing situation is when you don't! Losing money or not gaining anything whilst putting more hours is outrageous.

No point you’d only end up having to pay back an over payment of benefits later. It’s not worth the stress.

What benefits are we talking about ? If it's Universal credit then you should still end up better off in theory.

Op I did this thinking great I'll make some extra money and pay off a few debts. Instead benefits we're stopped for two months.

I wouldn't do anything to mess up my benefits, as I've heard how hard it is to get them back again. Maybe your sister should mind her own business?

If you are on UC, you get to keep 37p out of every extra £1 earned.

DP works full time, gets a bonus at Christmas, and it will mean a reduced payment in January.

I am still happy though, as we will actually have a Christmas, then struggle for a few weeks in January. I am just grateful he is paid early but still in the same assessment period, so we won't be totally without the January payment.

In the past I thought working more hours was better because I was earning the money myself rather than it being paid by benefits. But it ended up being very stressful each time benefits stopped and reassessed so I will never do it again. Not on universal credit yet, maybe it makes working easier.

That’s a great attitude isn’t it 🙃

Do you have a work ethic?

Do you have a work ethic?
I have an incredibly strong work ethic but I don’t work for free and neither should the OP.

She clearly has a work ethic, as she, er, works! Although Probably has a stronger survival eithic, supported by a common sense ethic.

If you are on UC, you get to keep 37p out of every extra £1 earned.

If you're paying tax and NI, it's a bit less than that. You lose 20p tax and 12p NI, which leaves you with 68p. Then UC claws back 63% of that, so you get to keep about 25p.

On minimum wage, that's less than £2ph. I certainly wouldn't bother for so little extra.

The steep taper rates are a huge disincentive to increasing working hours imo.

No definitely not unless you can do them cash in hand

So you don't rather let others support you than do it yourself? Who cares if it doesn't mean more money, it's called being self reliant.

Do you have a work ethic

Obviously not. Having a job doesn't automatically equate to one either, lots just do it as the benfefit payments are higher if you do just sixteen hours a week.

How much do you pay your childminder or cleaner BigBang?

I wouldn't as I know what it's like to have your benefits stopped.

Who cares if it doesn't mean more money

The people who go without any benefits payments for 6/12/18 weeks while the relevant agency differentiates between its arse and it’s elbow. Mine were stopped for a reassement once. Took 14 weeks and loads of calls and resending of already provided information Forbes them to reinstate them. But they didn’t back date it. Guess when that arrived? 18 months later.

Depends. If it might put you in a good place for more hours/promotion/better training/increased job security in the future because you’ve been helpful over a busy period then it’s worth considering.

Basically, if it’s a decent company or you like your boss/colleagues then it’s worth considering. If they’re a bunch of arseholes then don’t.

If you are on UC, you get to keep 37p out of every extra £1 earned.

If you're paying tax and NI, it's a bit less than that. You lose 20p tax and 12p NI, which leaves you with 68p. Then UC claws back 63% of that, so you get to keep about 25p.

On minimum wage, that's less than £2ph. I certainly wouldn't bother for so little extra.

No, the 37p is left to you AFTER tax and NI! UC work out what you get on take home pay.

UC work out what you get on take home pay.

63% of 68p is 42.84p

68p minus 42.84p is 25.16p

@TheBigBangRocks
It’s not about work ethic. Would you work if you knew if you did then your vendors would stop. You would have to wait, you would be working for nothing?

If you have a job where you work for free then you’re an idiot.