Not really sure if this is the right place to post so shoo me away if not :)

[FurKnickersAndNoCoat]

Am about to become a single parent and aside from all the other practicalities that have to be sorted out i'm not clear as to the best way to be financially "better off". Does anyone know what are the optimum hours to work in which to be better off re: tax credits? Would be grateful for any advice.

what do you mean the 'optimum hours'? you might get more tax credits if your work less than full time hours but you will take a cut in actual salary so it balances out. do the hours you can.

Didn't give enough info there did I I don't work at the moment - long story - partner was made bankrupt and we could only earn a certain amount per year so we decided that he would be the one to work.

Now we are seperating and i'm moving 300 miles back 'home' and will need to get a job. Have heard the magical "16 hours a week" being talked about but not sure if I need to work over 16 hours or under 16 hours or exactly 16 hours in order to be in the best financial position.

tbh, as i said, it all balances out. i also have heard a lot of talk about the magical 16 hours but when i actually worked out my income and the tax credits i was in the same financial position as i would have been had i adjusted my hours down to 16 (am also single parent). are your children school age? will you need to pay for childcare? if so you will also be entitled to a childcare element of working tax credit. i think it is equivalent to up to 70% of your childcare costs. but that may have changed as i am no longer paying childcare. have a look around and see what jobs are available that you could do and what the pay is then go to entitledto.gov and put in all your details and it will give you a pretty good idea what you will get. play around with the hours and see if it changes much.

i only have the one and she's 8 so no childcare needed apart from during the holidays but i think i will have reasonable help from family with regards to this so shouldn't be a big financial burden. will have a look at the entitledto website. thanks a lot.

no problem. hope you get sorted. it's a bit daunting going it alone at first and not having a clue what help there is. i missed out on a lot of stuff i was entitled to with my first son as i just didn't have a clue where to look or who to ask.

OP you may need childcare for before and after school unless you find a job that fits around school hours. Some part time jobs want you to do 3 full days rather than 5 short days for example.

16 hours in the miminum you need to work per week in order to claim WTC. You get an extra 'bonus' on top if you manage to work 30 hours or more (considered full time)
16 or 30 doesn't make it the 'optimal' amount and you'll find lots of factors can affect what is the best number of hours to work to achieve the most financial gain (presuming that is what you are asking).

For example your WTC will go down if you earn more salary (but not by the same amount). But you will then need to pay more child care in the holidays and possibly before/after school. If you are claiming HB and CTB these will also be affected by the amount you earn but they deduct your childcare costs from your income figure.
If you are working 29 hours it id definitely better to try and do 30 instead, but less clear if you are doing say 24.

Basically you're better of looking for a job that fits in with what you can achieve in terms of your skills/qualifications, hours you can work (school hours or longer), what childcare options you have etc, how far away it is/travel considerations and then seeing what you're entitled too if you take that job.

An important factor for me was a flexible job that allowed me to swap my day off so I could attend school events such as the xmas play and sports day. So what you hope to achieve in your work/life balance is also important. I sacrificed salary in order to be there at every event for my ds in primary school. He has no-one other than me but if you have extended family who will go to these things in your place it may be less important for you.

Small addition to gillybean's excellent advice: if you work under 16 hours, then you should get either Income Support or more likely JSA. This will then entitle you to full Housing Benefit (assuming minimum wage).

Wow. I totally get that the system is rubbish and does make it more profitable to work less and that isn't the fault of the individual. I also understand that people have to do what is best for their family... but seeing as the job market isn't great, and 16 hours a week jobs don't grow on trees, surely it is best to just take a job you can get rather than messing about to get the very maximum amount of money for the least work.

You are unlikely to be able to work towards promotion or much success in a 16 hour a week job. The benefits of focussing on your career rather than what benefits you are entitled to are impossible to put a value on.

And before anyone jumps down my throat about how OP may not be able to find childcare and good jobs are hard to come by etc etc, none of that has been mentioned.

OP, if your child is 8 you only have 8 years left before the CB, tax credits etc cease. And that's if they don't pull the plug on it all before then. Get the best job you can. That would be my advice.

gillybean is exactly right. Write a list of some real non-negotiables (i.e. somewhere that is near enough to get to your child with in 30 minutes if theyre sick, or somewhere that you can get to on time if you drop your child off at the locally available childcare placement) Then get the job, then make sure it is financially viable... i.e can you cover your expenses and have some left over.

If you set out looking for a job of exactly 17 hours per week, or whatever you work out to be the magic number, I doubt you'll have much luck.