Is it worth taking a job for less than 16 hours, just to get back on into work ???

[NuttyMuffins]

I have been searching for a job now for ages and am having no luck at all.

Today I have found 1 job for 15 hours, as a clerical/admin assistant and a lunch time supervisor job (a job i said i would never do) for 6.5 hours a week.

With the first one for 15 hours, I would need an hours before school childcare for 3 kids, which would cost roughly £36 a week, but as i'd only be working 15 hours, I would not be entitled to any WTC so would actually only be £10 a week better off if I factored in travel aswell but i'd be in the door, back in the workplace wouldn't I.

The lunch time supervisor one is slightly different in that I wouldn't need childcare and would still get a certain amount of Income support, but would again only be about £10 a week better off.

I would really really (x 100) like the admin one as obviously that could lead to more hours (1 more hour would be fab) , but I doubt i stand much chance as i have no admin experiance at all, although would be more than willing to do any required training. It doesn't actually say that they want someone experianced, just says that the duties are collecting cash, and paperwork.

So whats the thoughts, should I apply ??

I wouldn't ask them until you've been offered the job though. (Has everyone else said that too?)

Oh no, wouldn't mention the extra hour unless I got offered it, and tbh if they said no i'd still take it anyway, can;t afford not to for experiance, and confidence reasons really.

Yep I get CTC at the mo, and would continue to get that if I did 15 hours, and would also still be entitled to full housing and council tax benefit.

If i'd get working tax then too, and that would pay for all of my chidcare and more, just for doing one extra hour. But obviously then i'd only get partial HB and council tax benefit, and my kids would have to go on to sandwiches, but tbh I want to start paying my way towards my rent etc. I hate not paying anything.

Yep, the childcare i workd out, is for the schools before and after school club, so i'd not get it any cheaper than that.

Have just worked out all the possible outcomes money wise and if i had to take the admin job at 15 hours a week, i would actually be down by £28.39 a week, after travel and childcare which is alot really isn't it. Really don't think I could afford to do it in that case.

With the dinner lady job, i'd be about £7 a week better off after travel.

If i got the admin job and got it at 16 hours, i'd be £33 a week better off, after childcare, travel and paying some rent and council tax.

You've nothing to lose by applying , interview experiecen can be very useful in itslef and an entry job even better. Perhaps you could even organise the admin one to start a little later so you can avoid preschool childcare. What about college though, if you land one of these you may have to put the Access course out of your mind for a while or possibly even for good ?

I could still do access of an evening if I chose to Liz.

My main priority at the moment is upping my self esteem and self confidence as I have very very little of either.

Do you think that you would be able to do the access of an evening- would you get help with childcare?

oh right that's good feared it may be mutually exclusive, although perhaps not this year (may be a lot to take on at once) but maybe next .

Wether I could do the course of an evening depends largely on my mum. She works shifts and is not meant to request to work or not work certain hours, but as everyone else seems to, she has said she would have no problem saying that she could not do lates on a day i wanted to go to college or whatever.

As you say though Liz, it may be too much to do all in one go, so i'll see what happens first. At the moment my application is still in for the 1 day a week course and i'll just leave that as it is for now.