can we talk money for a minute

[SpandexIsMyEnemy]

sorry to be nosey,

but am just trying to work out if i'd actually be better off working (can't be much worse tbh!)

potential job is 16 hours p.w and is £88 p.w,

how much of my rent would still be paid? entitled to says it all - but just trying to get a rough idea form other people.

I currently get IS, CB TC's plus the additional HB CTB and HE vouchers.

I know i'd keep the dental/eye care etc, but weekly if you;'re on min wage are you better off?

(tbh i'm hoping the general response is yes as I want to get back out there and work)

will be talking to my lone advisor as well as have been a lone parent for a year in 8 days time

You should be better off yes.

When you speak to your lone parent advisor, ask them to do an in work calculation based on the hours and figures you have, and then they will compare that to now, and there should be a difference.

am just a bit concerned they'll say yes i'm better off etc but when it comes down to it i'm actually not iycwim.

also a bit worried how long it will take to sort the paper work etc out and if they'll stop payments - I can't be without my rent money at least for any lenght of time, as it is I already owe my parents about £150 as they've been topping up the rent and paid the first months for me, so I can't ask them for another months ontop of everything else.

i work 25 hours a week, and get CB WTC and FTC though i do not get IC or any housing benefit. i would say i manage ok as most of my child care gets paid out of my FTC. i do not live in a council house though as i rent privately. but my friend works part time and she still gets most of her council flat paid for.

sorry should say £1500 not £150* lol.

(what's IC?)

income support

oops sorry just relaised!! tit that i am!

If the job is permanent then you should be entitled to several things.

• 2 week roll on of council tax and housing benefit.

• £250 back to work grant

• £40 tax free in work credit, for first 12 months.

Spandex you should be better off for a year at least, but after the 12 months you lose the £40 per week in work credit, although you are better of £28 per week and wtc you will lose you council tax benefit and half of your housing benefit, did you include the wtc amount when you did the calculation as you wont get full housing benefit ?.

thanks tink - don't think I did no.

just heard about another job which looks better I think slightly more money. it's hard juggling the two as I want to work (mostly as I want DS to be in nursery and can't afford it otherwise.) but aside form that am hoping it will be a little extra each month.

the £30 p.w i'm trying not to include at the minute, as out of the 4 weeks in a month I want 2 to go to my parents, and 2 to go into the xmas/moving house fun - (so I know I have some money put aside for next year, & hopefully we'll get our own council house next year sometime as well)

my main concnern is the rent tbh - other things can juggle (am well used to it) this other job is only 14 hours - but DS will be in child care for 16 (extra half hour each side 2 full days) will I still get WFTC?

sorry the £40 p.w,

my folks have said not to worry too much about paying them back and to do it when I can afford it - but well every month they've given me a hell of a lot over the last 8 months so I want to give something back - esp as dad's work's fast drying up.

AFAIK, the key to being better off in work may lie in whether you get maintenance for the children. If you do then you get to keep it all. If on IS then the government keep all but a small amount that is passed on to you.

the CSA thing is changing (not sure when) - all is given to the parent - then IS is reduced accordingly.

I do get maint form XH yes - but on the other hand, HB take that into account when you're working - it's part of your income, when you're not it doesn't.

incl the WTC's etc I am working out my income per month would be £ 1100 ish, but obv have to pay child care, and all other bills etc, when my rents is £675 I can't do it all on my own iycwim.

FAQ interesting, will it not equate to the same. Will check out the website. Not that it affects me just like to keep abreast of these things.

I don't know it probably will be the same (I'm still waiting for the CSA to get off their arses and actually do something about collecting it from H - it's not that he's not willing, he hasn't even heard from them - and neither have I - since I sent the forms in about 2/3 months ago!))

Wait until you have seen the advisor then take it from there. It can get quite complicated. Weigh up any hidden costs for working, e.g clothes, lunches out, travel etc.

with the hb on entitled to, i've changed the amount to the full WTC it says I should get £170, is this right - cos that's incl my childcare element it says for £128 for that (not sure how as child care is a lot less - approx half which I put in) plus the £50 I usually have.

says I should have about £90 p.w towards my rent (currently £155 p.w) oh the confusion!

Hi Spandex just to let you know you wont get your childcare paid if you only work 14 hours a week it has to be 16 or over to qualify.

You have lost me a bit with the entitled to thing.But i can tell you what i used to get when working 16hours.

I paid 116 a week childcare,worked 16 hours a week with a gross wage of £104.00 and i wasnt recieving maintenance.I recieved £158.80 working tax,£79.20 child tax,£30.20 child benefit.My rent is £70 a week i recieved £41.24 a week housing benefit and had to pay £10 a week council tax. So i would say you will be better off working.

Hope that helps..

That was last tax year by the way obviously tax creds and child benefit have since gone up.