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Original poster

Benefits calculator says I'm worse off to work - is this possible?!!!

38 replies

thesilverlining · 30/04/2009 17:02

I always thought I was better off getting off IS as soon as poss and getting to work part time for the WTC - as recently single parent again I have found suddenly this doesn't seem to be the case - can this be possible?

I have used two different websites (one being my local councils) and I seem to lose more HB and CTB than i gain in WTC and wages......I would be working hard for a measly £70 or so profit over IS PER MONTH and would obviously lose DCs free school meals and milk tokens.......

Can anyone enlighten me?

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HecatesTwopenceworth · 30/04/2009 17:04

is one of them entitledto.com cos they are normally fairly accurate.

and yes, from what I read, it is perfectly possible to be worse off working. crazy, isn't it?

Original poster
thesilverlining · 30/04/2009 19:18

yes one of them is entitledto.com and the other one is my local council's website.....i feel a bit annoyed tbh!!! Because i know i am going to have to drag my sorry behind down the JC every 5 mins to justify why still on IS.....

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whatdoyouallthink · 30/04/2009 19:25

God how stupid! Thought they wanted people off benefits you would think they would make it easier for mums with dc. I really want to go back to work been at home since had dc1 and he is now 8! With the 3 I now have and only one in full time school I dont think I am going to be able to manage it. Thought I would be better off then claiming IS and ctc. Il have to look into this more myself I think.

Niceguy2 · 30/04/2009 19:29

Yep, welcome to the Benefits trap

whatdoyouallthink · 30/04/2009 20:06

I dont understand the benefits system as it is but not making it practical for lone parents to go back to work is shocking! Well not just lone parents either really, when I was with my h I wanted to go back to work it was still not financially viable as we didnt qualify for any childcare help. But with large mortgage etc didnt mean we was in position to pay out ourselves. Thought now I am on my own would have been better off working. Looks like I am going to be stuck in a rut!

georgimama · 30/04/2009 20:09

It depends how much you are going to earn of course.

Is it not possible to take a long view on this - surely when your children leave school you will only be entitled to the very minimum of benefits so presumably you will have to work then, if you were working all the time between now and then your earning potential will significantly increase.

If I didn't work I wouldn't be on benefits,because DH works, but I don't make that much after childcare costs and commuting etc are taken into account - I'm working now for later.

Biscuits4Cheese · 30/04/2009 20:11

When you say part time, do you mean more or less than 16 hours per week?
Pointless me asking this question really as i dont understand the significance of the 16 hour mark, hopefully someone else can shed light, but afaik working 16 or over you recieve more assistance.
I think

georgimama · 30/04/2009 20:13

You're right biscuits, I believe you have to work more than 16 hours per week to get WTC credit etc, any earnings below that just get more or less knocked off your other benefits.

Were you planning on working less than 16 hours per week, OP? Because that's probably why the calculators make everything look rubbish.

BeehiveBaby · 30/04/2009 20:15

My friend who was a single mum to one preschooler for the relevant period was significantly better off working precisely 16 hours.

16 hours is the cutoff for a single person for both WTC and the childcare element too.

Original poster
thesilverlining · 30/04/2009 20:17

no it was going to be 30 hours a week...thing is I can stay home a bit longer to do those courses I need to do to get the dream job....so it wouldn't be wasted time at home not to mention being there for my little ones- but i had hoped to get out of this shitty situation where i have to keep jsutifying how i am not a scrouiging scumbag to all and sundry...........

How does it sound to say I am sa student i wonder.......better than a benefits bum or worse???!!! ;-)

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Original poster
thesilverlining · 30/04/2009 20:18

beehive - i think thats the thing - with one child you are deffo better off working - but with more than one it starts to get dicey......

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Biscuits4Cheese · 30/04/2009 20:22

Thesilverlining - i certainly think that being a student parent is something to admire and look up to

BeehiveBaby · 30/04/2009 20:27

Absolutely be a student, better in the long run. Google, 'Care to Learn'. There is help for you to do that too .

Original poster
thesilverlining · 30/04/2009 20:34

the OU have some fabby courses and they don't charge much if anything if you are on IS......oh yes thanks girls feeling good about this!!!

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Original poster
thesilverlining · 30/04/2009 20:34

the OU have some fabby courses and they don't charge much if anything if you are on IS......oh yes thanks girls feeling good about this!!!

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Misskittykat · 30/04/2009 21:07

Hi, I have just started work (17 hours pw), and when I add working tax credit & child tax credit with my wages Im better off even after having to pay extra rent and housing benefit. Have more info if you need it? Did not want to bore you with a long post!!!

Original poster
thesilverlining · 30/04/2009 21:27

if i balance myhours EXTREMELY carefully I can be £60 a month better off per month......

but this seems rather pointless to me as I not only lose HB and CTB but what about payign for DSs school dinners and the free milk and formula (my youngest is under 1) and i hear at soem point i will get vouchers for veg too....plsu the fact that if on IS you don't have to pay for any courses etc so can finalyl study for the career I always wanted.

DO I sound selfish and lazy talking like this?.......

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Original poster
thesilverlining · 30/04/2009 21:28

definately can't type tonight - sorry for typos.....

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FAQinglovely · 30/04/2009 21:36

that indeed can be true - as things stand at the moment even if I work 20hrs a week (based on minimum wage - which round here, and with my qualifications and experience it would be) I would be worse off.

Georgie - that works fine if you've got someone else paying the bills as well , but when you're on your own and your wages have to cover everything, often even with WTC it often isn't enough.

It's a shitty trap to be in.

OP - OU is fab - that's what I'm doing at the moment, an OU course (Level 1 for now, but depending on how I do with it may continue and work towards my degree)

expatinscotland · 30/04/2009 21:48

That is absolutely possible for exactly the reasons you mention - loss of HB and all CTB, meals, tokens, etc.

AND, if your kids are over a certain age and you come off IS, then lose your job, they put you on JSA and you wind up in all that New Deal shit.

FAQinglovely · 30/04/2009 21:51

expat - I'm on IS and I've been told about the New Deal stuff at each of my 6 monthly appointments (where I have to say I've not had the experience of many on MN where they seem to be asking "why aren't you looking for work" - in fact at my 2nd one the advisor looked at me and said "unless you want to work now I'd advice you stay home with your children for now as it's not worth going back to work as the figures won't add up")

Original poster
thesilverlining · 30/04/2009 21:59

time to be the SAHM I always wanted to be then!

Shame its on my own though :-(

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FAQinglovely · 30/04/2009 22:00

silver - embrace it, enjoy it, do an OU course or something and have fun (well as much fun as you can do on a benefits income LOL)

muggglewump · 30/04/2009 22:01

It's a totaly pants system really. I recently had to give up my job as I had my hours cut to 15 and couldn't afford to work.
As much as I hated where I worked as I was bullied I was still gutted to go back on benefits.

I had an interview yesterday and didn't get the job but I have literacy/numeracy tests on Subday which is the first stage of the recruitment process to work for the Job Centre, so I'm hoping it all goes well.

expatinscotland · 30/04/2009 22:04

Yeah, that's why I'd say stay on IS till you qualify for something that's really going to pay.

My SIL is dealing with that New Deal shit right now.