I get tax credits and some HB as I am predominantly self-employed but not very profitably. Now DS is 3 I have another part time job and am thinking of looking for yet another one. But my problem is this. Every extra penny I earn gets taken off benefits so no matter what I do I am still panicking and struggling - there's debts and increasing bills. I can't walk straight into a £25K a year job as I am in my 40s and have been self-employed for years, am also a single mum so can't be 'felxible' ie work loads of overtime at short notice. If I could get an extra £50 a week or so things would be much better, but I can't get an extra £50 unless I can earn something like an extra £350 a week.
Has anyone else been stuck like this and how did you get out of it?