Can choose my hours/days for new job: how many hours shall I work (am thinking tax credits) and on which days?

[SnickersRhymesWithKnickers]

I have just returned to work part-time (two days per week) after a six-year break. So far, so good - yay!

There is scope for me to work more hours than the two days, which would help me out financially, as well as enable me to make more progress with the job.

Luckily, I have a lot of freedom in terms of how many hours I work and when.

I'm wondering about a couple of things:

(1) Having never claimed tax credits but now possibly being eligible for them, for a start do they still exist, post-election? Secondly, is there an optimum number of hours to work? Thirdly, would having (considerable) savings render me ineligible? I'm a lone parent, by the way. I don't know if that affects my eligibility, too.

(2) If I work, say, three days per week, what's the best way to spread these across the week? At the moment, I'm thinking Tuesday-Thursday. This way, I get into the swing of it across consecutive days mid-week, have long weekends, and have no leave issues with Good Friday/Bank Holidays. Am I thinking along the right lines?

Thanks for any help any of you can give with these questions.

Don't know. Think maybe Tax Credits are on their way out??

And if you did work the Monday, would you get the Bank Holidays off??

You need to work 16 hours to get tax credits

I'd personally prefer a day off after each day as I'm a bit wierd and like to catch up on home stuff and the kids get so tired on consequetive days in childcare

but I'm odd and most will say go for tues we'd thurs

you're so lucky being able to choose

what job is it?

2 days per week = 16 hours ??

That is the minimum hours you need to work to qualify for WFTC.

Go on entitledto.com and see what your total income would be.

If you spread it out over three days you'll have more travelling costs remember

Thanks for posts.

Hmm. It would be handy to know if tax credits are (or are soon to be) no more.

So 16 hours per week is the minimum to qualify. Is there a maximum number of hours?

I thought, if you work part-time and one of your usual days is on a Monday, you're not automatically entitled to a bonus day's leave like everyone else? You have to take it as leave. Could be wrong there.

Job is within the fundraising department of a big charity.

Thanks for entitledto.com link. Will have a look.

If I spread it out over three days, that would be me working three days, BTW; not doing two days spread over three days, IYSWIM.

It's local, so travelling costs are fairly low.

Thanks again for posts.

Hi,
I don't know about the tax credits, however wrt bank hols with most places you are entitled to bank holiday leave pro-rata. Therefore if you work 40% of full time you will be entitled to 40% of the 8 bank holidays. So if you work Mondays you are likely to have to make up time as the most bank hols are on Mondays. If you don't tend to work on days where the bank hols fall, you should be able to take extra leave, but it does all depend on company policy.

With regard to work patterns, I work every day except Weds, I like the break in the middle of the week as it gives me chance to catch up on the things that don't get done on work days.

Good Luck
MLx