Is it worth me working or better to get benefits?

[Kerelene]

Being made redundant soon - end May - baby due mid November. Considering applying for a 2 day pw job for 6 months which I have worked out will earn me £367 per month net after childcare and travel.

I'm finding it hard to calculate whether I'm better off working or claiming benefit. Does anyone know how you can work out how much jobseekers/income support/child tax credit you can get without actually making a claim?

My husband works full time.

Grateful for any advice, especially if anyone knows about calculating benefits I might be entitled to...

You can calculate what tax credits you get here

Not sure about finding out about JSA or IS though. If your dh works full time its unlikely you'll get IS. I would think you could find out about JSA on the job centre plus site. Or give them a ring and they can probably tell you.

I would think you also need to look into what maternity pay you'll be entitled if you do or dont work as it could make quite a difference I think. Sorry if you already have!

Thanks Pesha. It looks like we may get a bit more tax credit than we do now. If I am entitled to JSA then I would only get about £100 a month less than if I got this job! Not that I want to live off benefits but it doesn't seem worth the hassle and stress for £100 a week!

I think I would only get maternity allowance of £112 per week if I work between now and Nov or not. If you start a new job when you're already pregnant they don't pay you any SMP.

What a minefield...

Look at entitledto.co.uk That tells you all benefits you may be entitled to and how much.

If your husband works full time (depending on his income) you will only be able to claim contributions based JSA - which is dependent on you having made enough NI contributions.

You're probably entitled to JSA (contribution based only) which will last for 6 months and is paid at £59 per week. That's even if your DH is working. (Am in exactly the same boat!)

I'm actually better off now that I was when I was working and paying petrol and childcare. Plus no longer working with a sexist fool!

Thanks, this is useful - am beginning to think it would be better to wait and look for a job when maternity leave is coming to an end, and claim JSA from June to Nov if I'm entitled, I think I've paid enough NI. Then I can get MA for 9 months once the baby comes all being well.

But then of course I will have the headache of trying to find a job which pays enough to cover childcare for 2 kids and have enough left over, but maybe hubby will get huge promotion in the meantime so we can manage on one salary!! Not very likely but you never know! At least it's well over a year away so don't need to worry just yet...

One last question. Anyone know if I can claim JSA as soon as I am unemployed - will my fairly meagre redundancy payment affect my entitlement?

Kerelene - I do Pampered Chef some evenings - I do it as an extra to a Pt job, but lots of people in your position do it as their main job - and can make a reasonable amount. Partly depends on whether your dh would be prepared to deal with the dcs on the evenings that you choose to do PC... Let me know if you want any more info

Copy from Advice Guide:

Contribution-based jobseeker?s allowance (JSA)

If you were dismissed for misconduct, contribution-based JSA may not be paid for up to 26 weeks. Misconduct means that, in your employer?s opinion, you did something wrong. You can appeal against the 26 week sanction.

Contribution-based JSA may not be paid for a week which is treated as covered by a payment in lieu of notice.

Compensation for unfair dismissal may cover a period in which you have been getting contribution-based JSA. If this happens, the JSA may have to be paid back out of the compensation money. If compensation has already been paid when you claim JSA, it may prevent you receiving it for a period.

Redundancy pay does not affect contribution-based JSA. However, if you get redundancy pay in excess of the statutory amount, you may not get contribution-based JSA for the period treated as covered by the extra payment. If you received holiday pay as part of your final wage, you cannot get contribution-based JSA for up to four weeks after your job ends.

For more information about your rights when you have been dismissed from your job, see Dismissal.

The rules about contribution-based jobseeker?s allowance and payments at the end of a job are complicated. You should consult an experienced adviser, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.

thanks Staryeyed, that's really useful, i'm only getting statutory redundancy pay so should be able to claim JSA straight away.

Is Advice Guide a website?

MT, looked at Pampered CHef website but couldn't work out what it entailed?

Yep its made by CAB www.adviceguide.org.uk/

You do demos of kitchenware in other people's homes (or village halls etc) and cook an easy recipe and people order things. Its really lovely quality so effectively sells itself. Lots of support and training too, and no need to have any stock, don't need to do deliveries, no targets to meet (although rewards if you do certain things). I really enjoy doing it (which is why I do it ontop of my pt job) - I say its going out to work when I leave dh with ds, but its more like going out and having a bit of a social life and making a bit of money at the same time! Do you have an email address or something I can contact you on to give you a bit more info?