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Working and receiving income support?

8 replies

Rosasmum · 12/11/2007 17:33

HI there.
Does anybody work p-t and still receive IS. I have been offered 7 hours a week for £50 and I have looked at DWP and entitled to website but am still a bit confused. Just wondered if anybody has any real experience with part time job and claiming IS and council tax benefit. (I will ring the helplines in the morning).

Thanks in advance

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Alambil · 12/11/2007 17:43

I was under the impression that you can only earn £20 then, the other £30 they will take off you (or rather, off your IS so that the income is still the same, but they pay less from the benefit system)

I hate this rule - it is utter shite and I can NOT understand that when people want to do some PT work, they are penalised... !!!

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nutcracker · 12/11/2007 17:43

I think if it is under 16 hours, then yes you will still recieve some IS, not 100% sure though sorry.

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Alambil · 12/11/2007 17:44

I don't think it would effect the CTB much... sorry, forgot to say that

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Rosasmum · 12/11/2007 18:44

That's what I thought. After I have paid for childcare and travel. I don't think I am going to be that much better off. I really want to go back to work and ideally would do about 20 hours but my experience - working in management in the theatre world for last 12 years means nothing apparenty!!!

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tiredandsad · 12/11/2007 18:57

your allowed to keep £20, you send your wage slip and they adjust your is each week.

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PurpleOne · 14/11/2007 20:55

I'm looking (or was looking) to go back PT
To do 16hrs a week at minimum wage...I'll be £10.77 a week better off!
Whoooppeeee!
If it's under 16 hrs, you can keep the first £20 of your earnings, which is offset against your IS...the rest of your hard earned wages goes back to the Treasury! robbing gits.

I might stay on IS for a few more years yet and study...there's no incentive for me to go back to work.

I think if you earn over £54 a week, then your housing and CTB starts decreasing slowly.

HTH

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bitsnbobs · 15/11/2007 17:49

I work under 16hrs a week for minimum wage and get £15 IS a week.

If I work over 16hrs I lose all IS and have to pay all council tax etc which I couldn't afford but if I work less than now IS will increase.

Don't know if this helps Rosasmum!

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zmandaz · 15/11/2007 19:03

I was told by the Lone Parent Advisor that it's not worth working less than 16 hours a week. To work in the job I want to go into I have to do lots of training plus it's not the sort of job that you can just start at 16 hours, you have to work up to it, so for the time I'm training and working up to the 16 hours, not only do I have to not get paid but I also have to find all my childcare costs. Once I can work 16 hours then I get 80% of the childcare costs paid as well as the other benefits. I think it's crazy that you get penelised for working less than 16 hours and that none of the other benefits are available.

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