In 2011 Cameron said, “Never again will work be the wrong financial choice … We are finally going to make work pay for some of the poorest people in our society.“
What a laugh!
As you know, I found part-time work. I was quite excited by this. I’m now told my Jobseekers’ Allowance has been stopped, I’m entitled to reduced Housing Benefit and I’m not entitled to Council Tax Benefit
I’ve received a number of letters pointing out differing amounts I am or I’m not entitled to and my head is spinning but I’ve tried to calculate what this means.
And I’m £21 per month worse off by working. Add to this the money I have to find for rent and Council Tax and I’m a massive £158 a month worse off before I’ve even paid the rest of my bills.
It’s literally impossible.
I will, of course, also pay high bank charges when I inevitably become overdrawn losing yet more from my paltry income.
If my calculations are accurate, I’m at very real risk of becoming deeper in debt and, ultimately, losing my home.
Over a year since Cameron excitedly said work will pay, the reality is I’m now awake in the early hours panicking about not having any money, fretting that I won’t have fares to even get to work and questioning whether I’ll be penalised for packing in my part-time job and returning to full benefits.
Stay on benefits. You know it makes sense.
I understand I can’t get Working Tax Credits because I work fewer then 16 hours per week.
I’ve not been given any advice on alternative benefit options so don’t think there are any. I have to accept a loss of £158 per month and work.
So – for those who think the unemployed should try to get at least a few hours work – it is an impossible challenge. That is, unless you’re working as part of slave labour for multi-million companies while “earning” your benefits.
Can you apply for working tax credit to top up low wages? I work part-time and would go under without the credit…
I’ll look into it. I’ve been given no advice on alternatives at all. I’ve been sent letters with conflicting information – first I get nothing, then I get a bit of housing benefit. My Job Centre Plus advisor has kept me signing on despite Job Centre PLus considering me being in work. I even wrote “worked as agreed” in my Looking for Work booklet but realise that means nothing: no one cares. It’s madness. I think I have a second part-time job starting next week so should be ok until early next year. But this is the way people are treated all the time.
Sorry to hear of your plight. That twat Cameron and his crew of jackals has so much to answer for. I’m crapping myself about next April when I get docked £ 12 a week for having a spare bedroom, then I lose my ESA in June and the local council may want a contribution to council tax
I’m sorry to hear yours too! The Tories are just kicking us over and over.
Hi
I don’t understand why you are actually worse off – I thought that with housing benefit/council benefit you should be not exactly better off but not actually worse off. For example, I work part time and get a bit of housing benefit and I am about 10 pounds a week better off (although I don’t have stuff like free dental treatment, prescriptions, etc, and if I got the bus to work I would be worse off). Are you sure they have worked out your housing benefit correctly?
The powers that be stopped all my benefits. Suspended everything and told me I wasn’t entitled to any housing benefit or council tax benefit. This, of course, left me much worse off. Then they said I might be entitled to a bit more but this still meant I was worse off because it was minimal. Now they’re saying I might be entitled to a bit more again – and who knows what they’ll offer now. The problem isn’t my calculations but what they choose to do with the (detailed) information provided – that is suspend all benefits first, plunge people into poverty, then backtrack when the decision is questioned. My worry is that people who don’t challenge them end up in a real financial mess.