Better off working part time...
Better off working part time...
Author
Discussion

SlimRick

Original Poster:

2,277 posts

194 months

Wednesday 1st May 2013
quotequote all
So - doing a few sums at work.

Single dad, currently work full time earning approx £30k pa gross.
I spend approx £300 per month commuting to work.
I end up with a take-home pay of approx. £1,900.
Subtract the commute costs = £1,600 per month.

If I was to jack this job in and take a part time, minimum wage job working 16 hours per week I'd be entitled to:

Working tax credits: £7,500
Tax credit (disabled element): £2,900
Child tax credits: £3,000
Child benefit: £1,050
Job wages: £5,500
Total annual:£19,950

Monthly take-home "pay": £1662.50


Seriously WTF?!? Am I missing something here? I could work 2 days per week and be financially better off than I am now and not spend 2 hours a day commuting? How the hell does that work?

Edit: My ex currently claims the child benefit / tax credit as she needs it more than I do, despite me being sole carer for the child - if I was to work p/t I would start claiming it myself.

sunoco69

5,274 posts

194 months

Wednesday 1st May 2013
quotequote all
You aint missing anything. The country is fecked and needs fixing. To many oxygen thieves and layabouts.

Come the revolution brother! Wheres my bloody gun?

Gets off soap box and returns to normality.

Welfare2Work

31 posts

161 months

Wednesday 1st May 2013
quotequote all
Your working tax credits would only last a year

Welfare2Work

31 posts

161 months

Wednesday 1st May 2013
quotequote all
also - your commute is that by rail? - 2 days a week travel would be at full price (no point getting a travel card) and i don't think you have taken this into consideration?

TonyHetherington

32,091 posts

279 months

Wednesday 1st May 2013
quotequote all
I assume you're registered disabled then?

Also - do you get all those things if you resign (as opposed to being made redundant or sacked) ?

SlimRick

Original Poster:

2,277 posts

194 months

Wednesday 1st May 2013
quotequote all
Welfare2Work said:
Your working tax credits would only last a year
Why? From what I can see, it's just renewed annually based on last years earnings.

Welfare2Work said:
also - your commute is that by rail? - 2 days a week travel would be at full price (no point getting a travel card) and i don't think you have taken this into consideration?
Current commute is by road and rail - p/t job would involve no commute.

TonyHetherington said:
I assume you're registered disabled then?

Also - do you get all those things if you resign (as opposed to being made redundant or sacked) ?
Yes, and yes.

warp9

1,632 posts

226 months

Wednesday 1st May 2013
quotequote all
Just realised me and the mrs might be missing something here, as she works pt and looks after our young child, but we don't claim anything. I'm sure this is a total dumb ass question, but can someone tell me who best to speak to, so we can see if we are entitled to claim anything?
Thanks

MitchT

17,114 posts

238 months

Wednesday 1st May 2013
quotequote all
No, you're not missing anything. It's the UK, where working doesn't pay. It even rhymes.

Motorwaymick

88 posts

216 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
A friend of mine was on a similar salary, he got sacked on purpose now works 16 hours a week delivering local parcels. Is better off and gets to see his kids, crazy crazy country.

Odie

4,187 posts

211 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
You'd be even better off if you do what someone I used to be friends with does, she works 16 hours a week on the books and gets cash in hand for about 15 hours (at a 3/4 rate) a week from were she works, then on evening and weekends does house calls cash in hand too. :S

StevieBee

15,286 posts

284 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
In 2011, we hired a team of of people on a 6 month contract at £7.50 an hour.

One of the chaps we offered a position to asked if we could reduce his hourly rate as he would be better off as a result of the way is benefits were structured.

Let me repeat that.....he wanted to EARN LESS so his benefits would INCREASE!

Don't ask me why or how (he did tell me but I really couldn't be bothered)

Engineer1

10,486 posts

238 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
One issue is child care is expensive bare in mind so unless you earn enough an hour to cover that and then enough on top of that to cover your commute, then on top of that enough to actually purchase the aditional essentials for work lunches work wear etc very quickly the sums head towards you working to pay for the child care you need because you are working.

shirt

25,377 posts

230 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
The downside is that when your kids leave school you have been out of full time employment for over a decade and effectively unemployable for full time. Also your 'career' will stall as there will be no prospects for growth or promotion.


tilley441

330 posts

182 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
shirt said:
The downside is that when your kids leave school you have been out of full time employment for over a decade and effectively unemployable for full time. Also your 'career' will stall as there will be no prospects for growth or promotion.
more to the point have you ever seen daytime tv!!

Munter

31,331 posts

270 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
SlimRick said:
Total annual:£19,950
Well that can't be right. The TV has been full of people telling me that £26,000 isn't enough to live on and they'll have to choose which leg to cut off and cook for the children first. Presumably you've already starved to death if you earn less than that.

Crafty_

14,075 posts

229 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
SlimRick said:
Edit: My ex currently claims the child benefit / tax credit as she needs it more than I do, despite me being sole carer for the child - if I was to work p/t I would start claiming it myself.
Is that not benefit fraud ?

anonymous-user

83 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
Odie said:
You'd be even better off if you do what someone I used to be friends with does, she works 16 hours a week on the books and gets cash in hand for about 15 hours (at a 3/4 rate) a week from were she works, then on evening and weekends does house calls cash in hand too. :S
Did you report them to the benefit fraud hotline?

No point us all whinging about tax etc when someone you know may be blatantly screwing it ?

SlimRick

Original Poster:

2,277 posts

194 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
quotequote all
Crafty_ said:
Is that not benefit fraud ?
Done this way with the full support and agreement from social services and hmrc....long, messy story.

Blue Oval84

5,395 posts

190 months

Thursday 2nd May 2013
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Don't you get the child benefit element anyway?

If so, deduct that from your part time earnings, I was sure it wasn't means tested.

liner33

10,861 posts

231 months

Friday 3rd May 2013
quotequote all
shirt said:
The downside is that when your kids leave school you have been out of full time employment for over a decade and effectively unemployable for full time. Also your 'career' will stall as there will be no prospects for growth or promotion.
What a high opinion you hold for those that take a career break to look after their kids, the clever ones use the time to better themselves and then come back into the market with much more saleable skills.