The figures I give may shock you ok, but don't give me a hard time about it please, I've already got it in the neck from people in my own family and of course, our Government.
I went to the CAB last week and basically, the more I work, the worse off I will be. All figures below are from the print out they gave me should I increase the hours I work at the pub (£6 an hour)
Right now, I receive £531 a week in benefits. I know, you think that's way too high so you're pissed off at me. Rrrah rrah rrrrah, scrounger, parasite, layabout, workshy.
3 hours: £18. Income support: 67.50. tax credits: 59.36. Housing benefit: 346. council tax: 20. Work Income and benefits: 531.16 The first £20 is discounted, so in effect, am £18 better off.
4 hours: £24: Income support: 63.50. The rest same. WI/B: 533.16
5 hours: £30; I/S: 57.50. The rest same. WI/B: 533.16
7 hours: £42: I/S: 45.50...WI/B 533.16 (You have to do the maths but I'm not winning if end result is the same)
15 hours: £90: I/S:0 Tax credit: 59.36. H/B: 346. C/T:20 = WI/B 535.66. £20 better off.
Work work work only ever £20 better off.
Then, hang on....
16 hours: £96. I/S: 0. Tax credits: 133.42. H/B: 319.95. C/T: 11.99. WI/B: 581.66 = Here I am better off by £10 from the 3 hours I worked, taking in rent & council tax I am now paying. So £10 better off whilst being £10 worse off than the hour before....
30 hours: £167.68. I/S 0. Tax credits: 125.09. HB.278.77. C/T: 0. WI/B: 591.84. = Minus rent, council tax I receive: 500.84. So £30 worse off than I am now and still hugely reliant on housing benefit. .
At 30 hours I would most certainly be paying full price, no concession for school meals, after school clubs, out of school clubs and there you have it, the trap may of us are in, where work does not pay.
Tomorrow I have to go declare my pub work.
I don't want to do it because I know it is the first step to a life of working poverty, never mind the growing separation from my child; his school shows, all kinds of things.. who'll take him to kung fu? Maybe you think he doesn't have a right to go.
The fact that thousands, millions of others are in a similar situation to what I am or will be, doesn't make me feel better at all.
Skip skip skip to the lou....
skip skip skip to the lou
skip skip skip
My symbolic husband is not an easy system to be married to
Maybe I'll just leave it there
No hang on
The pain in declaring, I said. The headache that follows.
I do understand why some poor perhaps don't do it.
I do not understand why the rich don't either:
1.2 bn: annual cost of benefit fraud
40bn: annual cost of tax avoidance
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5 comments:
Ouch! OMG!
Yes...
Yes, been there done that. I too was a single mum on benefits at one time. It was hard, frustrating, at times demeaning, and made me shout a lot when I was alone. I hated it because the system was so messed up but I had no answer. I loved your last figures re benefit fraud and tax evasion.
Just found you via BMB blog hop, am a new follower--nice to 'meet' you!
That is all to bloody confusing for me, so you are worse off for working?
Thanks Michelloui,nice to meet you too! I'm so glad to hear you got out. It's why I write this blog really, all the ones I met, but especially all the statutorily homeless people who helped me. I thought I'd note down just how hard it can be so others are better understood. And yes, the last figures are the point really. So much attention given to welfare recipients, scrouging,thieving, and none whatsoever to the tax avoiders and evaders. What can I say, it's easier to kick a person when they're down....
Frankie P, yes, totally utterly confusing. Wouldn't be surprised if this post doesn't make sense. I don't know what it would mean if I was paid, say £12 an hour. It's deliberately confusing to make us feel thick. I'm not worse off at the moment but more money and more hours, there's only a small window where I can win but only by 20 sodding pounds.
Wooo!
Seeing as I'm not stopping blogging on Friday, I will probably write more about this because it's not just my life, but I can only tell it through me. What joyous joy...!
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