Anyone manage to get a job through this?

[LucyR]

Hello, Yesterday, when I made my monthly trip to my psychiatrist, I was told that there is help available to me in getting a job and that people are allowed to do up to 16 hours a week if it is therapeutic to their health. I just wondered if anyone on here has went through this option and did it help you to get a job? also, I was told I would be able to keep my benefit, is this true, or is it deducted pound for pound after the first £5 as it used to be. Looking forward to any replies.

[missacorah]

Hi

Im in this situation right now. Ive just got a job in my local newsagents (my safety zone luckily enough lol) and am working 12 hours a week. Because its under 16 hours a week (the amount of hours you need to work before you get Working Tax Credit instead of Income Support, I still get Income Support and am allowed to earn an extra £20 a week on top of that. If I earn a nymore than that, I need to declare it to them and they will take it off my next payment.

I was also told that some companies ( I have no idea which) help out people with anxiety etc by offering them small jobs to ease them back into the workforce to see how they get on before committing to anything. You could perhaps ask at your local Jobcentre to see whats avaialble to you :)

[LucyR]

Hi, Thanks very much for the reply. Does this mean you get your wages the same as anyone else, but you get a bit less income support? I am assuming that the rate for the job would be well above the £20 for the 12hrs? I have someone coming to see me about this at home, so perhaps I will get an opening of some kind out of this. The job I had before which was only like 3 hrs on one day a week was no use as I simply got less benefit because of the job, so was only £5 a week better off! Which I think in this day and age is pretty bad.

[bora20]

I agree Lucy I had to go for an interview with a person at the job centre who told me the same things as you. But I dont know if it depends what benefit you are actually on, I get Incapacity Benefit and I was told I could try a part time job arranged by them with a sympathethic local employer (I assume the get a nice back hander for this). But they never told me if it would be taken off my benefit. We should be given the chance of making a little extra without being penalised for it, lets face it we cant live like kings on benefit in this day and age. Phew climbing off soap box.

[LucyR]

Hi, The thing is, if we are prepared to do work up to 16hrs a week, whats the use of giving us something like £5 to £20 a week, its not worth starting if thats all we get is it, the rate should be £50 extra, after all thats only £3 an hour, less than half others would get to do the job, the benefit system is unsatisfactory.