I just added a comment to your linked story. Might help if I add it here too.
"I would strongly recommend to your mate that he gets his calculations checked by somebody professional who has a clue before going through with this move. His current plan appears to be on the advice of 'a bloke in the pub' via the Daily Mail.
I worked for 15 years in welfare benefits advice and I can tell you categorically that the number of situations where you deliberately reduce your wages and end up better off is tiny, the amounts marginal and mostly due to increased costs attached to getting to work, transport and the like.
The thing about 'in work' benefits is that they decrease at a taper with increased income, so at a low income you might be entitled to quite a lot of housing benefit, tax credits etc but at a higher income, although the amount of benefits is reduced, total income is higher.
The problem is that it's often not higher by very much and the combined rates at which the in work benefits reduce results in shocking effective tax rates as your wage increases. For some eg where the opportunities on offer include low income you might be entitled to quite a lot of housing benefit, tax credits etc but at a higher income, although the amount of benefits is reduced, total income is higher.
The problem is that it's often not higher by very much and the combined rates at which the in work benefits reduce results in shocking effective tax rates as your wage increases. For some eg where the opportunities on offer include interesting rewarding work the small increase in income may seem worthwhile but it's easy to understand somebody not finding the move to dingy factory work for a small increase in cash being very motivating.
But there are no benefits that pay for your utilities except annual grants for old people and grants except annual grants for old people and grants for some groups for insulation and stuff. The gas bill has to be paid out of whatever you get from the pay packet and any benefits and tax credits you get on top.
And you certainly don't end up better off by taking a £9k drop in your wage believe me."
I do wish this myth that you can be better off on benefits would go away and be replaced by knowledge. There is an argument to be had about whether 'work pays' but it helps if we have the right one.
5 comments:
Welcome to the wonderful fluffy warm welfare state, your hard earned cash supporting wastrels everywhere...........or else.
is his name Bertorelli (its a long story)
Wash your mouth out young man! *tut tut*
I just added a comment to your linked story. Might help if I add it here too.
"I would strongly recommend to your mate that he gets his calculations checked by somebody professional who has a clue before going through with this move. His current plan appears to be on the advice of 'a bloke in the pub' via the Daily Mail.
I worked for 15 years in welfare benefits advice and I can tell you categorically that the number of situations where you deliberately reduce your wages and end up better off is tiny, the amounts marginal and mostly due to increased costs attached to getting to work, transport and the like.
The thing about 'in work' benefits is that they decrease at a taper with increased income, so at a low income you might be entitled to quite a lot of housing benefit, tax credits etc but at a higher income, although the amount of benefits is reduced, total income is higher.
The problem is that it's often not higher by very much and the combined rates at which the in work benefits reduce results in shocking effective tax rates as your wage increases. For some eg where the opportunities on offer include low income you might be entitled to quite a lot of housing benefit, tax credits etc but at a higher income, although the amount of benefits is reduced, total income is higher.
The problem is that it's often not higher by very much and the combined rates at which the in work benefits reduce results in shocking effective tax rates as your wage increases. For some eg where the opportunities on offer include interesting rewarding work the small increase in income may seem worthwhile but it's easy to understand somebody not finding the move to dingy factory work for a small increase in cash being very motivating.
But there are no benefits that pay for your utilities except annual grants for old people and grants except annual grants for old people and grants for some groups for insulation and stuff. The gas bill has to be paid out of whatever you get from the pay packet and any benefits and tax credits you get on top.
And you certainly don't end up better off by taking a £9k drop in your wage believe me."
I do wish this myth that you can be better off on benefits would go away and be replaced by knowledge. There is an argument to be had about whether 'work pays' but it helps if we have the right one.
Fuck a duck nut!
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