part time employment, dole and tax credits

[joko]

my friend wants to do part time work (under 16 hours) but i vaguely remember hearing that the dole would take any earnings over �5 out of your benefits, so she'd only come out of it �5 better off - so not much incentive to get a job!

someone told her that if she does tax credits she will get all her earnings and her benefits ( or are they just reduced a bit?)

what does all this mean? i know very little about this kind of thing so i can't really help her.

can anyone explain it in simple terms

many thanks

[mkt]

a friend of mine wanted to take some work and was told by the benefits office she could only work up to 16hrs a week or earn less than �20. anything over that would be deducted from her benefit.

may depend on the type of benefit your friend claims.

maybe have a look at www.adviceguide.org.uk or www.dwp.gov.uk

[themas]

I assume your friend is on jobseeker's allowance. If she is single and not disabled then she will only keep �5 per week of any earnings. If she is disabled or a single parent it is more - up to �20. She should talk to the job centre about it - they need to know she is working.

A single person (unless disabled) can't claim Working Tax Credit unless they are at least 25 and work 30 hours p. wk. so she would have to have a more or less full time job. A single parent or disabled person can claim if they are working 16 hours p. wk. & are at least 16. A single parent can also claim Child Tax Credit, whether working or not.