Hi looking for help, if anyone in similar poistion could shed some light on it, would be grateful,
Went to a job intview this morning, told the hours will be 16, asked how will affect me, i replied i will have to check it, so went to my local jobcentre plus and asked someone there, if i take a job for 16 hours will i be albe to still claim housing benefit, council tax, reply i received, if you take the job you will have to come off signing, as for the other we don't know, gee thanks! jobcentre minus, went to local CAB asked the same question, sorry were closed , come back tomorrow but get here early as it get busy, but i could be working tomorrow,
Then went down to the Town hall after all there the one's paying it, its choc-a-block with people sitting waiting to be seen,
So the question is it worth taking a job which I'm £24 week better off, but could end up paying housing and rates on top of this, The job center has a poster on the wall saying," Making work pay!" yeah right if your on 40 + hours a week and can claim tax credits etc
Anyone help please! thanks!

Have you tried the Wirral Borough Council Housing benefit and council tax calculator on their website- that may help.

Also depends whether you are (or are going to be) on JSA or Universal Credit.

If you pay CSA or own your own home (or mortgaged), Birkenhead does does not put you on Universal Credit. There are probably other cases where they don't, those are the only two I am aware of at the moment.

Under Universal Credit you would still need to sign on and look for work covering the other 19 hours a week to get any benefits. I've no idea whether UC replaces Housing Benefit around here yet.

Under Housing Benefit (non UC) there is no requirement to look for work, it is purely based on income.

Thanks guys, its a bloody minefield, my friend passed me a link to www.MONEYSAVINGEXPERT.COM they have an online calulator but filling in the numbers with still have to find £8.49 a week council tax and £17.29 week rent, add that to electric, gas, water rates and food doesn't leave much left, and they want me to start this week, so got to make my mind up what to do for the best.

The Tories- hard working party for the hard working people? Utter bollocks

You are not the first person I have heard about being #shafted for taking a job.

Good luck to you mate.

Huge sympathy , its a nuts situation . However maybe you should factor into your decision that as long as you're not TOO much out of pocket taking the job, you should take it as once you are actually in work, its easier to move on to another when something better comes up . Good Luck.