Q1. I am a lone parent and have been claiming Income Support for a few years. My children are all now at school and I have been offered a part time job working 20 hours per week. What financial help is available to me if I take up the job offer?

A. If you are working 16 hours or more a week you can apply for Working Tax Credit. The amount you receive depends on how much you earn and your family circumstances such as how many children you have and if anyone in your household suffers from a disability. You may also to entitled to Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit which are also calculated depending on your income and family circumstances.

In addition, if you have been claiming Income Support for longer than 26 weeks, you could also qualify for extended payments of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. If you qualify for an extended payment you will continue to receive the same amount of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit as you did when you were claiming Income Support. These payments will last for the first four weeks of your employment.