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Benefits
You might not know about all of the benefits you could be entitled to. You may be entitled to some benefits even if you are working. Find out what you can claim GOV.UK's Benefits Calculator.
For more information about Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support visit our Benefits Pages.
Welfare Reform
Welfare Reform will change who is entitled to and the way the benefits are paid. The biggest changes are that:
- Benefits are capped
- Housing benefit will be reduced for working age tenants in social housing living in a home with more bedrooms than they need.
- People of working age will have any Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Tax Credits and Housing Benefit replaced by one monthly payment called Universal Credit
These changes will only affect you if you are of working age. If you already draw your state pension you won't be affected.
To find out more visit our Welfare Reform pages.
Wages
Minimum wage
This is the lowest amount that your employer can pay you per hour. The amount depends on your age and whether you are an apprentice.
To find out more about minimum wage rates visit GOV.UK's website.
If you are not getting the minimum wage visit the Pay and Work Rights website or call their helpline on 0800 917 2368 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday or 9am and 1pm on Saturday.
Take home pay calculator
When you are offered a job it can be difficult to work out how much of your pay you'll take home, what with tax, national insurance and pensions to think about. The take home pay calculator takes all of these things into account and works out how much of your pay you'll actually take home.
What if you have more than one income?
Many people have more than one job. However you only get one tax free allowance, so remember to tell your employers so that they can work out your tax properly.
You can have a job and be self-employed too. However you still only get the one tax free allowance and will also need to complete a tax return.
You get a national insurance allowance for your job and another for your self-employment. To find out more visit Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs website.
Child Maintenance
Child maintenance is the money you pay towards your child’s everyday living costs when you’ve separated from the other parent. You can agree these yourselves, including how much and how they'll be paid. However they're not legally binding.
GOV.UK's Child Maintenance Calculator gives you an idea of the amount the government would work out for you if you used that service.
You can make a legally binding arrangement through the Child Maintenance Service. You can contact their options team on 0800 083 5130 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday or 9am and 4pm on Saturday.