Lee HealeyIncomeMAX Managing Director

Better off in work?

Utilising expert benefits and tax credits advice

IncomeMAX help people to make sense of the benefits and tax credits system.

Millions ££££’s of benefits and tax credits go unclaimed every year by people with a genuine entitlement.

This includes people that move from benefits into work.

IncomeMAX is a Community Interest Company

and Social Enterprise.

We have a range of services to help people;

• maximise their income

• move into work

• make sense of their debt advice needs • minimise energy and water bills

• maintain their social wellbeing

At the heart of the IncomeMAX service…

• Personalised benefits and tax credits advice and expertise

• Helping the customer ‘pull together’ the relevant elements of the welfare system

• Providing help, support and advice so that income is fully maximised

• Going the ‘extra yard’ for customers in relation to financial and social wellbeing

Why is it essential that people moving from welfare

to work get the right benefits & tax credits advice?

• System is complex. Advice can help customers overcome the FINANCIAL FEAR FACTOR

• Back-to-work benefits

• Tax credits

• Childcare

• Continued help with rent and council tax

• Help to understand you can be better off!

… well, most of the time!

• Long-term unemployed• Parents and lone parents with children• People moving into low paid work• Older people• Disabled people and those with long-term health issues• Carers• People struggling financially – rent, mortgage, council

tax arrears, debt worries

Which customer groups are most likely to benefit from work-related benefits advice?

John is aged 40 and is long-term unemployed.

He lives with his partner Jane aged 38 and their two children

aged 2 and 7.

The family live in a privately rented house with a

rental value of £200 per week.

Case study

Jobseeker’s Allowance £105.95 per week

Child Benefit £33.70 per week

Child Tax Credit £108.75 per week

Housing Benefit £200 per week

Council Tax Benefit £30 per week

Total: £478.40 per week

Current income:

John is offered a job working 35 hours per

week earning £5.93 per hour = £207.55 per week

He is worried about losing his current benefits and

falling into rent and council tax arrears.

Moving into work

John’s wages £180.21 per week (net) Child benefit £33.70 per weekChild Tax Credit £108.75 per weekWorking Tax Credit £89.60 per weekHousing Benefit £132.96 per week Council Tax Benefit £ 9.37 per week

John’s new income: £554.59 per week

But don’t forget John will need to pay rent of £67.04 per week and council tax of £20.63 per week

John’s new income & benefits/tax credits entitlement

Our partners and accreditations

For more information:

IncomeMAX CIC

6th Floor

63 St Mary Axe

London EC3A 8AA

Tel: 0300 777 7772

Email: lee.healey@incomemax.org.uk

Website: www.incomemax.org.uk

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