unemployed with 5 children - I was made redundant at the end of june and had to sign on. The job centre did me a better off calulation and told me if i was to take a lower salary at £15000 a year, i would be better off by £55 per week compared to beeing on benefits. I was not to impressed with this because if i was to get a part time jobs, just over 16 hours a week i would get £63 from working tax credit. This would make me better off than going for a full time job which does not make sense to me. I would like to speak to other people who can make sense of this or people who are in the same boat as me, what are your thoughts?

Don't even go there. Better off calcs do not take into account your whole life expenses.
From my husband leaving, I was a lone parent not working. It was so hard, not only do you have to cope with so little money, but also the stigma of being a lone parent on benefit.
I had been in council housing on a pretty low rent, but due to my son being bullied at school and then at home and being seriously assaulted, I left and moved into privately rented accomodationm for my childrens sakes. My son was awarded £15 compensation from the courts for being seriously beaten up at the age of 14 and I couldnt stand to live there any longer.
My private rent was still pretty small, my priority was the safe welfare of my children, and I didnt want to go back to work until they were all grown so that I could be there for them day in and day out.
But, along came a single parent back to work interview, and I went along. They did the back to work better off calculation, and oh my it looked so good on paper. Benefit run on, a £500 lump sum from the CSA as a child back to work bonus. It was going to be so good.
The result? Well here I am, I went back to work, I wasnt entitled to the back to work bonus as my ex had not paid his child suppport, so there was no money there to be had.
I started work two weeks before my employers monthly pay cycle, too late to be paid for those two weeks, it was going to be added to the next payday, 7 weeks hence.
Tax credits messed up, and they had a backlog, then their system was off for 7 days for a system update, and the only money I had to live on for 6 weeks was my child benefit, just over 16 pounds.
My landlord was not prepared to wait for the money, his words were that he only rented to people on benefit, and my payment could no longer be guarenteed, and he handed notice to quit to my youngest son who was then only 10. Nice man eh?
I bought a used car on HP to make sure that I could get to work, back, do school runs etc with limited time that I had being on my own, had to move to a new property to rent with astronmic rent, and was living on pennies.
Someone drove into my car at high speed, and the car was written off. My insurance paid what they said the car was worth, but there was a 1000 pound shortfall, so I am still paying for the car, and cant afford another one.
As such it was taking 2 hours to get to work and 2 hours home, and 30 pounds a week for travelling.
Sometimes I had to leave early and walk, and believe me walking 8 miles to work because you only have the fare one way is not a nice way to live, especially if you then have to do a 10 hour shift.
I reduced my hours down to part time, but still I didnt qualify for help as the amount of rent you pay has nothing to do with the amount of benefit you get. In my case still none.
I kept on top of my debts. Now? I am paying off baliffs for my council tax, I have CCJ's for my water rates, and all the world and his mate is chasing me for bills.
I am on the verge of bancruptcy because I believed the jobcentres better off calculation.
My advice? Just don't even go there.