Should I take a part-time job if it leaves me no better off?
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I'm looking for some perspective from people who have experience with car living, especially those who have had to balance work with benefits and the practical costs of living in a vehicle.
I've been living in my car for close to two years. I'm currently unemployed and receiving a small amount of assistance, along with SNAP. I'm also in the process of trying to get into permanent housing through a local housing program. I don't want to get too far into the personal details, but the important thing is that my current income is extremely limited and getting housed is my main goal.
I was recently offered a part-time job at a clothing store: $18.50/hour for about 12 hours a week. On paper, that's roughly $960/month gross. (see image).
The problem is what happens to my other benefits.
Taking the job would cause my SNAP to decrease, and I would lose approximately $450/month in ABD cash assistance. After taxes and the loss of benefits, I'd only be modestly better off on paper—and once I account for the additional gas, mileage, maintenance, and general wear on my vehicle from commuting, I'm not sure I'd actually be better off at all. My net improvement cash flow would be minor. It is the same amount that I'm already getting for donating plasma. So really, my financial situation would not change.
More importantly, the job doesn't seem to get me any closer to housing. I can't work enough hours to make a significant difference financially because I need to stay within the income limits for my other benefits, including Medicaid. So I'm potentially taking on the responsibilities and costs of having a job without actually gaining enough income to change my situation.
On the other hand, I realize there are benefits to working that aren't captured by a monthly budget: getting out of the car for several hours, having somewhere to be, having a routine, getting recent work experience, meeting people, and potentially having an opportunity to increase my hours later if my circumstances change.
So I'm really torn.
If you were in this situation, would you take the job anyway, or would you stay unemployed and preserve the limited benefits you currently have?
I'm not looking for sympathy—I'd really appreciate practical opinions, including reasons why you think taking the job would or wouldn't make sense.