A MUM-OF-THREE who claims £840 a month in benefits last night hit out at the welfare system – saying it was not worth getting a full-time job.

Lorenza El-Kority has spent months hunting for work to make her and her three children’s lives better.

But she said she was shocked to discover getting a full-time job would leave her much worse off.

Last night, the Government admitted the system was ‘broken’ and meant many people were in fact better off on benefits.

The 36-year-old currently works as a nursery assistant.

But because she only works eight hours, her weekly £110 council house rent is covered by housing benefit and she is still entitled to monthly payments of £150 in jobseekers’ allowance, £59.80 child tax credits, and £134.80 child benefits.

Prescriptions for medicine are also free, and her children are entitled to free school lunches.

Ms El-Kority, of Donnington Bridge, Oxford, said the nursery assistant jobs she had applied for would earn her around £990 a month before tax – the equivalent of £11,880 a year.

Ms El-Kority, a single mum to Farrise, 15, Kareem, 13, and Sienna, seven, currently earns about £200 from her part-time job.

If she worked full-time, it is estimated she would have to earn about £15,000 to cover the benefits she would lose but be no better off. That would increase to £21,000 if she did not live in a council house but instead rented a similar property on the private market.

She said: “No one wants to be living on benefits. I don’t want my children to look up to me and think ‘oh well, she hasn’t got a job. Why should I get one?’ “But the way the system works doesn’t give anyone any incentive.

“It makes me so angry. I want to be working. But the minute I do, I’d lose everything.

“I’d pay my own rent, my children’s lunches, everything.”

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is currently overhauling the way benefits are paid.

A system called Universal Credit, which will bring together in and out-of-work benefits so households receive one income- related payment, will be introduced but not until next year.

A DWP spokesman said: “The benefits system is broken and currently works to keep people out of work and on benefits.

“Universal Credit will reward people who go back to work by making sure they are better off in employment.”

They added: “The current benefits system is costly, complicated and for some claimants acts as a disincentive for them to take up work.

“In 2010-2011 the Government spent £201billion on welfare and pension payments.

“Support will be withdrawn gradually so claimants will be able to work more hours and keep more of their pay.”

Those working below 16 hours a week are currently entitled to income support or jobseeker’s allowance.

Ms El-Kority added: “The system’s broken. More needs to be done to help people who are trying to help themselves.”

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: “I think there is a problem out there although it’s not a comment I hear a lot from my constituents. I think the high costs of rent in Oxford is a problem.

“But I’m not sure cutting benefits, which is what the Government seems to be doing, is going to help anyone.”