Anyone on a single £18k wage? Tax credits?

[Pearls18]

No it doesn't depend on area, hope you don't mind flower fairy but I looked on the tax credits calculator (I love playing with it I'm a saddo lol) and it's because it's mostly for the childcare element, the child tax credit element is obviously higher because of 3 children. I think it's great the system has enabled you to work because I doubt there are many single mums of 3 that feel able to I am ALWAYS telling people to look into tax credits for childcare when they make the assumption it doesn't pay to work because for so many people it can (I know not everyone) hubby and I have what I think is a good income and tax credits has really helped with our childcare, we pay A LOT in London which is why we are entitled to so much.

You can't really compare CTC like for like as it'll depend on child care costs etc, I don't know anything about HB.

 

[lindseymw]

MarineWag, unfortunately I have to give up work due to our In Laws are no longer able to look after the boys. The price of childcare would have wiped my wage out, leaving me just enough to cover petrol costs to get to said work. We would have got £1.50 a month help from Child Tax Credits towards childcare costs based on paying around £200 a week.

 

[Lauraxamy]

MarineWag, unfortunately I have to give up work due to our In Laws are no longer able to look after the boys. The price of childcare would have wiped my wage out, leaving me just enough to cover petrol costs to get to said work. We would have got £1.50 a month help from Child Tax Credits towards childcare costs based on paying around £200 a week.

That's such a shame, there should be more ways to help with child care My CTC doesn't even cover my child care either.

 

[stephx]

I get £209 a week TC for 1 child.

My Childcare bill is £172 per week and I get £64 per week HB.

My wages are £200 a week. Makes it just worth working financially! Although in September when she starts school I will get a lot less as I won't have any childcare costs.

 

[Pearls18]

MarineWag, unfortunately I have to give up work due to our In Laws are no longer able to look after the boys. The price of childcare would have wiped my wage out, leaving me just enough to cover petrol costs to get to said work. We would have got £1.50 a month help from Child Tax Credits towards childcare costs based on paying around £200 a week.

I know that is the case for some people (a lot probably), im sorry you're unable to work anymore I'm just saying there are a lot of people out there that don't realise the help that is available because it's not very well advertised that the income threshold is higher than normal CTC for childcare, especially if the husband isn't a high earner, also it can be worth while sometimes if the woman works part time instead of full time as it makes the overall income lower so more help available if the woman really wants to work. As I say not the case for everyone, it'll depend on the wage of both parents but usually single parents are the ones who can really benefit from the tax credit system if they choose to work but many just look at childcare and think it isn't possible.

I also have a lot of friends within the military community who say they can't work but I know they could because I know what their husbands earn (going from rank and years in) but as I say they just look at childcare prices and the tax credits they get already and assume there is no help but there actually is a lot of help for working parents on a lower income, I know this isn't any good for those on a higher income, or worse still a middle income, I think our luck is going to run out with it next year when hubby gets a bonus but that's just how the system is a guess.

 

[Pearls18]

Oh and CTC will never cover all of childcare, it's up to 70% if you get more it's because of another element. CTC nowhere near covers all of our childcare we're not that low of an income but it just helps make a dent in the bill, I have worked out in the past we wouldn't be much more better off if I didn't work by the time you discount travel, childcare costs and the fact CTC and CB wouldnt be going on childcare, but I don't look at it like that as I like my job and see it as a long term "investment" for when they're in school but understand if people don't like their jobs it wouldn't have that value or seem to be worth being away from the children.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I don't even know what I get? I get disability premium though x

 

[lisa9999]

Im a single parent, 3 children on £17000 and I get £379 a week hun and £484 a month HB. xx

God that seems a lot - £43k income in total??

 

[emyandpotato]

Oh and CTC will never cover all of childcare, it's up to 70% if you get more it's because of another element. CTC nowhere near covers all of our childcare we're not that low of an income but it just helps make a dent in the bill, I have worked out in the past we wouldn't be much more better off if I didn't work by the time you discount travel, childcare costs and the fact CTC and CB wouldnt be going on childcare, but I don't look at it like that as I like my job and see it as a long term "investment" for when they're in school but understand if people don't like their jobs it wouldn't have that value or seem to be worth being away from the children.

Thank you, I didn't realise about childcare either. I don't know if OH's income of £18k counts as low but I'll definitely be checking that out!

 

[LynseyPynsey]

As a single mother to 1 I get £256 a week, nursery bill is £970 a month. Don't get HB. I only earned £8000 last year due to being on maternity, will earn £15000 from this year so my tax credits will drop to around £200 a week

 

[FlowerFairy]

£379 a week tax credits, thats double my wage and i work 25hrs.

I work 42 hours a week. I think you get an extra element for working over 30 hours x

Im a single parent, 3 children on £17000 and I get £379 a week hun and £484 a month HB. xx

Holy shit....you get nearly £20k a year purely from tax credits?

Yeah. I have a £242 a week childcare bill so I think that's why.
I just presumed this was normal.

Hope I don't sound rude, but does it vary in different areas or anything? I'm a single Mum, two children, pay child care bills, I work full time and I do earn more but I don't even get half that amount in CTC and I'm not entitled to HB at all.

You don't sound rude at all hun I don't think areas do make a difference

No it doesn't depend on area, hope you don't mind flower fairy but I looked on the tax credits calculator (I love playing with it I'm a saddo lol) and it's because it's mostly for the childcare element, the child tax credit element is obviously higher because of 3 children. I think it's great the system has enabled you to work because I doubt there are many single mums of 3 that feel able to I am ALWAYS telling people to look into tax credits for childcare when they make the assumption it doesn't pay to work because for so many people it can (I know not everyone) hubby and I have what I think is a good income and tax credits has really helped with our childcare, we pay A LOT in London which is why we are entitled to so much.

You can't really compare CTC like for like as it'll depend on child care costs etc, I don't know anything about HB.

I don't mind at all. My childcare is 242 a week dso I agree that's why. x

Im a single parent, 3 children on £17000 and I get £379 a week hun and £484 a month HB. xx

God that seems a lot - £43k income in total??

Yeah but my childcare is £12584 a year and my rent is £8940, my council tax is £1480 a year so I'm far from well off. I have to budget and be very careful. It's definitely better for me to work full time and put the 2 small kids in childcare than be a SAHM. xx

 

[Snow Owl]

Household income of £13k here, 2 kids and no Childcare costs.

We get about £300 a month CTC and £100 WTC. We get £40 a month HB BUT this is reduced as I get full MA currently. When that stops they reckon it will go up to about £250 a month.

Hope that helps