How much is going back to work worth to you?

[Celesse]

I'm doing my sums. Looking at the difference between Tax credits and child care costs and what we will end up with at the end of the month. OH works and I will be going back part time, but both are rather low paid jobs. Which means that we will only be approx £50 a week/ £200 a month better off with me working 5 mornings a week than if I stayed at home with LO.

So £10 a day to get up early, be unable to help OH get ready for work and instead have him help me get LO ready, take LO to a child minder, take public transport to work, pay tea money at work, probably eat at work, rush to get LO from her child minders.

 

[mummyclo]

Im not sure yet, as i think my tc needs to be changed.
I think unless the government pay for my childcare, it won't be worth it for me

 

[shortie1990]

I'm not going back, I haven't even sat down and worked out how much everything will cost, and i'd have MIL who lives at the end of the road who would be more than happy to have LO.. but why should she have him, why can't i??

but i'm in a very good situation, OH has a different job and has been doin crazy amounts of over time, and he is earing an extra 1000 per month after tax than he was earning when we found out i was pregnant, so i'm not going back!

 

[anna matronic]

If I don't go back to work it means I go on Income Support and I don't want that and can't afford it. Plus I love my job, was only qualified 6 months before getting pregnant! In an ideal world I'll go back part time probably 4 days per week. but I am also off for school holidays so get to spend lots of time with lo

 

[ouchwithNo.2]

at the moment I am actually taking home MORE than I would working, dumb isn't it?
I have my child benefit (2 kids, so £136??) tax credits (2 kids) £85 a week (my 6yr old was only getting £10 a week before LO so I guess £75 is for her) and that is based on the £100 disregard.
SMP - £126 a week?
at the end of the month I am about £50 up on what I would be working full time.
I know ifI didn't go back that would change but tbh I can't see me working and earning much more anyway, bit like you say just a few pounds a day.
BUT... we want to move so bigger mortgage and I need to show payslips.

 

[Annabel]

If I hadn't have had a very good promotion and become a home worker I would have stayed at home. I'm really pleased I got the promotion because I have to think long term benefits of continuing to work. There's just a part of me that wishes I didn't get it so I didn't have to go back to work!!

 

[xxembobxx]

We would be about £50 a week better off also. I have wondered whether it is worth the hassle and the potential missing out on LO's milestones but I do really want to work.
I just worry that as it's not a huge monetary gain if LO is poorly (which I have noticed lots of babies are once they start mingling) then I lose pay and could end up worse off Also the cost of fuel will make an impact on any earnings and it's reported to rise even more yet.
Added to that is the fact that I want to do a degree with the Open University and I would be entitled to a grant to help pay the fees but working would mean I'm no longer entitled and would have to pay £30 a week.
The only thing forcing me to go to work is the thought that it's harder to get back into work once you have been out of the loop for a while.
It's a difficult decision

 

[leelee]

Myself and OH are actually moving areas because we can't afford to stay where we are even though we both earn decent (ish) money. We also have more support from friends and are more accessible to family when we move.

I have just gotten a new job and it is 3 days a week. It is home based so I will be able to help OH get LO ready in the morning (he will bring LO to nursery) and I will be there in the evening and will have dinner ready for both of them in the evening. By moving OH will also cut his travel down from 2hours to 1/2 an hour so they should be back home by 5.30pm every evening.

We will have way more disposable income when I start this new job and I also feel I will get the best of both worlds as I will be LO 4 days a week and he will get to mix with other babies when he is at creche. I am currently researching activities for us to do when I am off as I want to continue on baby signing, baby music or swimming.

Not sure I would bother going back if I was ony £200 better off to be honest. It would have to worth my while.

 

[xxembobxx]

I don't suppose anybody knows of the changes in tax credits which will come into effect in April?
I know the amounts are going to change, it would be good to know by how much so we could plan our finances better.

 

[Jox]

im gutted 2 say our monthly income would pretty much double if i went back 2 my job. Oh would b sahd but i dont want 2 b out 10/11hrs a day so im gonna b looking 4 a different job, less pay, less hrs and just accept i the time being that we r skint. Would prefer that then missing out on time with leo. Life is precious, they r only babies once.

 

[Laura_M]

We're currently trying to work this out before I go back to work in april! It's not an option for me to not work or go part-time as I earn significantly more than OH, so we're looking at the option of him going part-time. My mum is having LO one day and MIL another and to put him in nursery the remaining 3 days comes to almost £500 a month.... if OH works 2 days a week and looks after LO the other 3 days we'll be slightly worse off but not loads...and LO would get 3 days with his daddy instead of being in nursery from 8am until 5pm. Going to the CAB next week to check all of our entitlements but not looking promising that we'll get much at all as I earn too much! We'd probably be better off if I quit my job and got something that pays £10k less (not that I would even consider doing this, I've worked hard to get where I am!!)

 

[Laura_M]

I don't suppose anybody knows of the changes in tax credits which will come into effect in April?
I know the amounts are going to change, it would be good to know by how much so we could plan our finances better.

I'm going to CAB next week so I'll post something on here if they can shed any light!

 

[mummy2jack]

i would only be £30 a week better off going back to work. that doesn't include any childcare or petrol costs to get to work. I am not prepared to miss out on my lo for mayb a fiver a week!! (before childcare) i have worked for the last 10 years and paid my taxes etc, there are plenty of people who scrounge off this country withou contributing anythin in tax/ni etc so the way i see it is, i've paid my contributions, i am entitled to stay at home with my lo with help from the government xx
hope i havent offended anyone xx

 

[Celesse]

I don't suppose anybody knows of the changes in tax credits which will come into effect in April?
I know the amounts are going to change, it would be good to know by how much so we could plan our finances better.

I'm sure I read that instead of contributing up to 80% of child care costs they will now only contribute up to 70% of child care costs.

I need to work 3 months to avoid paying back my additional maternity leave, but chances are that come April when my 3 months are up and TC are changed I'll be leaving unless I'm pregnant, and if I'm pregnant I'll be leaving at 29weeks!

 

[xxembobxx]

hope i havent offended anyone xx

Not offended me
I have to say I'm surprised how much of a struggle it is financially once you have a child. My LO was a (welcome) surprise but we were really unprepared for the financial implications it has on the whole family

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

I work part time and am £75 per week better off working than not. (salary plus tax credits and CB, minus childcare and commute. I've not looked at what benefits we'd get if I didn't work, I suspect we'd get some help as OH is not on a very high salary) That's essential money to us. And it is very important to me to earn rather than to be on benefits, even if financially we are not much better off.

 

[SKATERBUN]

I have to go back to work Full Time just to apply for another mortgage and get a bigger house, I dont want to as like you say you sometimes only work to pay the childcare and whats left at the end of the day its a joke, but on the flip side, I want to give LO some socialisation with other LO's and also I miss having the social interaction too with my work mates I will hate leaving LO with strangers thats the worst bit for me, but I hope it will only be for a short while just until be are sorted again.

 

[mummy2jack]

i managed ok - i got sacked from my job they day after i told them i was pregnant. I took them to court for unfair dismissal/sex discrimintation and on the day of the court case, they settled out of court for 10.5k!!! I recieved that about 3 weeks before my lo was born so have been able to manage quite comfortably. Now all that has gone (not just on lo - cleared some debt too) i now realise how much you need to budget for things when it comes to your lo, they grow so quick, you have to buy 5 different things before you find one they like etc. All good fun!!

 

[sar35]

ive decided not to go back but to do childminding at home instead.. go on the course in March...(havent told work yet) but im planning on going back just for the 13weeks so i dont have to pay back mat pay. Luckily I work in a school so I can hand in my notice in the 6weeks holidays.
Sorry i know it wasnt what you originally asked for but I dont know

 

[xxembobxx]

I took them to court for unfair dismissal/sex discrimintation

I wonder if I could pm you about this?
I was made redundant 2 weeks before my 6 months ML was up and the temp is still doing my job! I had seen a solicitor but can't afford his costs. I think my employer should have to answer to a tribunal and would love to hear firsthand how you managed with it all.