Interesting info from CAB!

[Jadey121]

So me and my oh went to the CAB last week to see what the best option would be regarding returning to work and the calculations were shocking to say the least!

She worked out the calculations with me returning to work full time / part time / not returning at all and heres what the letter says (these amounts include ohs wage too)

If i did not return to work our total weekly income would be £393.28
(this is with taking out our weekly rent / council tax)

If i returned full time total weekly income £300.93 ( again with rent and council / childcare fees taken out )

If i returned part time (16 hrs a week) total weekly would be £408.12. (with rent and council / childcare fees taken out )

Then she went on to say if we both didnt work!

We would get approx £300 a week however we wouldnt need to pay rent or council tax?

How wrong is this?! So if i went back to work full time and oh stayed full time the total weekly income would be the same if we both DIDNT work. How is that right?!

The advisor said amounts are 'approx' amounts however all this seems completely wrong! Obviously oh isnt going to quit his job because of this however i will be staying at home once my maternity pay has finished. I am just utterly gobsmacked how much difference there is from me working full time and me not working at all - we would be WORSE off by me going back into full time work and only £15 better off by going back part time - £15 extra - id rather stay at home with my kids and enjoy the time off with them until they are in full time school!

 

[aimee-lou]

I did some similar calculations to try to figure out if I should go back to work this time around.

I worked out that even with 85% of our childcare paid for thanks to hubby being a student we would only be £11 a week better off. £11 a week for the luxury of working 16 hours a week and putting my 3 children into childcare......ermmmm, you know what, I'll just go without! lol

It is totally ridiculous and shouldn't be the case that you can afford to live without working. However, the cost of living is so high atm, it means that the benefits have to match it otherwise they wouldn't cover living costs. Sad, but true. I 'earn' more from the government than I could ever even dream of, even working nearly full time.

I hasten to add I worked full time prior to having Earl, and 30 hours a week prior to having Eddy.

 

[Jadey121]

It is really frustrating! I didnt know this information at the time and worked full time with baby 1 and part time with baby number 2! Bascially ive been working all those hours for pennies!
The whole system is messed up and such a joke!

We do get help from tax creds obviously but even with that we are still worse off both working full time.

I dont see how the gov work it all out and its highly frustrating as i do want to go back to work but im not prepared to work 16 hours a week for a £15 boost a month on our income!

 

[Noodlebear]

It's disgusting isn't it? I'd be better off financially if I kicked my OH out.... and he earns good money! I get child benefit and that's it. I know a family with 3 children and their parents 'work' the system ie the father is VERY selective about where he works and how many hours he takes on and it really is one of my pet hates

I really want the benefits system to be completely revised, there is no way in hell that non working families should be better off than those who work and are refused help. To me the cut off points just seem insane if that can happen?! Benefits should be there to help everyone onto a level playing field.

 

[Abz1982]

im currently sitting with lots of paper trying to figure this out! So far it seems that if we keep getting vouchers and claim for the remainder I will get most of my childcare back. Just about to do the calcs without the vouchers.

Unfortunately if I dont go back as oh earns 24k we will not get any help...so I have to go back, its just getting the hours right!