Thinking about quitting work

[Jadey121]

This is actually depressing me to say this! I work part time and i put my two boys into a private nursery which costs £850 per month. I get help from tax creds but they dont cover the full expense. I am on a minimum wage job and at the end of the month i have zero I am struggling to even pay my rent as housing benefit say im not entitled to the full local housing allowence. Its got so bad i am minus 1000 with my bank i just cant afford to keep up with what the goverment say i can live off. I do not go on holidays or days/night out because simply theres no money. Feeding my two boys and keeping the roof over our heads is my main concern. I have just done a benefits calculation of what i would get if i was on income support (my boys are 2 and 3) its saying i would get more money if i wasnt working!!
How can this be?! Ive always worked before and after my boys were born but at this minute it really isnt paying me to work with the hefty childcare fees!
I really dont know what to do for th e best! I love work and my boys love nursery but that online benefits checker is saying i would be better off not going to work. :-\

Surely that isnt right?!

 

[davekennedy]

is there not cheaper option for your kids? like a child minder? my mum used to do child minding and cant believe she ever charged this much? could be a mother who has kids and also looks after other kids. so not a nursery.....more like a baby sitter. i would've thought it would be much cheaper.

then you could try and do some extra work. perhaps start a business. i saw someone talking about they started a cleaning business, which was good money.

or you could do some writing jobs from home....can you write?

 

[Jadey121]

Not looked into childminding that could be an option! Have looked into doing some other work on the side ie working from home but ive read too much about scams :-\
Even looked at selling avon or doing ann summers parties but seems you have to put money down to set up.

 

[pandaspot]

If you are are struggling with rent then you could apply for a discretionary housing payment (dhp) this payment is to help meet the shortfall between your rent and hb you receive.

It's a seperate form from the council where you list your incoming and outgoings. The assessor will then decide how much you should receive extra based on this information.

I am a hb/Ctb assessor so if you need any help, get in touch

 

[Jadey121]

ive applied for the discretionary housing payment and when i phoned they said it had been refused! When i asked why they said well you get x amount of tax creds a week you habe enough so i asked about my childcare and they said they only counted one child not two! So frustrating as i put all my outgoings on thr form so how could they miss a second child thats in childcare!
Also i asked them to review my housing benefit again they said they had got it totally wrong for months and that i should get a letter this week stating the correct amount. Im so angry ive been struggling for months thinking how could i manage the rent! Looks like ill have to suck it up and await their letter!