would I be better off getting a part time job?

moonbeam682

Hi
I hope someone can help me as I don't know what to do for the best.
We currently get £52 a week in CTC & WTC + free dentist/eye care etc.
I am trying to work out if I would be better off getting a part time job or staying as we are.
Due to my youngest son having aspergers I need to be home when he is ie before & after school & school holidays, have tried him in holiday schemes but this hasn't worked out. I could work nights but will be unable to get sleep during the day in holidays & don't know if getting a job during term time ie dinner lady etc would cover the tax credits I would lose.
Also I would have to take into account transport to work etc.
Would I be better off staying at home & saving money by using old style etc
or better off working
Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated
thanks

helen21_2

Hi Moonbeam

Sorry but you not made it too clear what you are getting, are you a single mum? or are these credits for hubby working?

moonbeam682

Hi Helen

Sorry!
I am married & WTC is for my husbands wage

helen21_2

Hi

Well you could put in detail here

https://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/HomeIR.aspx

Add a wage for yourself to see if you would be better off. I know they do encourage 2 parents so maybe you would still get some, but dont know how much. I'm sure someone will be along soon that will be able to help you!

CIS

As your getting WTC, any income above £5220 will reduce your award at the rate of 37p for every £1 you earn (37%).

moonbeam682

thanks CIS
I don't think I would be able to get a part time job earning 5220 for the hours I could work & also having been full time mum for 11 years (had a part time job before 3rd son was born) I am not expecting to be able to earn a high wage.
Do you know what WTC is reduced by for earning under 5220 & is child tax credit affected?

CIS

You are allowed to earn £5220 (if you are entitled to WTC) before your award is reduced.(NOTE: TC works on combined income, so the £5220 includes any income of yours and your husbands)

Tax Credits works as follows;

1)You are entitled to WTC and CTC , so you total up all of the TC elements that you are entitled to.

2)Then calculate your and your husbands expected income for the year, and deduct £5220 from this figure. (If the resulting figure is greater than £0, you reduce the figure by 37%.)

3)You deduct the resulting figure from your total TC to give the figure that is payable.

Assuming your combined income is above £5220, You will loose 37p in the pound from your award for every £1 extra you earn, but that means you still gain 77p in the pound of earnings (before tax and NI) from any income you get.

Spendless

moonbeam682 wrote:

thanks CIS
I don't think I would be able to get a part time job earning 5220 for the hours I could work & also having been full time mum for 11 years (had a part time job before 3rd son was born) I am not expecting to be able to earn a high wage.
Do you know what WTC is reduced by for earning under 5220 & is child tax credit affected?

I think CIS meant your total household income (ie your hubbys current wage plus yours) not just your additional one.

I work as a dinner lady in a local school.I do 6.25 hours over 5 days. 12-1.15 every day. How long the hours are depends on the school and how big it is. A nearby school has extended their dinner time to 12-1.30 due to number of pupils they now have.So that would be 7.5 hours over the 5 days.

The rate of pay is quite good for my area £6.20an hour but you are out every lunch time which means taking school run into account it is quite difficult to fit other things in (like shopping) round hours you are out. You are off in school hols which is a bonus, but teacher training days can be a problem. If your children are off and your due to work. Also if you live near a county border and you work in one county and kids are at school in another, sometimes the holidays don't match up either. I get a free meal every day after my sheift finishes if I wish. My school has healthy eating, so I can always have a Jacket potato (no turkey twizzlers in sight-lol!). This helps me budget wise with our grocery bills.

Kitchen staff rather than supervision (which I am) do work longer hours- so bit extra cash.

You could also consider working as a classroom assistant, but where I am these jobs are in high demand, and a friend has done a college course and voluntary work in school to try and get in. She hasn't managed it yet and has been doing it for 18 months in addition to the part-time job she currently has.

Other things that have been mentioned on these boards before are things like an Avon round, delivering the free newspaper, and one member worked in MacDonalds during term-time only.

Does your hubby come in at set time each evening? If so you could consider an evening job. I used to work 5-8 mon-fri at a diy store.

What did you do before having children? I always worked in admin and technology has passed me by in the years I've had off to have kids. I'm about to give up my dinner lady job to go back to college to update my skills. You could also consider doing something like this.

GOOD LUCK

moonbeam682

Thank you very much CIS
You have explained this so well!
This will really help me work things out

moonbeam682

Hi spendless
thank you very much for all your ideas
I realise now that CIS meant total income!:doh:
It is really hard to get school jobs here to as where I live they have been building all new schools to replace old ones & have been reducing the amount of cleaners etc they have.
Hubby works from 7am to 6.30 so doing a few hours in the evening is a possibility.
I used to work in an office & have done library & retail jobs but the office was the one I enjoyed the most.
I really like the idea of going back to college, this may be my best option at present & at least I'd be better qualified. Also should be able to fit it in while my son is at school.
thanks again & good luck with your college course!