Coping after SMP runs out

Emmenelle

Hi Helen

I've been a SAHM since March 08 when my DD was born. I returned to work 4 days a week after I had DS 3 years ago and I took redundancy.

It IS do-able. We also rent, so I applied for Housing Benefit - or Local Housing Allowance, as its now called, and we get nearly half our rent paid. Adding the LHA to the tax credits and the child benefit we receive means that we're roughly legal pegging with what we'd have left if I returned to work and paid out 2 lots of childcare.

After all bills, we have around £170 pw for food, petrol, clothes and all spends. I will go back to full time work in a couple of years.

Google 'Local Housing Allowance' and you can find out what rent help you would qualify for in your area then plug that figure into www.entitledto.co.uk. To get an idea, enter in the figures a year in advance and it should give you a good idea.

Krystaltips

My hubby earns a lot less that yours and I'm a SAHM with one just started school and one due May. We have no car and no debts and we manage perfectly well on 1 wage with tax credits top ups. I do about 4hrs a week at the local hospital for Grade A pay but won't be rushing back once baby is here... If you get used to living on a budget it just gets to be a way of life. We even manage to save about £120 a month towards big purchases...

JoJoB

My OH earns £18k and my SMP has just runs out. His salary covers all bills apart from food, travel, clothes etc. We receive £200 per month in child tax credit (though I think this will go down when baby is 1), and £80 per month child benefit. There is probably £100 per month spare from OH's wages after paying bills so that leaves us £380-400 per month to live on.

This is manageable - I just worry about extra expenses like the boiler going or having to buy expensive train tickets to visit family etc, but with careful budgetting even these things could be covered.

Lucky I found this site! Using coupons for food shopping has really helped, and ebaying competition wins has provided some useful extra income at times.

I'm sure you will find a way.

gymfiend

Can you possibly look into work as a childminder? Post baby this would allow you to stay at home and still get paid, even if it's not much at first? Maybe friends children etc?

pinkpig08

When I go back to work after Mat leave I'll be paying the childminder £300 per month and taking home about £250. I would love to be a SAHM but we just wouldn't be able to afford it. We should get an extra £40 per month tax credits and £50 per month child benefit. DH's CSA payments will also go down by about £20 per month.

The way I look at it is that when the baby eventually goes to school (DS is 6 and at school already), I'll already have a job that suits the school hours and won't have to start looking for another. If I give up my job now I can't be sure that I'll find another with the same hours.

narabanekeater

Just like Kristal said above you learn to cope with just the one income
I wasnt planning to be a SAHM but due to my sons ill health I am
Feeding you all good food healthly and cheap can be done check out the old style boards there very helpful.
I cannot really tell you how but you just do it
Clothes all come from Sainsburys now when they have a 25% weekend
We only need the car if we need to and we still have a good family holiday in the Uk every year

mrcow

I got a part time job that worked around my husband's hours. It's worked well for us and we have no compulsory childcare costs.

Money_maker

I'm in a similar position. MA finished in October, really noticed the difference particularly with Christmas coming up. Due to return to p/t eve work 3 eves per week later this month. Child tax credits are helpful and getting back to this type of work means dh can look after the children.

When youngest starts playgroup/school, will try to find another flexible employer for p/t day work. Mine have always worked around my family and given me school holidays off. They are hard to find, but do exist.

Well done for thinking about this in advance. The tax credits and child benefit will probably soften the blow. Dont forget to put a bit aside each month for emergencies.

ukjoel

I think there are a lot of people in your situation.

Govt kicks in with some support for nursery when kids hit 3 years of age but until then there is nothing apart from child benefit of 20 quid a week.

We have just had second child and depleted our savings after first one. Have had to switch mortgage to interest only until the kids start school.

Am quite !!!!ed off with govt support as we are taxed to death for working but when income suddenly falls off the cliff as one of you is home with kids you only get £400 a month statutory maternity.

We are both reasonable earners both paying 40% tax with no debts apart from mortgage but things at the moment are a real struggle and I think govt should kick in a lot more money for childcare for years 0-3 if both parents are working.

Am not looking for something that could be used for chavs to drop their kids off at while they go down to town, but increased childcare vouchers would be useful.

puddles

Is working at the weekend and option?

My wife works as a hairdresser and she will hopefully work Fri/Sat or just Sat when she goes back later this month. Any day she works and DS is in Nursery it kinds of cancels out and we get nothing back but the experience will be good for him. However, I will be looking after DS on Saturdays which means no nursery fees and everything my wife makes on Saturdays comes straight to us. One day might not sound a lot but even for a hairdresser that ends uo being about £200 a month which will make ALL the fifference. Plus I get a day with DS which is nice.