Worked for 20 years now staying home to bring up children - help

Petite

I worked for 20 years and paid large amounts of tax and National Insurance I had a child 15 months ago and am now pregnant with a second and have decided not to return to work for the moment. I want to bring up both children myself until they go to school.

Firstly I want to find out if I should\could (legally) claim Job Seekers allowance even though I do not want to work for the moment. i.e Is job seekers allowance just for those actively seeking work? Many people are telling me I am entitled to it as I have fully paid my contributions but I'm not sure if I want to look for a job.

Secondly, my husband has a low income and we are claiming Child tax credits. The valuation last April was taken while I was still on maternity leave and so a small amount of my pay was taken into account. I am wondering if we will be worse off this coming year after I have not worked or earned anything for a year. i.e Will I be better off getting a little job for a couple of hours a week ? (actually my maternity leave ended in August so I was employed until then even though I was not being paid anything much) I'm just not sure how the child tax credits are calculated.

(Oh I am about to put a claim in for LHA and have already submitted a claim for healthy start vouchers)

Any help or advice on my questions will be muchly appreciated.

wornoutmumoftwo

Hello,

I don't think you can apply for JSA as you need to be looking for work, as a SAHM after 16 years of work we get:
Child benefit x2
Child Tax credits
Working Tax Credits - or would if they hadn't managed to overpay us

We don't get COuncil Tax or any other benefits.

It has been hard living on one salary but I have enjoyed spending time with my two boys (I have 14 months between them).

To add- If you've no earnings for the past tax yera then your allowance will probably go up, take a look on entitledto.com for a rough guide

healy

JSA is for those who are actively seeking and available for work. From what you have said it does not sound like you fit this criteria so therefore you would not be entitled to it.

Marker_2

Maybe you should go back to work. I know you would rather stay at home with the kids, we all would. But in order tonot struggle for money and in the end make the kids suffer it would be better (IMO) if you worked.

Kids wil turn out how you raise them at the end of the day -if thats what your worried about.

Petite

Marker wrote: »

I know you would rather stay at home with the kids, we all would.

Really ? is that true these days ? I haven't met many other mothers in my area willing to stay at home even though they could afford to. Most of my friends are back at work in the city earning the big bucks while their children are being brought up by nannies and child minders.

My husband and I thought long and hard before we took this descision and after living affluently on joint incomes for the last 20 years we are now cutting back and economising to afford to do this. Hence my using this site. Okay I am claiming some benefits but I feel I have paid enough taxes (largely at 40%) over the last 20 years and now I'm just finding out what I can get back to help support me during this time. If you think I am wrong to do that then you are entitled to your opinion. My Husband and I are happy knowing that we can take full responsibility for how our children turn out in the future.

Petite

Oh and by the way - my husband and I are totally debt free - we made sure of this before we decided to try for our first baby.

hanny83_2

My mum was a single mother and worked full time through out mine and my sisters childhood, we turned out fine, my sister is a brain surgeon and studied at Harvard so if you are worried about how children turn out through nature/nurture etc there doesn't have to be anything to worry about. But totally respect any decision you make.

Petite

Why is it every which way I turn I'm being reassured that if I went back to work my kids will turn out fine. I'm not saying they won't but I would like to bring my children up myself is there something wrong with that these days?

My mother didn't work and she brought my sister and I up while my dad worked and supported us all. We rarely went without and also turned out fine. I loved my childhood and am very close to my mum and my sister and I have decided I want to give a similar sort of childhood to my own children. Spend as much time with them as I can, I feel I have earned that right. Okay I'm claiming a little bit of benefit to help me out but did I not earn that right as much as the next family ?

hanny83_2

I'm not saying anything to the contrary. However you would not be able to claim JSA only probably receive a little extra from WTC.

briona

Not really an answer to your question (or indeed at all! ) but if your baby is due on or after 6 April 2009, you will be entitled to the new Health in Pregnancy grant – a one-off non-means tested payment of £190, which you can claim from your 25th week of pregnancy.

http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/money4mum2be/

To check if you are entitled to any other help, visit http://entitledto.co.uk/

Petite

briona wrote: »

you will be entitled to the new Health in Pregnancy grant – a one-off non-means tested payment of £190, which you can claim from your 25th week of pregnancy.

Due in May 2009 so FANTASTIC - thanks so much