51.00p wage = 46.00 rent......

furby-2003

Better than being bankrupt which is where i was going. I can give him a better life now. The futures more inportant to me know. I spend every moment with him and we are very very close. It will never spoil our relationship as he knows i did it for him!

Zeldazog

Gothgirl, I was in the same situation - I checked my figures over and over again.

Because when you go to working 16 hours or more you get WTC, the amount that your HB and CTC getes reduced by means you work those extra hours for about 50 pence per hour.

Now, for people in this situation, that bit of extra money is a lot. I wasn't aware about free school meals, I thought you were eligible to be honest, but my son doesn't choose them anyway so not affected.

But to be honest I probably am no better off anyway, as my son likes to swim (and its good for him to do so with his medical background) - and good for me too! However, on income support we can swim every day for £2.50 a year. On WTC we get nothing - I now can't take him swimming as often as I would like as it costs me too much.

And although I see other posters' points about whether we should take a job that only makes us SLIGHTLY better off, one point to consider is, if we do take the extra hours (and don't work in a school), who is going to look after the child in school holidays?

Why should I work an extra 12 hours a week to be £5 a week better off?

For all those who think its wrong to stay on benefits rather than do this, would YOU work for 50 pence per hour?

Fairy_Michelle

Spendless wrote:

No it's (another) abnomaly in the system it's come up here before. You can get free school dinners if you income is below (around) £14,000 but not if you are on working tax credits.

Yes but as a single mother tax credits or not she should still be entitled to free school meals

Spendless

Fairy_Michelle wrote:

Yes but as a single mother tax credits or not she should still be entitled to free school meals

Do you mean she should be able to claim school dinners on the grounds she is a single mum. Not every single parent is on a limited income. My SIL (a single parent) earns the same as my husband, so our household incomes are the same. Bit unfair methinks if she could have free school dinners but we couldn't on same money cos we are married.

If you didn't mean this. Then the system only allows for free school dinners on an income below x as long as the parent isn't claiming working tax credit.

dawnydee73

If it wasn't for Tax Credit's I wouldn't be able to work! I am a single mum with 2 kids, one in childcare one in school.

Yes I feel guilty about putting my youngest in childcare but I hope I'm sending a positive message to my children by working.

I pay full rent, I pay council tax, I pay school dinners, I pay tax and NI contributions. I am very careful with my money and save what I can. I still have plenty of time with my children and feel proud when I can treat them with money I've earned (and from Tax Credits before someone picks me up on that.)

I have no problem with people who on benefits decide to stay at home and look after their children. Its just not my choice and I am better off working.

Zeldazog

I'm glad its working for you dawnydee - don't feel guilty about putting your youngest into childcare - you have to do what's right for you. A happy mum means happy children!

When my son was very young he was in childcare two days a week (to give his grandma a break), and it was right for us both at the time.

Everyone has different circumstances, and as my son got a little older, I felt he needed me more, so I chose to work less just now (plus 2 days at college).

Like the OP, I do these extra hours for only £5 a week more by the time HB & CTB are taken into account, and if like some I paid for school dinners too, then I would definitely be worse off.

If I went full time, I would be better off, because my earnings would take me over the HB limit, therefore anything I earn would be my own and not "lost" to benefit reduction. Just the tax man, etc!

Well done to everyone who is trying hard to be a good parent, no matter which route they take!