Its a wonderful life... Want to try.....?? A Single parents View.. !!xx!

Jet

I'm a single parent who works part time, has no help from any family, so relies on childcare. I get no maintenance.

Recently I decided to join some dating sites. It's funny how the first question most guys ask is what do you do for a living and what do you do in the evenings?"

The truthful answer is; "I work in a job that pays enough so I can pay the bills and feed my son and there's virtually nothing left over and in my very limited spare time, I read or watch tv because I can't afford to do anything else!"

It makes me sound really boring, but that's my life. and the truth is... being with my son is worth more than a flash career and a hectic social life!

krisskross

black-saturn wrote:

I think you might be pointing at my thread there about my SOA. If you are I would like to point out that I am not on benefits.

Nothing at all about you or your income. The amounts I was referring to were posted by looby75.

krisskross

Spendless wrote:

Don't forget though that the poster who was kind enough to post her income, rents and though she has to contribute a little bit towards that, the rules for people with a mortgage are different. It is a longer waiting period before help with a mortgage kicks in and then it is help with interest only (IIRC). Also the member that did post her income mentions herself she would been fine if she had no debts.

Again I have not made myself clear. What I was trying to say is that many people do not have this level of disposable income left after paying housing costs. I still consider that on the figures given that the amount of benefit is generous, and that certainly 3 people should be able to live a comfortable life on it. The people who should be complaining are the singles or couples with no children......now they do get a raw deal when the money is being dished out.

WestieFan

Yes, there is a lot of confusion about CTC and WTC.

I work and receive both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. I (or my DD) is not entitled to free dinners but we do qualify for a clothing grant (£47 at present, for school clothes). This is in Scotland though, so may not apply elsewhere.

If you are on IS you can also receive Child Tax Credit and the IS element entitles you to receive both free dinners and clothing grant.

Broken_hearted

I feel its important to work even if its only one MS shopping assignment a week. It shows children that money has to be earned. Both my parents worked and I didn't suffer.

Jet

krisskross wrote:

The people who should be complaining are the singles or couples with no children......now they do get a raw deal when the money is being dished out.

But they can work whatever hours they work to better themselves. Single parents already have one full time job - looking after their children. To do another job means organising childcare, having to leave work if children are sick, having to organise other childcare around childcarers holiday, not being able to find flexible childcare etc. etc.

Being single and having no-one to share childcare with massively reduces the amount of hours a parent can work.

If you have no children, or have a partner who can help, you can work shifts, nights, days or any combination.

black-saturn

Penny-Pincher!! wrote:

BS-Can I ask how you recieve Free School Dinners if you do not recieve Child Tax Credits? My SIL works for the Inland Revenue and has told me that you have to be receiving Child Tax Credits and have a total income of less than £14155 per year to qualify.

DD is entitled but she had problems with the meals so we have paid for her pack lunch for the last year. We are on IS and DD receives Child Tax Credits.

Im really confused...lol...which is not difficult:D

PP
xx

Here free school dinners is also based on your income and as I'm on an income of just over £500 per month I would think it would be classed as a low income.

aimex

There is a documentary on C4 tonight about the life of a single parent - it looks really good and shows what they really go through

Becles

Free school dinner allocation is a little unfair IMO.

If you are on certain benefits and your income is less than £14155 per year, you are entitled to them.

However if you work, claim working tax credits and your income is less than £14155 per year, you are not entitled to them.

It seems to penalise people working and I don't understand why it's set up like this

Turning_into_scrooge

margaretclare wrote:

Hi Mandi

I am the last person to judge or to make comparisons based on stereotypes. I was brought up by a single mum in the days when there were no benefits at all. Without the help of her parents (while they lived) and her disabled sister, she wouldn't have been able to survive at all. Or she'd have had the option that was urged on her in 1943 when conscription for single women came in - put me into a home.

I am glad you have some benefits, even though inadequate. I'd be the last person to advocate a return to those dreadful days. As an unmarried mother, some young women were even put into mental hospitals where they stayed for 40 years - they were considered 'morally inadequate'. Married, and you didn't have the option of ending a terrible marriage - the concept of marital rape didn't even exist!

No, don't let anyone tell you it was better in the 'good old days'.

Good luck to you!

Margaret (it's my 71st birthday today)

What a wonderful post. Some people complain that benefits are not a great amount and people on them live on the poverty line, thank goodness we now have them and not as Margaret's mother had to live and worse for the others.

Probably a bit late but happy birthday Margaret, i hope you did something really nice with your lovely partner :bdaycake: