Can I save any more money?!

elona

Sarah

I am so sorry to hear about having to face a spiteful and unfounded accusation. But you are well organised and good at expressing yourself and should be able te rebut the accusation.

Have you thought of posting a thread on the benefit board to ask advice?

I think someone mentioned that "they come in two's" to interview you so could you get a friend to be a witness or else tape record the interview?


We are all on your side and i wish i could help- it really is not fair.

Before they arrive get any docs - mediacal evidence etc. etc. and put points in writing to yourself so you do not feel flummoxed.

Big hug :)

elona

Sarah

I am so sorry to hear about having to face a spiteful and unfounded accusation. But you are well organised and good at expressing yourself and should be able to rebut the accusation.

Have you thought of posting a thread on the benefit board to ask advice?

I think someone mentioned that "they come in two's" to interview you so could you get a friend to be a witness or else tape record the interview?


We are all on your side and I wish I could help- it really is not fair.

Before they arrive get any docs - medical evidence etc. etc. and put points in writing to yourself so you do not feel flummoxed.

Big hug :)

ceegee

I have only recently "subscribed" to MSE, but have just read through this thread. I wonder if some fresh blood might bring a fresh point of view. I can speak from experience as I have had 12 years of bringing up children on my own, on very little money and with no family or friends to help. My children are now aged 13 and 16. I work 20 hours a week and this is topped up with Working Tax Credit. I was finally able to afford to buy and run a second hand car 5 years ago, still don't have holidays, don't drink, smoke or go out and I still have to buy my clothes at charity shops so I do have some experience. Oh, I also have had to pay the mortgage throughout. I agree with the poster who said to treat any money received via the CSA as a bonus as financial support from my ex-husband is spasmodic to say the least.

These are my thoughts on Sarah's situation:

If you cannot manage on your income and your outgoings are pared to the bone, then your only option is to increase your income somehow. It's as plain as that from where I am sitting. The thing is, how?

You do not have to work all day, every day to qualify for working tax credit, just 16 hours per week.

One of your main concerns seems to be childcare.

Are all of your children at school? If so, does the school have or use an after school club or a breakfast club? If you still have a child at home, could you find a job with creche facilities? A combination of these things, say 3 days a week, might enable you to find a job working the required minimum 16 hours a week (Working Tax Credit).

Approached from a positive point of view, your children could look at an after school club, breakfast club or creche as an extremely exciting adventure, rather than an "I miss my Mummy" type of thing!

Why not speak to the headmistress at school - she will probably have had experience of your situation (not necessarily herself, but with other parents!) and surely she would know of any shemes run by the council which you could make use of, because your situation is not uncommon.

Are you still in touch with your Health Visitor? I would imagine that she might well know of some schemes that would be of practical help to you.

Those are the thoughts that occur to me. Maybe they are of no help at all, maybe they are of some help, I don't know. I just thought I'd stick my two pennysworth in!

System

Hi Ceejee,

Firstly a big welcome to the boards from me, its good to have you aboard!!

I agree what you said here:

Approached from a positive point of view, your children could look at an after school club, breakfast club or creche as an extremely exciting adventure, rather than an "I miss my Mummy" type of thing!

I worked 10 hours a week a few months ago, and although i had to pay Minimes child care when he stayed at the after school club i found it still beneficial. Ok it meant i didnt get as much for my job as i would have liked, but Minime really enjoyed his after school club activities. It was well worth the money i spent. He played on the pc, he did outside activities as well as playing board games. He was gutted when i left my job and he couldnt do it anymore.

ceegee

Thanks, Judi. Leaving your children anywhere always seems more traumatic for the mum than for the child, doesn't it? They usually have a high old time whilst we are imagining them being totally distraught without us!

More thoughts re childcare possibilities. Perhaps school could start up an after school or breakfast club if there is not already one. My local school has an after school club and recently started a breakfast club. It is a huge success and also ensures that the children get a good breakfast to start the day well. There really is a need for this sort of provision.

What about your local Church, Sarah? Churches deal with social issues as well as spiritual matters and there may be advice available there. Someone could point you in an appropriate direction. I'm sure they wouldn't just turn you away.

I don't think I can think of anything else at the moment, it really seems to be a case of upping Sarah's income and getting a job is the ideal solution.

Sarahsaver

Im not worried about leaving my kids, just not all of them with one person! There are no childminders near me, and no provision on a saturday. I do actually want to see my children sometimes! The youngest is too young for the after school club.
I have phoned for about 6 application forms today and applied for other things online too.

Leothecat

Hi Sarah,

I read earlier that you have done some mystery shopping. I do some for a very good company which are mostly to one of the major supermarkets. I get a certain allowance as well as petrol. They work out the tax for you (not NI) but this is very very little as your allowance actually goes down against expenses and not as a wage. I therefore get approx. £15 shopping for about 50 mins work and I can take my daughter with me.
Perhaps this would be worth you looking into.
PM me for more details.
Sorry if this is not the kind of thing you're after.

culpepper

I tried one of those telephone jobs where you call people about double glazing years ago. I lasted 3 days. I couldnt get over the unwanted calls feeling in my head. The manager said it was all numbers from people who had expressed an interest in double glazing but it was suprising how many people wanted to know how the h*ll you had got their ex dir number!
Also they were running a competition which you were supposed to promote , the lucky person got their glazing for free. All they had to do was get someone round to do them a quote....You werent allowed to say thay nobody in the south east had ever won it though:(

Spendless

Have you checked your LEAs website re childcare?

My sons school has no breakfast/after-school or holiday club but in the town there is a holiday playscheme which is independant (ie it is a womans business) which runs at various school halls in the holidays.

This playscheme takes children from 3 years old upwards and isn't tied to any particular school.

I know about it from a friend but there are also leaflets about it in sons school,even though the playscheme doesn't actually run in their premises.

jellyhead

erk! culpepper i did a stint at a firm selling kitchens, they also pretended their phone books were compiled from people wanting kitchens but in reality they were just people who had at some point had dealings with one of the companies under the firms umbrella, most of the people i called didn't even own their houses. on the plus side since minimum wage these jobs have become less of a con, you get minimum wage and then commission on top of it.

my sister's bloke is selling vouchers for venture photography at the moment. i don't know if you have a car sarah. he travels to various shopping centres and sets up his stall. venture have photography studios around the country, the photos are good, quite unusual and arty but horribly expensive. my sister paid 600 for a large frame with lots of photos of her kids, i'd never dream of it. anyway, these vouchers he sells, you pay either £25 or £35 for the voucher and it includes the photo session (at your nearest studio) and a framed photo, size depends on the price of the voucher. apparently lots of people get the voucher and just the one photo although there will always be people like my sis...

if you found that kind of job, assuming that transport is okay for you, maybe you could restrict your working hours to weekdays and do short shifts? sister's bf works full time including saturdays but you might not have to.

well, i hope you get the bank job, they may be willing to bend the rules for you and not make you work saturdays.