What am i entitled to?

moneypanicker

Are you and your partner not a partnership?

I understand that it is very tough when kids are little and there is not a lot of money. My dh and i made a decision when i was pregnant with first that i would go part time as we worked out that we were better off financially to do this. Another 2 kids later things are still tough but we would not have had no 2 or 3 if we had not sat down and worked out if we could afford it.

My Dh and i earn too much to get any help with childcare and to be honest i'd love to get some help with childcare costs but is just isn't going to happen. I work a lot of evenings and weekends whilst dh looks after kids to save on childcare. Perhaps if you told us your partners income then maybe someone would be able to comment on whether you would get help with childcare. You don't have to work full time but if you got help at least you'd have some of your "own money". Personally working part-time i get best of both worlds my kids get to spend majority of time with me but they also get new experience with childminder/nursery and i feel that i am a better mummy because of it.

Finally i'm rambling a bit - having children is a partnership. You have given up your job to raise "his" children he should accknowledge that and give you your own money - it is not really the responsibiltity of the governement to do this. He should be rewarding you for the job you do :T

Jami74

If you are in a partnership then working tax credits take in the total income of you and your partner. You don't get seperate money for you and him, they assume (as does everyone) that any income belongs to both of you regardless of who earns it. If he already earns too much for you (as a couple) to claim working tax credits then you working too won't suddenly make you entitled. You going to work as well will increase your (as a couple) income so you might get less, however you might not get as much taken off as you earn in which case you might be a little better off. As someone else said fiddle around with the figures in one of the online calculators, I like this one: http://taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk/Qualify/DIQHousehold.aspx
My partner works full time and I work twenty hours a week opposite him so that we don't have any childcare costs. It doesn't really feel like we are better off financially but that is because our working tax credits were stopped for last year as we earnt too much before but due to his job our income dropped by about £5k over the year. I am praying that we get them again because we are getting into debt just paying rent and buying food, we long since stopped having 'my money' and 'his money'. Maybe you need to talk to him about how you feel, if there is any money left over after everything has been paid out then this could be split both ways, after all if you weren't staying at home to look after his children then he wouldn't be able to work and have money, you are in this together. There are long term benefits to me working though (career advancement and the benefits of being within the same company over a period of time) but I agree that having small children is very hard. I too was very eager to get out there and contribute but not if it wasn't going to make us any better off. I can feel your frustration.

sunnyone

littlediscofish wrote: »

I am currently living with my partner and our 2 children, our youngest being 4 months old. My partner works full time but I gave up work a few years ago to raise our children. We recieve child tax credits of £105 and working tax credits of £7.33 but this soon will be dropping as they say I have been overpaid by nearly £700 (don't even get me started on that issue!). My worry is that when they start taking the overpayment back, I will have very little money of my own, and therefore have to rely on my partner to pay for almost everything (which is not really an option). So can I claim JSA if I am prepared to go into work, aswel as my tax credits? And if I do return to work part time, will I be rewarded with tax credits or will they just take my tax credits off me? It seems so unfair that although I am doing what the government reccommend, having both parents together and a stay at home mum for my children, I have no reward for this. I have tried to get advice from the job centre but they won't see me because I'm not on benefits, my local citizens advice never answer the phone and all the benefits calculators online make no sense and keep giving me different amounts. Pleeeeaaaasee can anyone give me an idea of what I might be entitled to and what I am best doing. Any ideas wellcome.

littlediscofish wrote: »

I don't expect the government to pay me to stay home, I just wondered if, as working tax credits are available, I would benefit from them if I worked part time.

The goverment is paying you (and much more than JSA is paid at) to stay at home and look after YOUR kids and you like the rest of the "takers" or "entitled" want even more!

viktory

littlediscofish wrote: »

live off my partner is extremely hard

Are you not a couple? Do you not pull together when times are tough?

dodger1

littlediscofish wrote: »

What a ridiculous argument, I'm not suggesting I should be paid to bring up my children, just simply asking a question, if you have no helpful advice, why even waste your time, perhaps all the passion fruit has made you bitter welshwoofs. I don't want handouts, just a little acknowledgement for the job I do would be nice, if the government would be willing to pay my childminder 80% of the costs, why is there not a little help for us mums to work part time so we can also spend these precious years with our children without it crippling us! Most of us want to work to keep our identity, but leaving a 4 month old baby with a stranger for 40 hours a week is not something that appeals to me personally.

You want a little acknowledgement for the job you do!!!!!!! You made the choice to have a baby as many of us do, it just seems that many of us unlike you think it through first. Most of us realise times will be hard and we accept the tough times ahead knowing that it's worth it to have a beautiful baby to bring up.

happyinflorida

Sorry to see you're getting quite a few unhelpful comments and some nastyish ones too. I know where you're coming from and understand what you mean, bringing up kids is the hardest job - in my opinion, especially when they are young and if your 4 month old isn't sleeping well you're probably feeling like a worn out dish cloth! You have my sympathy and here's some help!

entitled to has changed it's name and is now -

www.turn2us.org.uk

When you get to it, click on "benefits search" and then do the benefits checker

It needs lots of info, but you can do it several times if you get it wrong or make mistakes, don't worry, you can do it again - I have several times!!

It is useful though and will give you basic info and where to apply to get the benefits it says you should be entitled to.

Don't forget, for the 12 months after having a baby, you're entitled to free NHS dentistry treatment and as having little ones can play havoc on your gums and teeth, make sure you get a check up at least to have them checked and then you will get any treatment needed completely free!

Take care and good luck!

dodger1

happyinflorida wrote: »

Sorry to see you're getting quite a few unhelpful comments and some nastyish ones too. I know where you're coming from and understand what you mean, bringing up kids is the hardest job - in my opinion, especially when they are young and if your 4 month old isn't sleeping well you're probably feeling like a worn out dish cloth! You have my sympathy and here's some help!

entitled to has changed it's name and is now -

www.turn2us.org.uk

When you get to it, click on "benefits search" and then do the benefits checker

It needs lots of info, but you can do it several times if you get it wrong or make mistakes, don't worry, you can do it again - I have several times!!

It is useful though and will give you basic info and where to apply to get the benefits it says you should be entitled to.

Don't forget, for the 12 months after having a baby, you're entitled to free NHS dentistry treatment and as having little ones can play havoc on your gums and teeth, make sure you get a check up at least to have them checked and then you will get any treatment needed completely free!

Take care and good luck!

Bringing up kids is not a job and never should be considered as one. It is a joy NOT a job and the children themselves are the reward.

Jowo_2

happyinflorida wrote: »

Sorry to see you're getting quite a few unhelpful comments and some nastyish ones too.

Indeed.

But there is some kind of contradiction at the heart of the OPs query - a clash between the notion of a sacrifice of her income in order to bring up children versus an expectation that the taxpayer should subsidise her worklessness.

And a disturbing hint that her partner resents it when his earned income has to pay for all the upkeep of the household if state support is not forthcoming...

AnxiousMum

You have referred to the father of your children as your 'partner'.......surely if you are living as a married couple, have children together, you act like a married couple in many ways, including that of financially supporting each other and your children on a day to day basis.

If it makes your partner feel better, and causes less friction than him feeling that his monies are being used inappropriately for you - you could always let him know that you'll just take 20% of his income which would be his share of supporting the two children anyways.

Sorry, don't see why you dont' stand together as a family unit, but instead are looking to the taxpayer to fund your chosen lifestyle.

welshmoneylover

What a very bizarre post/thread.