Tax credits have left us with nothing

AnxiousMum

Have to agree - My 18 yr old son dropped off cv's to three local places that were not advertising jobs - each one called him - one place he couldn't work on a Monday due to school timetabling, one other he worked but it's 'on call' and due their event type, he ended up working 24 hours in one weekend - and then got offered a permanent Sunday job so gave up the on call one as he also does the odd catering event. He's at school full time and also volunteers at a local charity. Yesterday he was asked by his employer when he can take on extra hours over the summer - as they know he wants to earn money for uni - he's been guaranteed full time hours once his exams are done with a week off in August for holidays. His older brother, out of uni, is working and got the job by the same means - going looking for it! Not his ideal job, but then his ideal job is currently on a hiring freeze - this one keeps him working in the meantime, while he builds up training and the volunteer/community work that his desired job will need from him when they do start to hire.

Jobs very rarely just fall on our laps, and often, you've got more of a chance of getting work if you actually get up off your rear end and go looking for them I would think a very small minority of jobs are actually advertised at the job centre or the papers, and word of mouth is a much better way to go. The only problem then though, is if people know you really don't want to work......you just won't get the recommendations!

MyRubyRed

nextyeartina wrote: »

the op has come on here for some advice & nearly everyone of u has jumped down her throat!! well i say, at least one of them is working & they aren't completely relying on benefits!! u tell her 2 get her hubby into full time employment. wake up people!! there's no jobs out there rite now!! i'm in a similiar boat so can sympathise wiv her. me & hubby have just got bk 2gether. i work 16 hours which fitted in around my kids whilst on my own. there's no spare hours going @ work, i've already been down that road. hubby was made redundant & has had no success finding new employment, & it aint for lack of trying either. wivout the help of tax creds, more people would be unemployed. don't judge people, either advise or leave alone

Whilst I can partially sympathise with your views I have to admit to totally hating your post:eek: and I'm sure I'm going to be jumped on big style but all I can see in my mind's eye is Vicky Pollard. (Pink, no grammar etc). I'm truly sorry

AnxiousMum

I thought the same thing MyRubyRed. My son's school runs community courses in math, english, IT etc. I'm doing an Excel one myself in a couple of weeks to improve my Excel spreadsheet skills. Maybe some posters could look at some of the English and Math courses - may just improve their chances of gaining employment. Any of the local high schools, particularly those with specialisms, run community courses.

snoop2008

yep and there are lots of courses online for free to brush up on english and maths!!! or whatever tickles your fancy!!! . I think many people are thinking this way, updating or doing additonal courses to give them a better chance.

MyRubyRed

AnxiousMum wrote: »

I thought the same thing MyRubyRed. My son's school runs community courses in math, english, IT etc. I'm doing an Excel one myself in a couple of weeks to improve my Excel spreadsheet skills. Maybe some posters could look at some of the English and Math courses - may just improve their chances of gaining employment. Any of the local high schools, particularly those with specialisms, run community courses.

Thanks, I felt really bad saying it but it really bugged me. I know first hand that there aren't jobs out there and that's where my sympathy lies but folks have to take responsibility to make things better, however hard that may be.

Jowo_2

I am not a fan of tax credits, believing they should be scrapped because they were supposed to inspire people, especially parents, into low paid work but this has backfired and is limiting the hours some households work for lifestyle reasons.

I can also understand the responses here and support some of the concerns.

However, some of the critical ones are against both the spirit and rules of the forum which asks that those posting keep their personal opinions to themselves, be nice to the OP and answer the question about benefit entitlement rather than make judgements.

So please be nice - remember it's the system, not the recipient...

jw2003

I don't agree that people have been jumping in the OP because it's not unfair to say that if one person is full-time carer to the children (no mention of redundancy) then it is up to the other parent to support their family; doesn't matter if it's mum or dad. Many families manage with one stay at home parent, many don't but the majority of those families do have one parent in full time employment.

Is it just me btw, or have nursery fees become extortionate due to tax credits? When my son was small full-time care was £360 pcm (early days of tc's), for my daughter now it's £600 pcm - I only earn £570 (and don't get TC's due to hubby's income but it's a pi55er working for nothing - I'm sucking it up for the school years)

Jowo_2

jw2003 wrote: »

Is it just me btw, or have nursery fees become extortionate due to tax credits? When my son was small full-time care was £360 pcm (early days of tc's), for my daughter now it's £600 pcm - I only earn £570 (and don't get TC's due to hubby's income but it's a pi55er working for nothing - I'm sucking it up for the school years)

With apologies to the OP for going off-topic - perhaps js2003 you can post a new query in discussion time?

What you've said is exactly what others say about the impact of the switch from HB to LHA, namely that the rates for properties in LHA have driven up rents in certain areas, leading people who work to complain that the better properties go to those on LHA who can 'afford' them...

welshmoneylover

citymum wrote: »

Hi im new here but just wanted some advice.
I am a mum to 4 children and married. I work 20 hours a wk. Me and my husband have just got back together after a short seperation. Anyway my tax credits renewal came though so i phoned up and gave them all the info they needed and also told them that my husband was back they toook all his details and i was told everything was fine. The following wk i when i checked my bank account there was no payment from them so being concerned i phoned them and was told that my claim had been cancelled and i had to reapply with a new claim because my husband was back (which i can understand) and because my hours have changed (from 16 to 20) and that my employer had changed!! (which it hasn't, we have just been taken over by another company but my payslips etc are still the other company we dont offically change til this october), so i filled the new claim pack out sent it off and a few days later phoned them to check they had got it...nothing so i explained that i had no money and was living off my child benefit (£60 a wk) to which i was told, well it takes 2 wks to put on the system and another 3 wks us to decide what your getting :mad: so they are happy to leave a family of 6 with no money and no means to get any.

I phoned up again after speaking to a family member and told them that they had put us into hardship and was told a member of the payment team would call me back which she did but she told me that as i didn't have a live claim on the system "i wasn't get a penny" (yes her words :eek:)
So the short of it is i have a family of 6 TRYING to live off £60 a wk.
Is there anything else i can do to get them to move they're backsides and pay me??

Any advice is very welcome

Thank you
Citymum X

* Before anyone asks the simple question of my wages i will answer it now. Because i work 20 hours a wk we have to pay some rent and council tax and my wages go on them and the family car ie insurance. So we really do live off the tax credits not good i know but thats just the way it is LOL*

Why on earth have you had 4 kids if you can't afford to raise them yourselves?

It's not the tax payers tab to pick up and one ofyou needs to work full time, not a measly few hours a week.

AnxiousMum

Thank you Welshmoneylover for having the kahunga's to say what everybody's afraid to.