giving up work

mrskpickles

Hi there

I currently work part time, have two children 2 years and a six month old.

I get child tax credits, and child benefit. I am thinking of giving up work all together, and just doing the odd agency shift as and when, (i am a nurse). Mainly because nursery now costs £70 less than i actually earn, which seems ridiculous!

would my tax credits stop, or would I still get them because I work agency, although I would not work the same amount of hours each week. can anyone help?

thank you

skibadee

I would imagine you would get the child tax credits but not working tax credits, try entitledto.com to see.
I do not blame you though.....I work in a childrens day nursery and I often think it can never be financially worth some people working by the time they've paid out for childcare.
Obviously when yr 2yr old reaches the age of 3 they will be entitled to the government grant which will cover so many hours at nursery.
Unfortunately in this country you don't get anything for trying to help yourself!!!!!!!!!!!

viktory

mrskpickles wrote: »

Hi there

I currently work part time, have two children 2 years and a six month old.

I get child tax credits, and child benefit. I am thinking of giving up work all together, and just doing the odd agency shift as and when, (i am a nurse). Mainly because nursery now costs £70 less than i actually earn, which seems ridiculous!

would my tax credits stop, or would I still get them because I work agency, although I would not work the same amount of hours each week. can anyone help?

thank you

If you get it, working tax credits would cease ( the clue is in the name!!). How do you intend supporting your family if you stop working?

duchy

You have to be working 16 hours a week to qualify for WTC so it would depend how many bank hours you intend to work (the 16 hours can be from more than one source though so long as they total at least 16)

andyandflo

skibadee wrote: »

I would imagine you would get the child tax credits but not working tax credits, try entitledto.com to see.
I do not blame you though.....I work in a childrens day nursery and I often think it can never be financially worth some people working by the time they've paid out for childcare.
Obviously when yr 2yr old reaches the age of 3 they will be entitled to the government grant which will cover so many hours at nursery.
Unfortunately in this country you don't get anything for trying to help yourself!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, yes both of my daughters' came to that same conclusion. One of them is a single parent legal secretary and she just gave up working as the childcare costs took up most of her income. She now does the odd job every now and again for a few hours. In net terms she is much more financially better off with benefits than earning. The other with all of her qualifications, has joined her and hasn't worked for the past 6 years.She is also on benefits and finds no difference in her net income.

Jowo_2

You can model the scenarios on the Turn2us (entitled to) online benefit calculators.

Off the top of my head, do verify this, a single parent with 2 children not in employment will receive £200 per week in income support, child tax credits and child benefit.

Do you receive child support?

viktory

andyandflo wrote: »

Hi, yes both of my daughters' came to that same conclusion. One of them is a single parent legal secretary and she just gave up working as the childcare costs took up most of her income. She now does the odd job every now and again for a few hours. In net terms she is much more financially better off with benefits than earning. The other with all of her qualifications, has joined her and hasn't worked for the past 6 years.She is also on benefits and finds no difference in her net income.

You must be so proud that your children take after you, preferring to sit on their butts on benefits as opposed to paying their own way in life.

They will struggle hugely when they have to return to paid employment. The jobs market will have left them behind and their skills will be found wanting.

thorsoak

viktory wrote: »

You must be so proud that your children take after you, preferring to sit on their butts on benefits as opposed to paying their own way in life.

They will struggle hugely when they have to return to paid employment. The jobs market will have left them behind and their skills will be found wanting.

But surely, bringing up one's own children to the age that they go to school is an important job?

I fail to see why it is that often women return to work, to leave others who may not have the same values as they themselves have, to have care of their children through the most vulnerable years. Why is it not accepted that rearing children through these most vulnerable years is one of the most valuable things that a parent - generally the mother - can do?

dmg24

thorsoak wrote: »

But surely, bringing up one's own children to the age that they go to school is an important job?

I fail to see why it is that often women return to work, to leave others who may not have the same values as they themselves have, to have care of their children through the most vulnerable years. Why is it not accepted that rearing children through these most vulnerable years is one of the most valuable things that a parent - generally the mother - can do?

In andyandflo's case, the children are already at school.

callow

If you are a registered nurse you must do 450 hours of registered practice in the previous three years in order to registered with the NMC.

If you don't fulfill this then you have to do a return to nursing course. I know in my area there are none at all in the foreseeable future. I did the last one in 2009. You will also find that if you leave then return at a later date you will often have to start at the bottom of the pay scale again.

If you can, look for part time permanent job that lets you work at times when you have childcare in place, perhaps at night or at the weekend.

nannytone_2

thorsoak wrote: »

But surely, bringing up one's own children to the age that they go to school is an important job?

I fail to see why it is that often women return to work, to leave others who may not have the same values as they themselves have, to have care of their children through the most vulnerable years. Why is it not accepted that rearing children through these most vulnerable years is one of the most valuable things that a parent - generally the mother - can do?

of course it is desireable that pre school children are cared for by a parent. but it is also desireable that the child is also supported by its parents financially too!
my daughter works to support her family........not to support other peoples familes that choose to live on benefit!

i, along with most people, have no problem in supporting people that are unable to support themselves.

the difference being people that 'choose' not to support themselves.

maybe issuing these people with vouchers rather than supplying them with cash might help.
their rent is already paid......so tokens for energy, food vouchers and clothing vouchers.

i'm not suggesting this for people who are recently unemployed, or for mothers with babies, but once someone has been out of work for 1 year plus, then making their lives a bit 'less easy' might spur some of them on