Should I be pleased?

macymoo

Well I have just been offered a job !!! I should be pleased, it's 27.5hrs a week (so can fit in with school for DD) and DS will go to childminder. The problem is the salary is £16500 pro rata, so when I work it out for my hours, minus tax, minus childcare and minus the amount I will loose in Tax credits I will be working for less that £15 a day. In my mind not worth it as I could be at home with DS??? Problem is that type of job is all I know about and it's quite a good salary for this area.....
So I either take it and work for minimal pay or be poor for another 2.5 years till both children are at school full time
Any ideas????

liney

Yes, I would be pleased as you will not be relying on the safety net of the benefits system any longer.

Also perhaps you will have the opportunity to increase your hours further down the line.

Scarlett1

Macy if your hours are spread over 5 days it means you will be working for a total of £75 per week which is quite good after you have taken everything off, but if that doesnt include all your utility bills and general expenses you might not be that much better off.

You have to sit down and work it all out, and then decide if you could live on this money for the next couple of years

macymoo

Yes it would be over 5 days and I would need x2 childcare in school holidays which I have just thought of !! Plus the petrol or bus fare too!! it just keeps adding up !!

BigDunc

Could you explain all this to your prospective employers? They might be so keen to have you they would offer a bit more.

Arkwright

If your employer was able to increase your hours to 30 per week you would be entitled to Working Tax Credit.

Below 30 hours your not entitled to it, although you may be entitled to other help. Its worth looking into.

emilyt

First of all congratulations on getting the job. You should be pleased with yourself.
It seems so unfair that by wanting to work you won't actually be that much better off.
Doesn't make sense to me.

tazzababe

Arkwright wrote:

If your employer was able to increase your hours to 30 per week you would be entitled to Working Tax Credit.

Below 30 hours your not entitled to it, although you may be entitled to other help. Its worth looking into.

Think you may be wrong:p . If you work more than 16 hrs per work you are entitled to child tax credit (standard) and working families tax credit. Plus if your childminder is registered they will pay up to 85% (it could be 70 tho) of childcare costs.

liney

A better solution may be to work over 3 days if that is possible. Thus cutting childcare and travel costs.

macymoo

Thanks for all your advice, I have just spoken to tax credits people and my tax credits would be reduced by £60 a week and I would not be intitled to any help with childcare if I took this job, so in a major dilemma now???