What should we do?

ManicMum

I can totally see where you are coming from.

Our income is half what it was 5 years ago. I have been working at a hotel for a while and til 3am over christmas. I have 3 children and this has been a killer at times just to make a few extra grand a year. After christmas the work died off and now our tax credits have gone up. I can see why people don't bother to work in some circumstances. I am now going to get what I would have got in wages in extra tax credits, without having to be out late working. We have always worked but for now, I am not going to feel guilty. I don't want to be tired and grumpy for my kids working til the early hours.

ManicMum

I can totally see where you are coming from.

Our income is half what it was 5 years ago. I have been working at a hotel for a while and til 3am over christmas. I have 3 children and this has been a killer at times just to make a few extra grand a year. After christmas the work died off and now our tax credits have gone up. I can see why people don't bother to work in some circumstances. I am now going to get what I would have got in wages in extra tax credits, without having to be out late working. We have always worked but for now, I am not going to feel guilty. I don't want to be tired and grumpy for my kids working til the early hours.

Busyizzy_2

Jowl, my partners second job is only 6 k, my job is also 6 k hence the 12 k if that makes sense? His second job is the least stable though, with irregular hours, so I wouldn't want him to give that up.
We got a letter from child tax credits yesterday, after I gave them our most recent figures ( myself having been on maternity for most if this year). They have increased our payments from there predicted £40 odd pounds a month, to £228, so I'm feeling much happier about that. I think we're going to stick to the work and hours that we are both doing for the time being. We're both in quite secure jobs and Once the kids are in full time school I intend to work full time, so we can hopefully get a mortage on our own place. I fear if I left my job it would be hard to get back into again (highest increament for my grade in the nhs). Hopefully also this government will put new things in place to help out families like ours, so we wouldn't be better off on benefits. Here's hoping! I am going to ask my boss if I can increase my hours from 15 to 16 a week, as if I understand things right that should mean I get 70% of my childcare paid for? I am pretty sure he's going to be unable to do this, so if I took say a cleaning job in the evenings for a few hours a week, taking me above 16 hours a week in total, would I still be able to claim help with childcare costs? Thank you for all your replies, everyone has been really helpful and has given me a lot of thinking to do these last few days.

shell_542

But aren't the online tax credits calculators irrelevant for the tax year starting in April, because of the changes to be made to them? I wouldn't rely on figures from them for next year.

ManicMum

I am not 100% but I think it's the job you are claiming you need childcare help for that needs to be 16 hours.

I have noticed our local NHS offering contracts of 15 hours max - guess so they can avoid paying employer's NI. cunning!

Jowo_2

ManicMum wrote: »

I have noticed our local NHS offering contracts of 15 hours max - guess so they can avoid paying employer's NI. cunning!

Is that the case? There was a debate on here a few weeks ago about the prevalence of 15 hour roles and it was suggested that there is an NI influence. But it was also suggested that perhaps employers were not keen on employing people who had childcare commitments, were not likely to work overtime when asked because of the impact of their benefits, and to rule out those who are only motivated to apply for the role for the tax credits it brings them?