Want to work but better off on benefits?

sunnyone

If your OH is well enough to start work soon surely he's well enough to watch the kids?

Does he get DLA?

Oldernotwiser

AimeesMum wrote: »

Leaving us with £950ish left a month. If we were on benefits we would have roughly about the same.

But, from what you say, you actually are on benefits already, even if not totally.

Regardless of short term finances you need to be working to invest in your future, particularly as you seem to be the family breadwinner.

baza52

paddedjohn wrote: »

Anyone else want to ponce off the state? Op you have £950 a month left over after you have paid your bills but you want to join the growing list of scavs and bleeders who want cash for doing nothing, i know its all within the rules and you are not cheating anyone but this country is in the mess its in because the last labour government created a culture of dependence on the state making it easier to claim benefits rather than working for a living and the sooner it stops the sooner we can start getting back on our feet.

I "ponce" off the state if your interested.
Im also a scav and a bleeder "whatever that means"
Im on my feet and doing well. shame i cant say the same about my wife who is now disabled after working all her adult life. I also worked all my adult life probably paying your parents family allowance and paying for your education while you were growing up.

Kalia

Although in the short term you would have the same amount of money in the long term it would be a risky business. You would be relying on benefits and any reductions would affect you and yet you would have no control over them. It doesn't really matter what currently has been announced, there can always be future changes to the benefit system.

Could you look for other jobs with less travelling and possibly less hours? That would mean more family time and reduce your travelling costs.

Pinkypants

As a father I would love to stay at home more and be more involved with my children's upbringing. If the state allows such a thing why not.

Choosing to work, when your income would be the same for staying at home in my mind is madness. No choice, stay at home while you can. How would your children benefit from you being away from the home for so long while you are work, being tired from a days work etc....

The only drawbacks I can see are later in life, if you have a long period of absence from work future employers MAY see that as a negative.

iamana1ias

AimeesMum wrote: »

His condition means that he sometimes isn't able to get out of bed during the day and he gets extremely forgetful. Enough that I would be concerned that his mental state might deteriorate from looking after two small children.

His doctor has upped his medication and he is definitely getting better and will try and return to work soon hopefully.

His abilities vary each day and I would be too worried for him to look after them both - I panic enough how he is getting on by himself during the day without having to worry about my kids too

I thought you'd split up?? *confused*

nannytone_2

Pinkypants wrote: »

As a father I would love to stay at home more and be more involved with my children's upbringing. If the state allows such a thing why not.

Choosing to work, when your income would be the same for staying at home in my mind is madness. No choice, stay at home while you can. How would your children benefit from you being away from the home for so long while you are work, being tired from a days work etc....

The only drawbacks I can see are later in life, if you have a long period of absence from work future employers MAY see that as a negative.

if everyone felt like that there would be no benefits at all..............someone has to work to pay the tax so other people can 'choose' to work part time in order to 'enjoy' their kids!

gordikin

iamana1ias wrote: »

I thought you'd split up?? *confused*

A lot of couples 'split up' as it maximises the benefits they can claim...I'm led to believe?

shellyruby

nannytone wrote: »

if everyone felt like that there would be no benefits at all..............someone has to work to pay the tax so other people can 'choose' to work part time in order to 'enjoy' their kids!

nannytone why so bitter..we are only here for a short time..you d still be paying tax even if one part of every couple decided to work part time..i used to work full time..now i work part time..but even when myself and partner both worked full time we were still entitiled to a small amount of benefits...you need to chill out a little...id rather go without a little than spend my life worrying about my tax and who it was going to...nobody has set a rule that you have to work full time and have no time to enjoy any type of work/life balance.. personally id go mad if i didnt work at all...i quite like my job but i like it part time and still to have a life outside of work....blame the lax goverment not the part time workers..people are always going to work part time and you are always going to have to pay tax regardless anyway...

Oldernotwiser

shellyruby wrote: »

nannytone why so bitter..we are only here for a short time..you d still be paying tax even if one part of every couple decided to work part time..i used to work full time..now i work part time..but even when myself and partner both worked full time we were still entitiled to a small amount of benefits...you need to chill out a little...id rather go without a little than spend my life worrying about my tax and who it was going to...nobody has set a rule that you have to work full time and have no time to enjoy any type of work/life balance.. personally id go mad if i didnt work at all...i quite like my job but i like it part time and still to have a life outside of work....blame the lax goverment not the part time workers..people are always going to work part time and you are always going to have to pay tax regardless anyway...

Working part time is great, whether you have children or not. However, working part time at the expense of other people who are working full time and paying out to allow you your work life balance is unfair and irresponsible.