Better off giving up work?

cord123

Hi,
I just wondered if someone could help me.....
I have just found out I am pregnant with my second child, my husband and I have a son who is two in Aug. He currently works full time earning between £28k - £30k a year (depending on overtime etc) and I work part time earning £16k per year. The only benefit we curretly recieve is the standard child benefit.

Basically, what I wanted to know is if I would receive anything should I give up work after baby is born? Currently my son is looked after by my mum and mother in law for 3 days and goes to nursery for 1 day. Although my mum will be able to look afetr the two children my mother in law wont meaning that if I were to go back to work my wages would just be paying for childcare costs....

If anyone could help me it would be greatly appreciated :-)

Aarons_mummy

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

You can model various scenarios on the above calculator, change around wages, childcare costs etc to see what would suit you best.

DaisyFlower

You'll get a little tax credit and child benefit but thats it as your husband has a good wage.

Whilst childcare can eat into wages in the early pre-school years its only for a short time. Leaving work will make it far harder to gain work in future as employers will usually go for the person with recent experience.

Given you only work 16 hours anyway and will only need nursery for a few hours on one day its unlikely your whole wage will be taken up with childcare costs.

Childcare costs are part of being a parent, its an expense that comes with having children.

cord123

I work 30 hours over 4 days..... so with childcare being at around £40 a day x2 for 3 days a week, i will probably end up with less...... I totally understand it is an expense tha comes with being a parent but I am trying to work out which way would make me better off.....
Also, school holidays would also mean that I need to find and pay for childcare.
I am thinking of using my maternity leave to retrain to become a teaching assistant as by the time I finish maternity my eldest will be entitled to his 5 free sessions so I would just need to pay for my youngest and I wouldnt have to find cover for the holidays as I would be off....
I just dont see the point in me working when I will prob end up spending more in travelling and hcildcare costs.

swingaloo

just dont see the point in me working when I will prob end up spending more in travelling and hcildcare costs.


Thats why the benefits system is so wrong. I work full time and dont earn £16,000 a year, I get no help whatsoever and yet I have to contribute towards people who choose to stay at home.

cord123

I am not asking anyone to contribute at all..... I am asking what way I will be financially better off.
It isnt a competition regarding wages, I am sure that the cost of living where I am is more than where you are so its all pretty relative.

I just wanted advice, not sarky comments.

nannytone_2

people should start looking towards themselves again, as we did before the advent of tax credits.

the question you need to ask is 'can i afford the children i have?'

any addition entitlement should be a bonus and not a necessary.

cord123

I dont understand the attitude of some people on here!!
Did I ever say I couldnt afford the children I have!? I was simply asking what I would BE ENTITLED TO!? While the tax credit system may be a joke and they may pay too much, if I am entitled to it I will claim for it!! You may not agree with that, and I am not asking you to, but I also didnt ask you to judge me or my family when you know nothing about us!
I am not saying I wont work - ever - but surely as a parent if I am not making any money it would be better for my children that I stay at home with them, rather than working all week to earn nothing after costs.....
I think working parents set a very good example to their children and as soon as it would be cost effective for me to do so I would go back to work (hence wanting to retrain to do a more 'family friendly job')

I think people should live by the 'if you have nothing nice to say dont say anything at all' motto!

DaisyFlower

Theres little point moaning about the costs of raising children when choosing to have them in the first instance.

As for training to be a teaching assitant, its probably not worth the course fees as teaching assistant posts are being dropped by schools as they simply cant afford to pay them with new cuts. Plus its very competitive and those simply wanting the post for the holidays show up very clearly.

You could up your hours as 16 is very little or work evenings/weekends when your partner can provide the childcare.

cord123

I havent at one point moaned about the cost of childcare!!!!!!! I am asking - practically - what would be more cost effectiveand if I would get tax credits etc.
And I have never said I work 16 hours - I work 30 hours!!!! My husband is a police officer so I cant rely on him for childcare as he works shift work.
I have been told that schools are more likely to hire teaching assitants as they are cheaper than teachers....that by teachers and headteachers.
I am not simply doing it 'for the holiday' I would ideally like to train to be a teacher but at the moment that wouldnt be possible due to the cost of training.
If people read the post properly, I just asked what I would be entitled to, I did not at any point say I couldnt afford my children, worked 16 hours a week, or maon about the cost of childcare.

oldtractor

Personally I do not agree with grandparents looking after grandchildren on a regular basis whilst their mother works. Its a mothers duty to bring up her children,and their fathers duty to provide for them. The grandparents,after all,have already brought up a family and deserve to be able to do other things one their children have grown. The modern idea of all mothers doing paid work is bonkers. Quit work,enjoy your family,give your parents a break and learn to live on less money.