Wife working for nothing basically?

DaisyFlower

I never understand why people moan re working and having to pay childcare when having children. Surely before you had the three children you worked out finances and knew you would need childcare.

Childcare costs and travelling are a normal part of life, work doesnt just cover the nice things it has to pay for the essentials too.

UnderPressure

DaisyFlower wrote: »

I never understand why people moan re working and having to pay childcare when having children. Surely before you had the three children you worked out finances and knew you would need childcare.

Childcare costs and travelling are a normal part of life, work doesnt just cover the nice things it has to pay for the essentials too.

Yes you are right, however I dont belive for 1 minute that everyone has children to be supported by the state, the thing you have completely ignored is peoples circumstances change. On the major change side someone may have a great job when they have kids and can easily afford them, then the government goes and messes everything up for everyone, recession, loss of jobs, prices of everything sky high is that really the parents fault? Is it the parents fault if one of the become ill or has an accident?

This is another thing I am sick of seeing on these boards "why have kids if you cannot afford them", when you look at it as a "useful" comment on an open forum where someone is looking for advice its a bit of a silly thing to say really dont you think?

Yes yes I am sure there are thousands of people out there who have children for council houses and benefits etc but please dont tar evryone with the same brush.

My mother always used to say to me "if you have nothing useful to say then say nothing!" I really do wish some people on these boards would have that tatooed onto the inside their eye lids!!!!

Oldernotwiser

UnderPressure wrote: »

Please dont attack me for this next comment it is my opinion that I am entitled to just as much as any of you, there is a bit of a culture on here at the moment of work work work regardless of whether it is truly in your best interests or not, yes the governemt would be paying for the person to study but in the long run they stand a much better chance of re-couping some of this investment through PAYE and NI etc etc than someone simply claiming whatever they can whilst earning min wage to only ever (without a huge amount of luck anyway) remain in exactly the same position they are currently in!
.

I'm all in favour of people studying to improve their prospects and there's certainly no harm in suggesting it on here.

However, the OP hasn't indicated that this is an interest and the family may well not be able to afford it. I think you're unrealistic to assume that the government usually pays for adults to study and even less so in the current economic climate.

ERICS_MUM

I might be a bit old-fashioned in my views but here goes.

I think that everyone who can earn enough money (plus the basic benefits such as WTC) to live on by working (assuming they have or can get a job) should do so, to minimise their claim on state benefits. This might not give them the life style they aspire to but it's not upto the state to fund it. It's probably safe to say that more children cost more to "keep" (if you see what I mean)

This would free up more money in the benefits system to support people who really cannot work (for whatever valid reason).

UnderPressure

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I'm all in favour of people studying to improve their prospects and there's certainly no harm in suggesting it on here.

However, the OP hasn't indicated that this is an interest and the family may well not be able to afford it. I think you're unrealistic to assume that the government usually pays for adults to study and even less so in the current economic climate.

I mention it now when I can because I do believe a lot of people do not even think of it as an option. Just had a quick look at the OU site regarding finance and if you are in receipt of housing benefit you have automatically passed for the maximum award as well as various other grants etc.

As most people do not know this I think it fair to assume that they may well have never considered it before as an option. It is an incredible opportunity for anyone in this situation it really is.

Sorry I should have backed all that up with a link

http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/questions.aspx?t=S&cat=1-2IH24G

For anyone that is interested this will answer all your questions

flea72

you currently get about £8k a year in CTC/WTC

if your wife gave up work your would get about £7k in CTC

how many of your children are in childcare? as you are getting roughly £250/wk towards your childcare costs - which equates to over £5/ph per child (based on 3 children). one would assume that with 3 children one of them must be at least 3yrs old or not that far off, which would then mean you get nursery funding

F

3v3

slugger09 wrote: »

.... Its almost like she is working for nothing now yes but if she leaves we will be alot worse of

I can empathise with how it *feels*. I was left in the situation of being a single parent with 3 young children and there were few childcare options and absolutely *no* funding towards the options which did exist. At a time when there was no minimum wage.

I could have chosen to be a benefit claimant and not do anything. I chose to work; "childcare" consisted of a "holiday club" to cover school holidays (a charity organisation) and I had to fund those 13 weeks per year by setting aside a weekly amount from my wage all year round.

Had to take some time off for one of my children who caught mumps and I was told that I could lose my job by doing so. (Begged a friend, who was between jobs, if she would be able to help out, thankfully, she did).

I also *felt* like I was working for nothing when I weighed up how much I could get on benefits by being at home doing nothing vs how much money I physically gained through working 5 days per week. At that time, I believe working gave me an extra £5 per week (financially).

Fast forward: those 3 children are now grown-up and all have a strong work ethic (can't buy that); I look back on those times with a sense of achievement and dignity (can't buy that).

It is hard, but, it's always difficult when you have three young children and work at minimum wage. This will too pass.

Oldernotwiser

UnderPressure wrote: »

I mention it now when I can because I do believe a lot of people do not even think of it as an option. Just had a quick look at the OU site regarding finance and if you are in receipt of housing benefit you have automatically passed for the maximum award as well as various other grants etc.

As most people do not know this I think it fair to assume that they may well have never considered it before as an option. It is an incredible opportunity for anyone in this situation it really is.

Sorry I should have backed all that up with a link

http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/questions.aspx?t=S&cat=1-2IH24G

For anyone that is interested this will answer all your questions

As the OU has just announced that it's fees are going to go up to £2,500 per module and fee loans will be introduced to cover them, your information is only accurate for this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14216167.

For most people, a course at their local college will be far more appropriate than degree level study anyway.

calleyw

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

your information is somewhat out of date.

It seems that all their info is rather out of date or totally wrong.

They should claim income support and transfer the Tax credits claim to the op.

None of it makes any sense.

Mind you if the OU are going to put fees up that much. I don't think I will finish off my degree.

Yours

Calley

UnderPressure

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

As the OU has just announced that it's fees are going to go up to £2,500 per module and fee loans will be introduced to cover them, your information is only accurate for this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14216167.

For most people, a course at their local college will be far more appropriate than degree level study anyway.

Yes you are right, however there is a bit of speculation at the moment as to whether or not the "new" loan system will be applicable to be already studying, ie signing up this year. I am with the OU and the last I heard nothing had been cast in stone about future module fees, 2.5k would be an average jump of around 400% so seems a bit unlikely however I know you always offer great advice so seen as it also affects me any chance of a link from where you got this information? DOHhhhhh just seen the link in your post

Bit annoyed if this is correct as the OU has not bothered to tell me as an existing student, like I said last I heard from the financial support office is the changes were going to be minimal for existing students.

Agreed on the college approach as well anything to improve your CV will be beneficial in the future and local colleges these days offer some fantastic courses.

For anyone who would like to go the degree route bearing in mind you DONT have to study to degree level with the OU a degree is earnt with them on the amount of UCAS points you have accumulated, ie the amount of courses or modules you study over a maximum 6 year period, for financial assistance anyhow, if you don't need any financial assistance you could study with them forever if you wished to. There is nothing stopping anyone really who has income of less than 35k a year I think it is studying and applying for financial assistance as said you do not have to go the "whole hog" for the degree.

Anyone who wants to do the degree however it is the chance you take if you have to use loans rather than grants, the only fallback is until you are earning "good" money you don't have to pay anything back but surely for most people the point of doing the degree in the first place is to get out of min wage hell??