hello,can you help me ,please

anitie211

hello,is the first time in this forum and i need some information :
i work 37 hours week and i get up at 5 am and take the bus at 6 and start work at seven.the problem that i have 2 child with 10 and 14 years and when i go to work they stay at home by them self and sometimes they go late to school or dont eat and i keep thinking on them alone when i am working.
what i want to know is if i legaly ask to work 25 hours week because i dont want them alone all that time in the morning.i am afraid of loking for an 25 hours work for week because i thing my council will askme why i let my full time job and get a part time job and then they will think i dont want to work and will cut my housing benefit. my wage is 6 pounds hours and after pay for house ,council tax and child lunch and bus pass the money i have is the same of someone who dont work and have 2 children like me.i can work 25 hours because i have 2 children?thank you very much anie

McKneff

You could ask if you could start later at your job and do the same hours or look for another job that starts later in the morning, say 8.30.
I know its easier said than done,

anitie211

they said they need me to start at 7.i am loking for a work that start latter but is not easy.i found part time job but as i said before i am afraid of let a full time and get a part time because of council thinking i dont want to work and cut my housing benefit.i need work and i like work but 7 is not god because of my children.thank you

anitie211

McKneff wrote: »

You could ask if you could start later at your job and do the same hours or look for another job that starts later in the morning, say 8.30.
I know its easier said than done,

thank you i am loking for a work that start latter .

zagfles

No your housing benefit won't be cut if you work less, it'll probably increase because of lower income. You'll lose the 30 hour element of WTC, but your tax credits might go up because of lower income.

SarEl

anitie211 wrote: »

hello,is the first time in this forum and i need some information :
i work 37 hours week and i get up at 5 am and take the bus at 6 and start work at seven.the problem that i have 2 child with 10 and 14 years and when i go to work they stay at home by them self and sometimes they go late to school or dont eat and i keep thinking on them alone when i am working.
what i want to know is if i legaly ask to work 25 hours week because i dont want them alone all that time in the morning.i am afraid of loking for an 25 hours work for week because i thing my council will askme why i let my full time job and get a part time job and then they will think i dont want to work and will cut my housing benefit. my wage is 6 pounds hours and after pay for house ,council tax and child lunch and bus pass the money i have is the same of someone who dont work and have 2 children like me.i can work 25 hours because i have 2 children?thank you very much anie

I am sorry to have to say this, but someone needs to. The Council asking you why you left your full time job is the least of your worries. You leave your children home alone on a regular basis, and during that time they may not eat or turn up to school on time. That is child neglect and a criminal offence. Whilst there is no minimum age for a child being left alone, a child left on their own must be mature and responsible enough to be able to care for themselves, and what you have said here indicates that your children are not. Persistant lateness, absenteeism etc., is going to be picked up by the school and you are in real danger of this being reported to Social Services.

I am not saying this to be cruel to you. You are obviously working very hard and trying to do the best you can. But you do not want to come to the attention of Social Services and you must not put your family at risk.

You can find more information about the kinds of things that may alert Social Services to potential child neglect here http://missingmadeleine.forumotion.net/t7442-leaving-children-at-home-alone-nspcc-guide

I would strongly advise you to look for help with the situation - it is better to recognise that there are problems here and that you need help and ask for it, than to wait until the situation gets out of hand. Is there a local advice centre or community centre where someone may be able to talk to you about what you need help with?

planning303

Really...!

I used to walk to and from school whilst still at primary school, i had my own key.

This is not that uncommon

SarEl

liggins wrote: »

Really...!

I used to walk to and from school whilst still at primary school, i had my own key.

This is not that uncommon

Perhaps you did. That doesn't change the fact that this is a different world - leaving children alone for hours on a regular basis, and when they are not mature enough to get themselves fed and to school on time are still officially symptoms of neglect according to the statutory authorities.

Like I said - I am not saying this because I want to be cruel, or because I think the OP doesn't care about her children. I am saying it because this is the way that the authorities operate, and there is a substantial risk that someone is going to report her. I don't write the rules, I am just warning her what they are.

Any

liggins wrote: »

Really...!

I used to walk to and from school whilst still at primary school, i had my own key.

This is not that uncommon

So did I.
There was also corporal (sp?) punishment around and I used to get few slaps here and there from my parents - even in public.

None of this is now the norm, some even illegal (well, it has consequences if something happens, not really illegal per se, but in my mind as good as) such as leaving 10 yr old without any supervision what so ever.

Question is how mature they are, is the 14 yr old mature enough to look/help with the 10 yr old - as SarEl said, from the post it seems this is not the case at all so I would be worried about coming under scrutiny of social services.

OP - thousands of people work part time exactly because of child care etc, I cannot see why would council take your benefit away. There are some rules on earnings/hours for WTC though.

Perhaps job where you start later and end later, completing 30 hrs a week would also be worth looking at. If your children go to after school club or finish school at such hours that is.

jc808

SarEl wrote: »

I am sorry to have to say this, but someone needs to. The Council asking you why you left your full time job is the least of your worries. You leave your children home alone on a regular basis, and during that time they may not eat or turn up to school on time. That is child neglect and a criminal offence. Whilst there is no minimum age for a child being left alone, a child left on their own must be mature and responsible enough to be able to care for themselves, and what you have said here indicates that your children are not. Persistant lateness, absenteeism etc., is going to be picked up by the school and you are in real danger of this being reported to Social Services.

I am not saying this to be cruel to you. You are obviously working very hard and trying to do the best you can. But you do not want to come to the attention of Social Services and you must not put your family at risk.

You can find more information about the kinds of things that may alert Social Services to potential child neglect here http://missingmadeleine.forumotion.net/t7442-leaving-children-at-home-alone-nspcc-guide

I would strongly advise you to look for help with the situation - it is better to recognise that there are problems here and that you need help and ask for it, than to wait until the situation gets out of hand. Is there a local advice centre or community centre where someone may be able to talk to you about what you need help with?

Oh, get out

Notmyrealname

liggins wrote: »

Really...!

I used to walk to and from school whilst still at primary school, i had my own key.

This is not that uncommon

As did I and we looked after ourselves when we came home from school too. What SarEl was saying is that the kids seem not to be able to do this due to being late and skipping breakfast etc.

Anitie211, don't panic. Personally I would advocate you giving up work until you can find something. You rent so you'll get HB to cover that. You have a good reason for quitting your job so shouldn't get sanctioned by DWP.