To work or not to work??

Nickynoo1

Hi,
Yeah it really hacks me off, if i have to give up work. Dont want to but cant see any other way.

I work 19 hours per week. I pay for child care for 24 hours, to allow travelling time. 8 - 5.30 for 2 days, 8 - 1 1 day. I think its expensive cos he's under 2. Believe its cheaper as he gets older?? £4.20 per hour.

If i work full time, the child care costs just go up so still in same situ.

Do you have to be on IS to get help with mortgage interest? Had mortgage since June 1998.

dmg24

Here is a link to the info on mortgage interest:

http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/advice/advice-3746.cfm

There is a subheading that you may get an earlier payment if you are a single parent whose partner has died or left, but I am not sure that you will fall into this category, I think it covers situations where the partner has just left, so leaving you with all the mortgage to pay. However I could be wrong on this one.

Quietgirl

I am a working single parent and I get about the same amount of wages as you per month. about £550.

Working it out for me I get the following.(not including CSA)

£550 wages
£572 tax credits
£72.40 Child benefit

Total= £1194.40

For my outgoings its

Rent £180 (rent off my parents)
Child care £360 - this is a flat fee which incorparates costs of school holidays.
Council tax - £58
My bills about £260

Which leaves me about £335 for food, school dinner, travel. But I get CSA money too for my daughter.


Bills -

black-saturn

Welcome to the world of being a single parent. My boyfriend who I do not live with (he's 120 miles away) starts work at 5.30am, it takes him an hour to walk there, he finishes at 1pm and then walks an hour back. And whats the reward? He's £13 a week better off than before he worked :j :j yippeeee.

Nickynoo1

Yeah, if i was renting or absent father paid his bit i'd be alright. Does anyone else have a mortgage, ans are single working parents. I'd be interested to know how you manage.

Nickynoo1

black-saturn

Nickynoo1 wrote: »

Yeah, if i was renting or absent father paid his bit i'd be alright. Does anyone else have a mortgage, ans are single working parents. I'd be interested to know how you manage.

Nickynoo1

I had a mortgage all be it a small one which I paid off. The absent father of my 2 child deliberately got the sack from his job so that he wouldnt have to pay any child support when we split up. He has never paid a penny to the children and never sent them so much as a card or present. I get by by giving up my car, being old style (look on the old style board), giving up alcohol, smoking and any kind of treats, living off value brands in supermarkets and having free days out. I work from home as I disagree with other people looking after my children.

Becles

Nickynoo1 wrote: »

Does anyone else have a mortgage, ans are single working parents. I'd be interested to know how you manage.

I was on IS briefly when my ex left, but my claim for mortage interest help was declined, and I got no other help with housing costs. (I didn't claim Council Tax Benefit as I didn't know about it then and nobody told me!)

I then started part time work. My Mam used to come up in the mornings and take the eldest to school, then look after the youngest till I'd finished work at 1pm, so I was home to collect the eldest from school. Therefore I didn't have any childcare costs. Are there any relatives who could help out for some or all of the time, to cut your childcare bill?

For me, working was the only way I could afford to live in my own house. It has a number of plus points, so it was important for me to stay here rather than move.

space_rider

I am a single parent and I used to claim IS as I was unable to return to work after maternity leave because my baby was ill. I had almost a year maternity leave and the rest was unpaid leave, the longest I could have off was 2 years without losing my job. Before I returned to work I went to the job centre and we worked out that I would be £200 worse off and that didnt even include travel costs to get there. The woman was amazed that I was going to return to work but that was my only alternative to losing the job I had for almost 20 years.

I didn`t get my interest paid on my mortgage until I had been on income support for 9 months. Thankfully my mortgage was only £250.

It is so wrong that you are better off on benefit than in work.

Don`t even go there with CSA, I had to have someone come round from benefit agency and they then notified CSA. They wiped off my exhusbands arrears of over £6,000 and said my baby`s father only had to pay £0.00 and my ex husband £10.44 per week for 3 children. Because my child was so ill and in and out of hospital I did not have the time or the energy to pursue the CSA. Last month after 6 years I am asking them to reassess as my daughter is much better now.

Elliesmum

Nicky noo - where do you live? My childminder would charge £75 for the care you need. i.e. £25 per day plus £15 for the half day. Are you using a Nursery? They are more expensive. You can still claim costs as long as the childminder is registered.

Just a thought - this would save you £24 a week which is nearly £100 a month. But then would your tax credits be affected? Not an expert on these things..............

EM xx

Spendless

Nickynoo- I was also going to suggest seeing if a childminder worked out cheaper, or looking for a provider closer to your work so you aren't having to pay as many hours for 'travelling' time. Can you get a better deal on your mortgage?