Is working more worth it?

joeyfreak

Sorry for the title, I know working more should be worth it but it seems maybe in this situation it is not?

I currently work 16 hours a week and am a single parent claiming tax credits and housing benefit.

My youngest goes to school in September and so I was looking to work full time. This would make my childcare bills HUGE as in the school holidays I would have to pay £350 a week for childcare and £150 a week in term times.

I have been on entitled to and entered so many different scenarios and it all comes out that I will be no better off working more???

It seems that every pound more I earn will come straight out of my tax credits/housing benefits...

Am I missing something? I want to work more, I work now despite being fully aware I don't need to, I want to know that I have earned my own money as much as I can; but is it really worth working an extra 20 hours a week for less than £10 more?

I'm hoping someone will point out something I have missed as I really hope this isn't right, but I have a horrible feeling that I am trapped now unless I can get a very well paid job

tomtontom

Have you looked at working 30 hours, which will eliminate your childcare costs in term time?

In the longer term you will be better off working 30+ hours. Your career is far more likely to advance if you are full time, and hence your benefit dependence will decrease.

joeyfreak

I did look at working 30 hours a week, and also I considered asking work if they would consider me working more hours during term time, but dropping to 16 hours over the school holidays, but that still worked out no better off than just working 16 hours all the time

I work as a home care assistant so there is not a lot of work to be done while the children are at school, most of it is early mornings, teatimes and evenings.

I get a lot of help from their dad to work evenings and every other weekend, but to pick up 30 hours a week I would need to be available every weekday and work would pick my days off depending on what the clients needed each week.

I am not in a job I want to do forever, I am applying to uni next year; as I did unsuccessfully this year. I don't want to progress, just to earn as much as I can to save for uni and to give my children everything they need.

I know I need to find another job which will allow me to work school hours, but as I want to do a health care related uni course I need to stay in health related job for experience.

tomtontom

To be honest there's only so much experience you're going to get being a home carer. Have you looked at working in care homes or a HCA in a hospital? Alternatively you could work in a nursery - not strictly healthcare but childcare will give you the skills they are looking for, probably more than being a home carer.

You seem to be finding reasons not to increase your hours. Have you looked at the help you would get with childcare costs? Have you considered the possibility that you will not get into uni?

fabforty

joeyfreak wrote: »

I did look at working 30 hours a week, and also I considered asking work if they would consider me working more hours during term time, but dropping to 16 hours over the school holidays, but that still worked out no better off than just working 16 hours all the time

I work as a home care assistant so there is not a lot of work to be done while the children are at school, most of it is early mornings, teatimes and evenings.

I get a lot of help from their dad to work evenings and every other weekend, but to pick up 30 hours a week I would need to be available every weekday and work would pick my days off depending on what the clients needed each week.

I am not in a job I want to do forever, I am applying to uni next year; as I did unsuccessfully this year. I don't want to progress, just to earn as much as I can to save for uni and to give my children everything they need.

I know I need to find another job which will allow me to work school hours, but as I want to do a health care related uni course I need to stay in health related job for experience.

Just because your proposed degree will be in health care, that doesn't mean that your job has to be. Right now your priority needs to be finding a job which will support you and your family. Limiting yourself to health care work, is preventing you from doing that, so surely the answer is to look at working in other fields. That way you are more likely to find something which fits in with school hours.

joeyfreak

I'm not looking for reasons not to increase my hours! I really want to and my intention was always to increase my hours as soon as my youngest starts school.
I have considered what will happen if I don't get into universtiy, I will keep working until I do.

I want to work full time, just I don't see the point if I cant make it work financially, no body would work an extra 20 hours a week for no more gain.

I have been looking for other jobs and I've had a couple of interviews for jobs with better hours but at the moment nothing has come of them.


But besides which job I do work, even with no childcare costs I'm not really any better off, it really does seem that no matter how high or low my childcare costs, or working hours are, I am no better off.

I really want to find a way to be able to be better off and work more, I guess I will continue looking for another job, but with the very limited experience I have (only in home care and shop work) its very hard to get any other job

Morglin

joeyfreak wrote: »

I'm not looking for reasons not to increase my hours! I really want to and my intention was always to increase my hours as soon as my youngest starts school.
I have considered what will happen if I don't get into universtiy, I will keep working until I do.

I want to work full time, just I don't see the point if I cant make it work financially, no body would work an extra 20 hours a week for no more gain.

I have been looking for other jobs and I've had a couple of interviews for jobs with better hours but at the moment nothing has come of them.


But besides which job I do work, even with no childcare costs I'm not really any better off, it really does seem that no matter how high or low my childcare costs, or working hours are, I am no better off.

I really want to find a way to be able to be better off and work more, I guess I will continue looking for another job, but with the very limited experience I have (only in home care and shop work) its very hard to get any other job

I would stay as you are, for the present, and then look around to perhaps find a job that will leave you better off, financially.

Lin

Takeaway_Addict

yes..................

FluffyDuck3

Could you try to find a term time school hours job to bring in a bit extra, something that won't need any extra child care? I know competition will be tough for this type of job.

If you can't find anything, then I think you should stick to part time. Spend the extra time preparing for your uni course.

Also, your childcare costs seem high to me. Ask other parents at the school what they do.

gingergee

re uni....
Have you considered an access course? Not just for the qualification but for getting support with your personal statement. Only suggesting as I suspect your one of the new breed who are obsessed with nursing/ midwifery. Your PS and a science based qualification is the way forward.
Average applications last year were 900 applicants for 45 places in each uni. ( only know as I got in).
May be worth increasing your hours to gain NVQ 3.

iammumtoone

OP you should get help with the childcare costs. Have you considered this into your calculations if you include this you should be better off.

I am a single parent working over 30 hours a week, I don't qualify for much working tax credit as the job is above MW but I do get a fair chuck of my childcare expensives paid.