Tax credits cut petition

FBaby

That's fair enough. I do believe that it is important to listen to what children communicate, but indeed, it will be a very temporary position. Who knows, by April, she might already feel much more confident.

northerntwo1

Mrs_Gloomy wrote: »

I don't think you're being confrontational at all. I have spoken to my daughter about everything and her words were "I'd rather come home to you than buy anything for a year". With my mum being ill and her dad leaving, I think she feels very vulnerable at the moment. As things settle down, I think she may well change her mind and make me redundant but for now I think she needs the stability and comfort. I know she's 11 but at the moment she seems very young, if you know what I mean. Going forward, I may be able to slowly increase my hours and this is something I will happily do and know that I will get to the point where both she and I reach a happy medium. I am definitely not work shy and have held a full time job since I was 16, it's tough trying to do the right thing but until I feel sure my daughter feels happier about being left, I will make sacrifices. She is left for short periods of time, 20 mins here and there and she is getting used to it, I think she just needs the extra support at the moment.

Did you work full time all your DD life? I only ask as I have but friends of hers have struggled when mum went back to work at high school age. They were so used to a parent being home whereas mine have never had that choice so grown to adapt from a young age.

[Deleted User]

I was lucky enough to not work until my daughter went to school full time. I didn't claim any benefits during this time even thought we were entitled to because we had planned for having a baby and had enough money to live off. Since she has been at school I have only ever worked part time so she has always had someone here before and after school so no, she isn't used to going to childcare or being alone. Despite it now being a struggle because of my circumstance, I still wouldn't change a thing as I feel I have done the right thing by her. I know lots of people will disagree and say that I should now go back full time, that she is old enough to be left etc and that I shouldn't claim benefits but for the short term, this is the way it is and rightly or wrongly, I would rather cut back until she and I both feel she is ready to be left on her own. As I said before, I don't want to live in handouts and don't expect people to pay my way in life and I don't live outside of my means. My situation is not what I would've chosen and certainly not where I saw myself but life has a habit of throwing obstacles in your path and you have to work round them.

dizzybuff

This is the thing. My kids have always been Brought home by me. However when my son is 11 he will come home and let himself in. We talked about making food and have started little cookery lessons. My son will be independent as I was. I had freinds who went home to mums, but my mum had explained why she wasn't home why she needed to work and I understood and wanted to help. Working full time doesn't mean they have to be left alone for.three hours at night. There are plenty of jobs that have working from home policies. You just have to look for the right one. Explore other options at the end of the day your daughter will be more independent than you realise. Some parents are blind to this.

dizzybuff

By the way I've never worked part time. Ever. I have never been able to have that luxury.

missbiggles1

dizzybuff wrote: »

This is the thing. My kids have always been Brought home by me. However when my son is 11 he will come home and let himself in. We talked about making food and have started little cookery lessons. My son will be independent as I was. I had freinds who went home to mums, but my mum had explained why she wasn't home why she needed to work and I understood and wanted to help. Working full time doesn't mean they have to be left alone for.three hours at night. There are plenty of jobs that have working from home policies. You just have to look for the right one. Explore other options at the end of the day your daughter will be more independent than you realise. Some parents are blind to this.

And of course, many areas will have after school and/or breakfast clubs that can be used, after school activities that cut the length of afternoon time spent alone and reciprocal arrangements that can be made with other families in a similar position.

[Deleted User]

My current job does not allow for home working and to go full time would mean DD being left on her own from 3pm till 6.15pm. I am have applied for other jobs but as yet no luck. I will continue applying and have my fingers crossed. I realise that I have been incredibly lucky working part time after my DD was born and this was in part due to my ex having a very well paid job but mostly due to us saving. Neither of us wanted me to go back full time so we worked hard and saved to make sure we could achieve that. As I have said, I view tax credits as a short term solution and am not a person who views it as ok to live on other people's money. I do however, believe that tax credits provide a vital lifeline to people who for whatever reason find themselves in difficulty. My original point was that I feel cutting tax across the board hits the people who genuinely need it hardest. Those people that don't want to work, claim for everything even though they don't need it and smoke, drink, shop all the time are generally the ones who are unaffected. I know several mums at the school who are almost proud of their benefits status. They brag about school trips being subsidised, free school dinners etc. For me personally, that is not something to wear as a badge of honour but something that financially assists me while I can sort out my current situation.

gayleygoo

I'd love to sign the petition, but not sure it'll make any difference now. I am very much against the welfare cuts in all areas of the UK, and the proposed welfare cuts in Northern Ireland. Even though, really, Northern Ireland is very much unprepared to sustain itself. What the Tories would really love to do is cut off Northern Ireland altogether - we receive the highest welfare spending per head compared to other UK regions, have a highly dis-functional assembly that threatens collapse every so often over miniscule problems, and ministers resigning as often as they see fit, still getting paid and having a job to go back to when they've calmed down from their strop.

The Tories are probably too afraid to send us packing, but if other UK-ers knew what claptrap was going on over here they'd be demanding the abandonment of [STRIKE]their resource drain[/STRIKE] Northern Ireland :rotfl: There's even a stone monument in our town centre, erected by the council, that states that in the event of our wee town no longer being ruled by Britain (by result of democracy or by the will of the British state), we must "take up arms and violently resist" such a notion. I kid you not. They don't even see the irony. Oh well.

Sorry, I seem to have gone off-topic there. Anyway, I'm for taxation of the rich and wealthy, and against the poverty forced upon families who are now expected to work 80 hour weeks to provide for their children.

dizzybuff

If spoken to my conservative MP about this ~( Hes a freind) He actually says that alot of MPs from all sides are starting to get itchy feet and if theres a vote of no confidence the decision will be overturned. There are other areas the government needs to cut , but without opening another thread it seems some budgets need to be just that , you get what you are given and you need to cope.

That aside. Ive signed, Mrs Gloomy I hope you find something that you can work around your daughter. have a look at www.workingmums.co.uk there may be something on there.

That being said the fact she will be 11 maybe have a trial period where you are about but she fends for herself. Maybe do a little prep and have some ready made food for her like spag bol you have made the night before so she can nuke it. Set rules. ie she doesnt answer the door. ask a neighbour to keep an eye on her. There are many options but if these cuts do go ahead you may have to just bite the bullet and see if she is capable, she may well surprise you and like the responsibility. You may even come home to some cleaning done. Who knows.

seven-day-weekend

On the whole I agree with the cut in tax credited, especially Child Tax Credits.

Therefore I will not be signing the petition.