How many days to work

pollyanna24

I know someone put a thread on here a few weeks ago about what is the point in working and having your own house when you could just live off the state and have your own house (albeit renting) and it got me to thinking if I could have the best of both worlds (yes, and I get that it sounds bad), but I looked into what tax credits I would get in three scenarios.

Working..... Wages.......Tax Credits.....Left over
2 days.......£16,000......£535.68.........£176.79
3 days.......£24,000......£220.00.........£166.08
4 days.......£32,000......£0.00............£251.05

Obviously, I have a little more left over if I stick to the 4 day week as I am doing now (the figures are calculated by me looking at what I will be paying travel and childcare, i.e. less the fewer days I work), but I will have more time with my children.

But if I was to cut down on days, there doesn't seem to be much gained in working 3 days as it looks like I'd be working for "free."

I can't decide if, for the sake of £100 or thereabouts, I should just go down to 2 or 3 days. Not forever, but at the moment I don't feel I spend a lot of time with my children.

What would other people do?

chelseablue

Tough one. I presume from the ages of your children they're in school most of the day?


So during term time it would really only be the evenings you get to spend with them


What time do you normally get in from work? Could you ask your boss if you could leave a bit earlier?


I know how you feel, my son is 2 and I work full time, no other option really with a mortgage like ours + bills (plus our house needs work so need a good surplus each month to afford to do it up!)

Guest101

What you are ignoring (which happens a lot) is the fact that your employer will not be looking to you for promotion going forwards.


In fact should redundancy come about it would make sense to start with those who work part time.


It also can have an impact on future jobs as employers may think you are not able to commit full time

.Gigolo_Aunt

If the employer will allow it, why not? Depending on what field of work you're in, of course. I know many women who've found that they can't run a home, look after children AND do a full-time job. Something's got to give.

peachyprice

You're also not factoring in that tax credits could be withdrawn at any time the government chooses.

If you can work part time without the government supporting you go for it, if not it's probably not a wise choice.

chelseablue

.Gigolo_Aunt wrote: »

If the employer will allow it, why not? Depending on what field of work you're in, of course. I know many women who've found that they can't run a home, look after children AND do a full-time job. Something's got to give.

Yes its certainly tough going, I couldn't imagine having 2 kids and a full time job and the house!


I do the housework when he's in bed (thank God I have a dishwasher now!)


For laundry the washing machine goes on when I get in from work and it finishes just as he's going to bed and then I'll hang it up.


Luckily I have a partner who does the cooking


Anyway, Im going off topic :rotfl:

chelseablue

peachyprice wrote: »

You're also not factoring in that tax credits could be withdrawn at any time the government chooses.

If you can work part time without the government supporting you go for it, if not it's probably not a wise choice.

This is a very good point, then can be withdrawn whenever the Government decide, or changed

Peter333

One thing the OP is forgetting/neglecting to acknowledge is that although it's very tempting now to stay part time (or be on benefits full time,) because you get to stay at home a lot, and aren't much worse off; this is not a good long term plan.

For a start, as someone said above ^ tax credits could be withdrawn at any time by the lovely Tories, and also, what about when your kids grow up. They won't stay young forever. Unless you're planning on having a baby every other year for as long as you can! (And some do actually do that!)

Every summer, these boards are littered with hapless and desperate people crying for help, because they've had their tax credits stopped when the youngest child has hit 18. If their youngest child leaves home, or goes to uni, or doesn't get a job and contribute financially, the parents are financially screwed.

Me and my lady wife know several such women right now who were stay at home mums, who have on depended tax credits for the last 10 years or more, and whose youngest has hit 18, and they don't know which way to turn. One woman we know has her youngest (of 3,) leaving college next June, and she actually said she is thinking of having another child (at the age of 41,) because her tax credits are due to stop next year!

This mentality does exist.

As I said, as tempting as it is, if you can avoid it, don't depend on benefits and tax credits.

Bogalot

But if I was to cut down on days, there doesn't seem to be much gained in working 3 days as it looks like I'd be working for "free."

You're looking at this in the wrong way. You are working for a wage, to pay your own way rather than being subsidised by benefits. You are definitely not working for free.

Pixie5740

What about the impact on your workplace pension? If you're working less hours then both you and your employer will be paying less in. It's something to consider.

pollyanna24

Thanks everyone. You've all given me food for thought.

I work for a sole practitioner and he has a work experience girl for the one day off I have at the moment. I did work three days after maternity and I liked the balance of it, but then decide to buy my brother out of my property and so needed more of an income.

You're all right about the benefits being stopped at any time. It just grates when I hardly see my kids and there are other options.

In an ideal world, I would work 5 days a week term time till 2pm. Financially this would stack up (if the tax credits were to stay the same), but not very practical from my boss' point of view.

There is no scope for promotion at the moment because of my boss being a sole practitioner. There is simply nowhere else for me to go. He is opening a new company at the moment and I am quite involved in that. If it goes well, I guess there is scope to ask for more money. Ho hum.

As for the pension part, my boss has paid into a pension for the last year or so (still don't think he needs to legally, but I asked and so I got), but it seriously is the basic basic amount that he puts in. No perks there. I think it's £28 a month or something like that.