Have to quit my job but dont know what il get!

LolStevo

So I have 3 children aged 3,5 and 6 and currently 20 weeks pregnant. Over the past 3 years I have worked so hard to get to my current position in construction however its getting too much.


My partner has been a stay at home dad doing the school runs and being there as nursery fees over the holidays were just too much. He is now in a good job which is a good career however he has irregular hours which doesn't help me!


I currently work 8-5.30 but travelling I have to be out 7.30-6.30 which means my childcare is a nightmare and im late for work most days. My job is so stressful, I am not valued for what I do, financially or anything. I have been relying on my mum picking the kids up from school however she has now gone back to work full time so full time childcare is a must.


Heres my dilemma, I currently pick up around £1500 a month, my childcare fees just for breakfast and afterschool club and my 3 year old in nursery is around £200 a week. That's still relying on someone to pick them up by 5.30 and keeping them until I am home!


Then emotionally I am stuck, I miss my kids so much, im paying someone else to bring them up and I feel like I don't even know my 3 year old because iv worked full time since he was born!


So, I have tried the entitledto website however its not accurate for me because it goes on last years pay which is a lot higher than we will get if I leave my job! Then I wondered would I be entitled to any maternity allowance or is that not worth it as affects tax credits?


Im so lost and just need to know I can cover my basic bills and feed my kids!


Any help appreciated so much!

TELLIT01

Without having an indication of current salaries for yourself and your partner it's not possible to say what you might be entitled to with any accuracy.

LolStevo

My partner is currently on £16k a year rising to £18k in April as he's still training in his job, mine is 22k plus £3500 car allowance but then mine would go to zero when I leave unless I'm entitled to SMP or MA?

pmlindyloo

Have a read of this :

https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility

and then work out when your SMP begins.

By my reckoning it shouldn't be too long. Also check your contract and see if they give contractual maternity pay which may be more than SMP.

If you haven't long to go then personally I would be sticking it out until then.

This would then give you time to seek some advice through CAB as regards your entitlement to benefits if you gave up work. If you are on contractual maternity pay then there may be certain procedures to follow.

You will certainly be able to claim tax credits based on your husband's salary alone but it would be assessed on the new income plus £2500. Sounds complicated hence the advice to go for a benefits check up.

Working full time with young children is very hard work but is possible if you have good child care arrangements although not always financially rewarding. It is sometimes worth it if you have good career prospects.

It seems as if you dislike your job and are missing your children so during your maternity leave you and your partner can discuss the best way forward with some help from CAB.

Is there any holiday that you are due that you could take to cut down on the number of weeks you have to work to get your maternity pay?

Good luck.

Darksparkle

Entitledto asks for both this year's and last year's pay.

Would it not be possible for you to change your hours/job to something that fits in better with your children's needs?

Or your oh becomes a sahp again as even with his payrise in April, he still earns less than you?

lobbyludd

how much leave do you have accrued until the end of whenever your financial year starts again?

you can start your maternity leave when you are 29 weeks pregnant - so 9 weeks to go - you could ask your employer if you could use accrued leave (and you accrue leave whilst you are on maternity leave as well) to shorten your hours to allow you to pick up your children from childcare until you take your maternity leave?

or can you work from home sometimes? it won't hurt to ask? once on maternity leave you can talk through everything with your husband and a benefits advisor to see where you stand and what your options are given your unique situation, and look for a position with more flexible or suitable hours for you.

when my 2 were little, the equivalent of my entire husband's wage went on childcare. Him being a SAHD would not have been possible, and I being a SAHM would have bankrupted us. However we both accrued pensions and career opportunities during that time.

I know you are feeling pulled all over the place right now, especially with childcare being an issue - I've been saved (and I've been a single parent since before littlest's first birthday, with no family nearby and all friends working full-time) by having a really flexible childminder, who will keep the kids if I am stuck late at work, or take them early if I need to get somewhere. I also have made sure I work for a really flexible employer where I can mix working from home, catching up with work in the evenings and weekends if I need to attend something at school/dentists etc.

xylophone

Or your oh becomes a sahp again as even with his payrise in April, he still earns less than you?

Apparently he is in training - it might be better to carry on.

Perhaps the OP should take her full maternity leave, investigate tax credits, and look at the family situation again after the new baby's first birthday.

by having a really flexible childminder, who will keep the kids if I am stuck late at work, or take them early if I need to get somewhere. I also have made sure I work for a really flexible employer where I can mix working from home, catching up with work in the evenings and weekends if I need to attend something at school/dentists etc.

You are fortunate.