How much to live on

Pat38493

[Deleted User] said:

I was turned down 4 times for voluntary redundancy during four school restructure programmes. Each time I was told I was too useful, experienced and too hardworking to be let go. Nice to be told that, but did irk somewhat to see some lazy inefficient types walk away with handsome payoffs! 

The obvious solution - just don't work as hard and start messing things up on purpose....!

[Deleted User]

Pat38493 said:

[Deleted User] said:

I was turned down 4 times for voluntary redundancy during four school restructure programmes. Each time I was told I was too useful, experienced and too hardworking to be let go. Nice to be told that, but did irk somewhat to see some lazy inefficient types walk away with handsome payoffs! 

The obvious solution - just don't work as hard and start messing things up on purpose....!

Of course, but morally wrong unfortunately. I am now retired anyway.

Organgrinder

I'm afraid in this profession you don't get to be an age where you can take a decent redundancy without working hard/getting good results etc.

The vast majority of teachers are hard working and dedicated to ensuring they get good outcomes for the students. It's why we do it.

Pat38493

Organgrinder said:

I'm afraid in this profession you don't get to be an age where you can take a decent redundancy without working hard/getting good results etc.

The vast majority of teachers are hard working and dedicated to ensuring they get good outcomes for the students. It's why we do it.

Yes I know it was just a generalized joke.

Albermarle

Organgrinder said:

I'm afraid in this profession you don't get to be an age where you can take a decent redundancy without working hard/getting good results etc.

The vast majority of teachers are hard working and dedicated to ensuring they get good outcomes for the students. It's why we do it.

I worked in the private sector- large companies.
When they said they were going to reduce numbers by 5%, you could be sure 9 out of 10 times who that would be. Redundancy was really a cover for weeding out problem employees. They never made good employees redundant.
Unfortunately for them the company hardly ever paid redundancy money, and just transferred them to a more junior job somewhere else in the organisation, until they got fed up and left.

Farway

Albermarle said:

Organgrinder said:

I'm afraid in this profession you don't get to be an age where you can take a decent redundancy without working hard/getting good results etc.

The vast majority of teachers are hard working and dedicated to ensuring they get good outcomes for the students. It's why we do it.

I worked in the private sector- large companies.
When they said they were going to reduce numbers by 5%, you could be sure 9 out of 10 times who that would be. Redundancy was really a cover for weeding out problem employees. They never made good employees redundant.
Unfortunately for them the company hardly ever paid redundancy money, and just transferred them to a more junior job somewhere else in the organisation, until they got fed up and left.

Likewise, but unionised, general rule was last in, first out, hence the call for voluntary redundancies which saved employer lots of hassle or ill will

There was always a cash limit on amount though, XX times annual salary but total not over £YY

Organgrinder

Well the trauma of contacting HMRC may stay with me a long time! Almost an hour to get through.

So I tell them about private pension contributions and that I work as an examiner (have done for years and have never had a tax code).

HMRC tell me every payment I've received this year and then slap 40% code on my work as an examiner. They then increase my personal allowance to over £17k to account for my pension contributions, only to reduce it by £670 due to an underpayment of tax!

I didn't tell them a single figure they would not have been aware of!

barnstar2077

Organgrinder said:

Well the trauma of contacting HMRC may stay with me a long time! Almost an hour to get through.

So I tell them about private pension contributions and that I work as an examiner (have done for years and have never had a tax code).

HMRC tell me every payment I've received this year and then slap 40% code on my work as an examiner. They then increase my personal allowance to over £17k to account for my pension contributions, only to reduce it by £670 due to an underpayment of tax!

I didn't tell them a single figure they would not have been aware of!

Does it all make sense to you though?  I fear I would need someone on these forums to tell me if that was correct or not! :  )

Wednesday2000

I'm posting this here for myself as I have bookmarked what I posted here in January so I can see how we are doing money wise since reaching FIRE last June. I was expecting to do this in 6 month increments, but our situation has changed again since last month.

Jan 2025 - our income was around £3,300 and bills £700 and now February 2025 our income is around £3,600 and our bills are £725. I got awarded Carer's Allowance for my husband. I should have been claiming this since he was diagnosed in 2013, but I didn't know about this benefit. I paid Class 3 NICS for last year and I didn't need to as the Carer's Allowance covers it now which is annoying. I checked and my state pension is going to be £221.20 if I contribute another 8 years before 5th April 2042.

Organgrinder

barnstar2077 said:

Organgrinder said:

Well the trauma of contacting HMRC may stay with me a long time! Almost an hour to get through.

So I tell them about private pension contributions and that I work as an examiner (have done for years and have never had a tax code).

HMRC tell me every payment I've received this year and then slap 40% code on my work as an examiner. They then increase my personal allowance to over £17k to account for my pension contributions, only to reduce it by £670 due to an underpayment of tax!

I didn't tell them a single figure they would not have been aware of!

Does it all make sense to you though?  I fear I would need someone on these forums to tell me if that was correct or not! :  )

Yes it all makes sense fortunately.

I just despair that in this day and age, there seems no joined up thinking.