Trying to return to work

GillzD_2

but its not looking good. started today my son went to nursery so got the invoice for the month as it has to be paid up a month in advance. anyway asked my line manager about childcare vouchers, she said she had never heard of them and to go see my manager (who told me to go see her) but couldnt get hold of him all day. spoke to tax credits people who said i cant claim for the childcare element because i work 15 hours per week even though my hubby works 50+ per week. i went back on the net to the webfite for the company my work uses to suply the vouchers fill out all the forms and call them to get the address of where to send it back to only to be told i dont earn enough to claim them!

what shold i do? its is now going to cost me £243 of my hubby's wage plus all of mine and an extra £20 per week to work! its not worth it at all. there is no more regular hours available at work but i want to work to help pay off our debts faster since we are expecting our second child in the new year too.

Titch89

Can't your husband claim tax credits?

alwaysonthego_2

I think both of the adults have to be working 16 hours each to be entitled.

Op can you not work an extra hour a week and then you should be eligible for wtc.

rachnbri

Could your husband claim childcare vouchers through his employer? If he can that's likely to be more financially beneficial to you as I assume he pays more tax than you?

Elle00

GillzD wrote: »

but its not looking good. started today my son went to nursery so got the invoice for the month as it has to be paid up a month in advance. anyway asked my line manager about childcare vouchers, she said she had never heard of them and to go see my manager (who told me to go see her) but couldnt get hold of him all day. spoke to tax credits people who said i cant claim for the childcare element because i work 15 hours per week even though my hubby works 50+ per week. i went back on the net to the webfite for the company my work uses to suply the vouchers fill out all the forms and call them to get the address of where to send it back to only to be told i dont earn enough to claim them!

what shold i do? its is now going to cost me £243 of my hubby's wage plus all of mine and an extra £20 per week to work! its not worth it at all. there is no more regular hours available at work but i want to work to help pay off our debts faster since we are expecting our second child in the new year too.

Are you sure it's because you work 15 hours a week, or is it perhaps because your husband earns too much for you to qualify for the childcare element as a couple?

What's your combined annual income (if you don't mind telling us) as that may be the real reason you don't qualify.

Sometimes it doesn't pay for a second parent in a two parent family to work when childcare comes into it. If you're earning £5ph after tax and NI but paying £4.50ph childcare plus an overlap to get to and from work - it just doesn't add up. You may find you need to either work when your husband is home to watch little one or find a job to boost your income that doesn't require childcare (like Avon or internet reviewing).

GillzD_2

i have tried getting an evening job but my hubby has eratic hours (hes a soldier) so cannot guarantee when he will be home. tried avon when i was younger they only ever got 1 order right and i was getting it in the neck from the customers tried kleeneze but she wanted me to do over 200 books per week and with a 2 year was not feasable for me so tried this.

my hubby makes just under 25Ka year taking home £1100 on a very good month yet not entitled to wtc they told me i have to be working 16 pw for childcare and am only getting nmw of £5.57ph.

my hubby is entitled to childcare vouchers but would still end up worse off in the end as im not taking anything in to make up for the nursery costs.

GillzD_2

***bump***

alwaysonthego_2

Gill your options are work an extra hour a week or work from home, there is a board dedicated to this somewhere on this forum.

mitchaa

GillzD wrote: »

my hubby makes just under 25Ka year taking home £1100 on a very good month yet not entitled to wtc they told me i have to be working 16 pw for childcare and am only getting nmw of £5.57ph.

That does not make sense...

An annual salary of £24000 = £1,520.63
An annual salary of £25000 = £1,578.13

Source... www.thesalarycalculator.co.uk

An annual salary of £16,500 = £1,089.38

There's a big difference between earning £16,500 and £25,000

Confused....

mitchaa

Additionally £243 SS childcare vouchers does not cost you £243. It costs £167.67, a saving of £75.33pm due to the vouchers being exempt from tax and NI.

If both of you were to SS (Salary Sacrafice) you would get £486 worth of childcare vouchers per month costing you £335.34. A saving of £150.66

Sugarcubed

mitchaa wrote: »

That does not make sense...

An annual salary of £24000 = £1,520.63
An annual salary of £25000 = £1,578.13

Source... www.thesalarycalculator.co.uk

An annual salary of £16,500 = £1,089.38

There's a big difference between earning £25k and £1100pm on a very good month.

Confused....

Yeap doesn't make sense according to http://www.listentotaxman.com/ as well it would be around 1500 monthly take for 24K