Should I swap to term time only?

[gillybean2]

After some advice on whether to swap to 'full time' term time only hours or stick as I am.

I'm a single parent, currently working 18 hours a week.
My hours have always been flexible. In term time I usually work school hours (4.5hrs) on 4 days, but choose which days to work. Sometimes I work my day off, but usually I have used it to cover things like helping at school, open days, inset days etc.

In the school holidays I tend to work longer hours on the days I go in and then take time off in lieu plus my annual leave for the rest. This reduces my childcare costs and gives me more time at home with ds. My boss is fine with it as long as my hours add up at the end of the year.

However my ds has just started secondary and I can now work slightly longer hours. So I'm trying to decide on which of the two following to do:

PART TIME - Should I simply stick with the part time hours, where in reality I would actually work more hours in the term time and simply bank those hours to take most of the holidays off instead (cutting most of my childcare costs in the process).

FULL TIME TERM TIME ONLY - Or should I swap to full time (30hours) in term time and ask for term time only hours taking all the holidays off.

Two main queries arise -

1. Basically I'm not sure what the implications are in terms of help with child care costs and WTC & CTC. I know if I do 30 a week I would be considered full time and this affects WTC (but I'm not sure how it affects it), even if I only work term time. So how exactly does this affect my WTC & CTC? Do I get more being full time, or less? Or about the same?
   Also would I still get help with childcare costs?
   
   Also working term time only wouldn't mean just term time. In reality I'd have to work a couple of weeks in the summer hols as we're not allowed more than 2 weeks in a row off. So I'd still have childcare costs for those week.
   Plus there's 5 inset days I have to factor in, snow days, school events etc so I would still need some time off in term time too.
   
   
   
2. Secondly - if I work term time only do I effectively forfeit holiday entitlement at other time or would it be pro rata on the number of weeks I work?
   
   Thanks

[seeyoukay]

Well firstly it'll be what the boss wants or can do. Ask them if they want term time only as they may want help throughout the year.

If they want term time only ask for a banked hours approach. You get paid the same no matter how many hours you work all year and you do overtime / take time off as needed to make sure they balance at the end.

Easiest one to calculate.

[gillybean2]

I don't think it matters either way to my boss. I'll be working a similar amount of hours either way and basically now I tell them what hours I intend to work the following week just so they know when I'll be in.
If I'm having longer off for school holidays or I've booked to go away etc I give them a bit more notice.

Obviously I realise summer holidays will be the sticking point. They probably won't agree to me having all that off. But I am prepared to come in for two weeks in the middle so that shouldn't really be an issue.

My main question is how does being part time v full time affect my WTC, CTC and will it affect the help I get with my child care costs.

[seeyoukay]

As I said. Go for the banked hours option. Then there is no effect on the tax credits.

[Manda25]

Stay part time ...in general the more you earn the less you get on CTC & WTC .... long winded process but go to (benefits calculator) www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx and put the two different sets of figures in and it will roughly show you the difference.

Dont forget you can work out what your holiday childcare will be and claim that with CTC/WTC too

[gillybean2]

That's the thing, I'll earn roughly the same whichever option I go with.

Does anyone know what the difference between working over 16hours (part time) and working over 30 hours(full time) a week means in term of WTC & CTC?

I may be wrong but I thought I saw somewhere that if you worked 'full time' hour you got an additional WTC 'bonus' payment, but you don't get help towards child care costs.

Anyone know the facts and figures around this please?

[theredhen]

have a look at "entitledto" - the website.

I seem to think when I looked at it, I was about £10 per week better off in tax credits and you do still get help with childcare costs.