To consider redundancy with an unemployed husband

Move 90 minutes north of London and 250k will get you a very nice little 3 bed + moving costs. Stick with the job this round, use early mat leave to apply for civil service roles in the north as an insider. Hand over childcare to your DH as and when.

My DSis works in central government and most of her colleagues are Liverpool, Leeds and Birmingham these days. You're in a great position for a lateral move.

The money would be tempting but you already have decent savings. If your partner has already been out of work for a few years, it would worry me that he wouldn’t find another job. Would you be able to relax while on maternity leave without either of you working? I guess you’ll have the cushion of savings but your redundancy money will be used up pretty fast if neither of you are working.

Leave, move north, live mortgage-free, look for employment outside your fileds of expertise (both of you), but which motivate and energise you 🙂

I would echo others about the grass not being greener.
If your dh has failed to find anything........
Keep your job, keep your savings.

I know what you're saying @40YearOldDad and it does get wheeled out here a lot, but it's unusual for anyone to have a quarter of a million pounds in savings! There are plenty of good areas in the north where you can buy a two or three bed house.

I'm saying it's worth looking into, but not at the expense of giving up the income and taking the redundancy.

I know, but it's a very, very simplistic view on things, moving, potentially away from their friends, family network, Job opportunities, because it buys a house outright?

It's like saying to someone in the north who rents that they could buy outright in rural France. Just like the north, it's cheaper, and they speak a different language.

I'd also love to see these 5-bed detached houses with land, and a cottage for 250k in the north, because a quick Rightmove search suggest they just don't exist, unless you want to live in Aberdeean, (nothing wrong with that, it has some lovely places) and have the skill and or spare 100K to renovate a house. - So in essence, not a 250k house.

OP and her husband are in a position where they could buy a house outright in some places up north, it’s totally different from renting!

Since when did moving north fix all problems? Rent in a half-decent area in the 'north' is still looking 1k plus, my buddy just re-let his house in the midlands, average area, decent house,( ex- council) 3 bed - £1100 pcm, and he was knocking people back, he had that many enquiries.

If you've managed to save up 260k, it's safe to assume you've not been living above your means for a few years. (unless it's a big inheritance) 50k redundancy puts you on 310k - how long can you live off that before panic sets in?

Outer Hebrides I imagine!

Keep your job and put dh in the role of childminder/ homemaker. Maybe he could get a part time job or start a small business from home.
You will be very sorry later you gave up your pension as it will be a good one. Regular income is far easier to budget as a lump sum just dwindles away so quickly.
If you moved out of London & bought a small house could you work remotely full time?
What has dh done all day every day since he became unemployed?

Surely there is a middle ground between a high flying job and a supermarket job, surely he can get something related to his field, even at a much lower level but higher wage than a supermarket.
If you are taking the redundancy move to somewhere else that his skills are more valuable.

Maybe he should look for a job somewhere with a lower cost of living, then you can take the money and relocate to somewhere more affordable to live

He used to have a very well paid job but lost it several years ago. He has spent the past year applying for jobs in his field without success.

What was he doing between the past year and the 'several years' since he lost his job?

where is this? I can work remotely!

I'd leave a husband who has been unemployed several years before I'd leave a job.

Unless, there's a very good reason for his unemployment, that's beyond crazy.

You and H would potentially have to re enter the job market after quite a long break.

A job market that is tough and will get tougher all over the country. Unemployment is the highest it’s been for years. People have mentioned NMW jobs, but the days of walking into a job at a supermarket are long gone.

Agree with others.
Move up North.
Buy outright in your name.
Live off the 50k for 6 months.
Look for new job.

But have to say I'd leave the cocklodger first, sorry.

How old are you @Anon46?

Your job sounds ideal for your situation, I see why you might be tempted but honestly you could end up in a in flexible workplace, with a nightmare job earning less !

Also your husband hasn't worked in several years, why ? If he hadn't found a job in a year he needed to widen his search.

Yes you have reserves but thet will run out. You and H would potentially have to re enter the job market after quite a long break.

This absolutely ^^

then if it all goes wrong and you can’t get work you don’t have rent or mortgage to worry about so any minimum wage job will do

I’d take the redundancy, move north, buy a house outright, and both find part time jobs for now, anything that will pay your living expenses. Then, once settled, decide what you want to do. Maybe your Dh could retrain, or you could

He needsto shift husband ass anc get a job.

IMO, you’d be bonkers to walk away from a government role (especially the pension), which offers fantastic annual leave allowances plus flexible working (usually flexi time in government too) and the ability to WFH when you have a child to consider. By that, I mean that amount of leave, and the ability to work flexibly and from home when your child hits school age is a huge perk.

To give that up for just over a year’s worth of pay would be a very silly move.

The pension is one of the best around. I would never willingly walk away from my government pension.

With £260k in the bank, you need to look at buying somewhere too, instead of wasting money on rent.

How come DH has been unemployed for years but has only applied for jobs in the adt year?

my post is talking about after they’ve bought a house with it, as multiple posters advise