To think some posters need a "reality check" re. views on benefit changes

Personally I think if you're only having to pay childcare during school holidays, then you're relatively lucky. Those of us who worked when our children were babies had to pay in the region of £40 per child per day all year round. My kids' nursery charged 51 weeks of the year, regardless of whether you used it all that time. And nurseries often have a long waiting list and need planning months ahead, deposit paid etc. And no, we aren't all rolling in it. Many working parents really struggle to pay childcare, rent,and all the other bills, plus the extortionate costs of travel to and from work.

RemainsOfTheDay You're talking to the wrong person I think, I've not mentioned tax credits at all on here :)

madnortherner Thank you.

Perhaps The Real

so you bhuld the new housing where that's not the case surely?

You'd be daft to send people to those areas, or Liverpool, or Merthyr and expect them to find work, sense dictates you use your stats to work out hwhere ahs the biggest capacity and build in those palces.

Surely?

'Training has also become much more expensive in recent years. I know many adults who in previous recessions were able to retrain to improve their chances of getting new jobs after redundancy, sadly this option is now beyond the financial reach of many.

This is true; had Dh been amde redundant now the path that ahs led to his business would have been impossible, so very short sighted! They think they are giving people a kick up the bnackside to get them on the ladder of self sufficiency but just as fast soem other bastard is cutting off the ladder from the other end.

It's not always as easy as get organised Alou; even if the boys suddenly were cured so I could use the local chidlcare I would not have enough cash for the hefty deposit / upfront fees wanted now, certainly not even without knowing for sure if I ahd a job in palce to need it.

(Can I just quiety reiterate that Dh works, I am not arguing for full benefit dependency for my family, just that one of us will always find it ahrd with the boy's needs, but we are trying bloody hard).

Methe apart from anything else, what on earth are you talking about losing £45 a month now your DS is 1?! They scrapped that under one element last year!

but in central london, there are areas, where unemployment is higher than liverpool.

there are jobs, public transport, support networks & still high unemployment.

My ExH and his parents refuse to help. My own parents need care themselves.

Well, if we expect people to move away from their support netwroks they won't will they? nearest relative of ours is 60 miles away, DS1's behaviour emans making friends here has been close to impossible abrring a few nice people- but ones whose children could be ahrmed by ds1.

I would lvoe to live as an extended family, but if the HB is being limited to three bedroom houses regardless of circs and so many houses are starter homes how do we do this exactly? As it happens Mum and dad if they need care will go and live with my sister, that's been definite for a while- she lives in their home town. BBut for many that is simply not a possibility: a shame though becuase it would help with childcare, housing- all sorts.

methe I don't know if you're still following this thread, but I just wanted to say your comments were very relevant and, for me, helped me see a reason to be on the other side of the argument. You sound very reasonable and I can see your point.

Yes Hunty, I do. Which is why people get organised and book in advance, the leisure centre have already sent out their programmes. Holiday childcare programmes are planned months if not a year in advance.

Maybe we need to live in extended families.

The benefit system has fostered an attitude that the state will step in to provide care or housing in an emergency, before that family and neighbours stepped in.

Reading these threads you'd think Grannies and kindly friends didn't exist.

Lucky you miniMis

Sadly ds1 has ASD and if I do 20 hours and have a 90 minute commute, it is quite liklely he will have burned down the house and or killed his siblings before I get home. I base this on fact; we have enough A&E history, scorched carpets (why the lcoal shop would keep matches on a low shelf where he could nick i will never know - took emages to relailse where theyc ame from) and similar incidents to know this to be fact.

to have had

I'm afraid round here there are no holiday clubs that cater for working parents that come in at under the circa £40 a day per child mark.

I would love to have a cheaper alternative. But I didn't.

Alouisee - do you know that you can't just roll up to a childcare facility and say "I have a job working Monday to Friday, now you have to look after my child",don't you? Our town is short of HUNDREDS of needed childcare places. Ring the childcare team at the LEA. They will be only too happy to tell you. The leisure centre is inaccessible to me at least - and had a 6 month waiting list when I last enquired. (September). I'm QUITE sure an employer here is going to wait 6 months for you to be available to start work because you want to use only the cheapest childcare, despite it's unavailability...

when i was 11 i managed to keep myself and lil bro alive for 4 hours

Not round here LineRunner

That was meant to say to factor in the TRAVEL time, cost OF TRAVEL and waiting lists FOR THOSE CHEAPER CHILDCARE FACILITIES.

Back pedal away.

With the transport to those locations from this side of town, Alouisee, I would be paying the same amount as the club that takes dc from my part of town ANYWAY. £9.70 bus fare for me and the dc. PLUS on two buses to the childcare, then another bus or two to work - If my start time was 9am, I'd have to leave my house BEFORE the first bus runs! Believe me, Alouisee - those 'cheap' childcare facilities aren't available on some estates in this town. And aren't easily accessible by public transport from other estates,if they are not onthe same bus route, and then you have to factor in the time, cost and waiting lists.

I've just checked the charges for various holiday schemes around the country online and they vary widely, but including meals many are easily £40+ a day in some areas. That's per child.

No they aren't Hunty, not one primary school in this area charges that.

Alouisee - the ones that take dc from MY dc's primary ARE. In the holidays. three years ago, when I was last working over school holidays, it cost £37.50 a day. Now it is £50.

TheRealTilly benefits are a complete trap.

They were intriduced to provide freedom for people in dire straights, but long term they suck the life out of you. My old town and many members of my extended family are in this trap. It's is like the life of the living dead.

Goes to show though, that sometimes it does take more than one parent to effectively run a family and at the same time feed them all.