Opinions Please - Changes to Working Hours

[TooMuchJD]

I currently work 2 days a week 8.30 to 5.00pm. DS attends nursery and DD goes to wraparound care at school. My salary is around £5800 a year and my childcare costs around £140-150 per week of which we claim around half back in tax credits.

I have been advised today that from Sept they would like me to take on more responsibility as my supervisor is moving to an alternative job and they want me to take on some of her role. This will involve me increasing my days to 4 and getting a pay increase to around £13000; all of which sounds great other than I would then lose all but the basic tax credits and have doubled my childcare costs & travel expenses along with, most importantly, losing time with my DS & DD.

Taking all of this into consideration along with starting to pay tax, NI & higher pension contributions I won't really be much better off financially. However, the alternative is that I am likely to be made redundant if I don't take it as they will incorporate my role within my supervisors when they advertise for a replacement.

Caught between a rock & hard place and don't know what to do for the best, oh and they want my decision by tomorrow!!!!

Any advise please...........

Have you plugged the new details into entitled to. Com? Are you sure it will change things the way you lay it out above? To be honest I would probably be telling them that you cannot make a decision on a huge contract/role change in 24 hours and you will let them know after the weekend - but I get cross when I feel pushed into something! What is your gut feeling?

My gut is to tell them no & take my chances.

When I came off maternity after DS they told me I had to go full time or take the part time job I now do for two grades lower in pay....& again I had two days to let them know before they advertised the part time post. I had severe PND at the time and felt really bullied into taking the part time as full time wasn't an option for me then either. Since then I have seen them do similar tricks across other staff so I have very little faith in the management at all.

Have looked at the tax credits calculator and it would appear that we'd be worse off to the tune of about £100 a month .

How can that be?????