To be shocked at how much we would get in tax credits if I did not work

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

I sense this thread might go wrong - I do not mean it to. I am not saying people should not receive the money, nor that they should be forced into work. I am just shocked at how much we would get!

Bit of background. My job is at risk so looking at worst case I wanted to see what we would be entitled to if I was made redundant. I expected it to be very very little.

I put our details into the tax credits website and based on me staying at home with the DC's and DH continuing to work full time we would get £600 a month . That is not considering any other benefits which we might be entitled to (DH earns around 18k)

Ok so that is not a huge amount of money to live on but after childcare costs that is more than I have left over after working full time in a well paid job!

I fully admit I enjoy my job and working. I also get more out of it than salary - pension, fulfillment, career advancement. Also, childcare costs are a relatively short term thing - in four years once all DC are in school they will come down considerably (they are very high at £1400 a month now).

I have no intention of leaving my job but it does make me wonder why I am missing my DC's, running round like a mad fool organising childcare and picks ups and am absolutely exhausted and dont have much time for myself when I am in the short term worse off financially.

It is nice to know there is the safety net though I guess although I now understand why some people make it a choice not to work (and I mean some not everyone who doesnt work, stays at home etc). I genuinely never expected it to be that much. I guess it will also be at risk with the current government.

cf, dont know your circs, but you getting 'zilch' is not because of your working situation alone. i also work part-time and dp full time - we get 'quite a lot'in tax credits.

swallowed, I am pretty certain that some families get 300 per week if you combine wtc and ctc.

thesecondcoming you soon work out how to answer these multiple choice questionnaires after you've fluffed a few. When I got rejected by B&Q it was because the environment was too fast paced and exciting for my personality and I may find it all too much!

Got turned down by Tesco too, finally cracked it with Sainsbo's

That's why the system will change - it is ridiculous

rofl @ tethersend

has anyone mentioned people spending the money on fags andbooze yet?

Sooo - if you are a single parent with 5 children (no I am not ) how much tax credit would you get if not working?

I only have one child and only ever got the basic tax credit of £40 a month until last November when I dropped from full time to 16 hours per week as DS was struggling +++ at school (has since been diagnosed with autism and ADHD). My tax credits on 16 hours a week are £198 a month plus £53 WTC. Recently they added the disability element and basically I am now around £350 a month better off - of courrse it doesn't replace the salary I lost but it definitely helps hence my reason for being concerned about cuts. Prior to this every single month was a struggle for me (and I do mean EVERY month). Now it's alot easier and I have money for the special needs groups DS attends (which I did't have before).

MovingBeds ..give them time ...they have come over from the other thread

and what about all these people on benefits with their free brand new cars?

How very dare they

you know the thread bashing people for not working ..now they are bashing people for working ..confused ...you bet

But its so easy to get a job these days ..must be true ,some on MN insist it is

swallowafly £300 a week is a rounded up figure but its defo over £250. And that doesnt include the ridiculous ammount of housing benefits either as the aplicable ammount increses the more children you have

I do find it ridiculous that tax credits increase so muc when you have more children like i said is it anywonder people have child after child now?

You shouldnt get double for having another child only have another child if you can afford it

£395.02 per annum

that was based on one child by the way