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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is the most fucked up system in the world?

33 replies

Humbugington · 22/08/2017 15:09

Basically im a single parent to dd who is 6 months old. Im 25 and have always worked full time (doing various jobs) since 16. I get no cms off dd's dad (that could be a whole new thread so wont go into details). I was living with my parents as rents were expensive etc. Ive now moved out as of the middle of this month, private rent just me and dd.
If i go back to work on the 1st september like I had been planning, three full days/22 hours a week by the time i get my wages and tax credits but have paid my (very reasonable) rent dd's nursery and other bills not including food i would have about £180 a month to buy all food clothes days out etc.
Went to see a benefits advisor today as i was worried to be told that if i dont go back to work (no nursery and less petrol but other bills would be the same) i would have £400 a month to cover food etc after bills as stated before.

Am i wrong in thinking that is a load fucking bollocks?? I know you should be thankful for all you get and i really am but on what planet should it better to stay at home and do nothing? I thought this is what we were meant to be stopping and encouraging people back to work not making it finicially unviable to do so Angry

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 22/08/2017 15:12

The system is useless. It doesn't encourage any 'good' behaviour. It encourages employers to pay low wages, people to not work many hours and generally makes everything harder.

However, having lived in a couple of other countries, there are issues with all systems. They all have unintended consequences.

Ilovefraybentos · 22/08/2017 15:15

How much extra is petrol and nursery to skew it that much? Doesn't match up to the info I got when I looked into it for me in a similar scenario.

StereophonicallyChallenged · 22/08/2017 15:16

If you worked full time would you be better off? Do you have anyone who can have dd for a day a week, if you returned the favour or anything like that?
I'm a LP and am much better off in work, but I have always worked 35+ hrs per week as childcare etc worked out better if I filled full days rather than doing reduced hours iyswim?

Original poster
Humbugington · 22/08/2017 15:19

Nursery is £600 and petrol would be about £100. I would get less money by about £400 if i dont go back to work but without the nursey and petrol to pay so would be about £300 better off a month not working

OP posts:
InDubiousBattle · 22/08/2017 15:22

Will you return to work?

Ylvamoon · 22/08/2017 15:26

Short term, you definitely will be better off... but long term staying in employment will give you better prospects in the future- not just financially!
I know its all wrong ... high time something is done about this!
My advice to you is: do whats best for you.

Original poster
Humbugington · 22/08/2017 15:26

I have booked another appointment to check everything was right.
I did work 35 hours but over 5 days -3 full and 2 half days. I cant go back on those because id still have to pay full days on the half days because of the hours (8.30-2) and ny boss wont let me come back any more full days than 3. I will look into definately though.
I will go back to work if i can afford to but from where im standing £180 a month for food and everything is not doable or atleast will be very unpleasant. I want to go back to work though.

OP posts:
SunshineAndSmile · 22/08/2017 15:27

YANBU the system is pants if your figures are correct. The issue is the cost of childcare which prohibits many people from returning to work and the cost for a 6 month old is usually quite expensive at nursery. Is there any way your parents can maybe do one day a week to make this more viable? I thought there was a childcare element to tax credits?

Hont1986 · 22/08/2017 15:30

"on what planet should it better to stay at home and do nothing?"

It isn't. You mean it would be cheaper to stay at home and do nothing, because you would save money on nursery and petrol bills.

You could save a load of money by growing your own food but no-one acts incredulous that it costs money to buy food from a supermarket.

SunshineAndSmile · 22/08/2017 15:30

Also would a childminder be more flexible with regards to the half days

Ilovefraybentos · 22/08/2017 15:30

Won't the working tax credits cover most of the nursery fees? And then you'll have your wages too?

Someone who doesn't work is looking at £950ish (give or take for housing benefit) compared to someone working getting £1100ish (give or take for housing benefit) before they receive their wages. Even with the nursery costs, you should have more money working.

adviceadviceasvice · 22/08/2017 15:31

Yanbu. I struggled for years working because i struggled being a stay at home mum. Dc is now in school and i an a lot better off. Its hard but i am glad i stayed in work as a lot of friends are struggling to get back into work.

adviceadviceasvice · 22/08/2017 15:32

Also, like a pp said, tax credits cover something like 70 % of your childcare costs

InDubiousBattle · 22/08/2017 15:34

Also, I understand if you don't want to get bogged down with details on this thread but your dd's father should be contributing financially to her.

becotide · 22/08/2017 15:36

the government doesn't want single parents of small children to work in low paid jobs, it's cheaper to pay them to stay at home than it is to pay exorbitant childcare costs for them. There are plenty of non-parents who can fill those jobs that the governement doesn't have to subsidise. That's why they set the income support/jsa changeover at 5 years old for the youngest child - they want your child at school before they have to help you with the childcare.

They can't say this out loud. They'd have to admit that there are not enough jobs in this country to support everyone working, and that many jobs will not support a family. They won't admit that so we have this doublethink situation of "You MUST look for a job! But for god's sake, don't get one!"

Winosaurus · 22/08/2017 15:38

adviceadvice it can cover up to 90% of childcare actually.

OP I agree it's insane, I worked out though instead of working 3 days a week it was financially better to work 5 mornings a week until 9-1pm. It meant I could do an extra 5 hours a week and pay £25 a week less in childcare fees as the morning sessions at nursery were cheaper than the afternoon or paying for the full day. But this is assuming your boss will give you that flexibility.

My view is though that I would rather work so I don't have any gaps in my CV, for my own pride and so my kids would see me working and it sets a good example.
I would have been £150 a month better off not working Sad it's insane

Original poster
Humbugington · 22/08/2017 15:42

Becotide I nev3r really thoight of it like but it makes sense i guess.
My figures are with all what benefits the lady at the CAB said it would be and include the child care entitlements. I have another apppointment next week so im hoping i got the new girl or something and there is a mistake.

OP posts:
AlpacaLypse · 22/08/2017 15:44

One of the stupidest bits of the current system is the arbitrary different rates depending on how many hours you work. This takes no account of the fact that I can earn a lot of money in just three hours at lunch time, but can't at other times of the day. I end up filling in my time to make it to the required weekly number of hours with paperwork.

Turquoisetamborine · 22/08/2017 15:46

Are you in a Universal Credit area as the amount of help with childcare costs is increasing to 85% through UC? Did they tell you that the more you pay out in childcare costs the more help you get with your rent? You have to get receipts from nursery though to prove it.

SunshineAndSmile · 22/08/2017 15:47

I have never thought of about it like that Beco. I guess it's all about the figures. There is a record low unemployment rate which makes the government look good but there is little about the fact that wages are ridiculously low and not keeping up with living costs.

cittigirl · 22/08/2017 15:49

It is bollocks OP, I agree. I work for virtually nothing but I can't bring myself to stay home and claim. It's better for my mental health if nothing else.

BestestBrownies · 22/08/2017 15:50

Why not take the opportunity to re-train and therefore improve your earning capacity/job prospects once your child starts school? Win-win.

pizzakat · 22/08/2017 15:53

I believe if you receive housing benefit you can still get a higher amount and council tax reduction that will cover up to 90% of your childcare.

I'm in the same boat, just went back at the beginning of the month yet only 2 days a week, I had to borrow £400 from a family member to pay nursery fees and deposit up front. Next months fees are almost due, I've had an extension on my rent fortunately and struggling to see how I'm going to manage when they've suspended my housing benefit until I can produce payslips...

They make it so ridiculously hard to get back into work. If I hadn't had family to lend me that money, I wouldn't have even been able to secure childcare.

IceMagic · 22/08/2017 15:55

the government doesn't want single parents of small children to work in low paid jobs, it's cheaper to pay them to stay at home than it is to pay exorbitant childcare costs for them. There are plenty of non-parents who can fill those jobs that the governement doesn't have to subsidise.
This.

Babbitywabbit · 22/08/2017 16:01

Yeap, the system is broken. Any System which incentivises people to either not work, or to work as few hours as possible to be 'topped up' by the state is bound to be shit. However, changes have already started and and will continue, to reverse this trend. So you're better off remaining in work. Quite apart from the fact your earnings and marketability increase while you're working, you're also improving your long term security.

Benefits are just about immediate cash in your pocket. They aren't paying into a pension scheme for you, they aren't making you mortgageable... all the things that believe me a few years down the line will be very important to you.