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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tothink it's utterly ridiculous that a 6k raise would only work out to be £100 per month

376 replies

theduchessstill · 11/02/2018 22:10

I'm just feeling really hopeless at the moment. I earn a decent enough wage and know that I am very fortunate compared to many. However, as a single parent who receives no maintenance I am solely responsible for myself and two children and a mortgage, as well as having to save for a further pay out for ex when youngest comes of age. We do ok, but I have little to no savings and think about money constantly.

I have seen a job that pays 6k more than my current one and is a natural next step for me. 6k seems like quite a step up, but have just put the figures into a calculator and it seems that, taking into account the fact it would take me above the CB threshold, I would be a measly £100 per month better off.

Pisses me off tbh. As I'm in a public sector role I very rarely get other pay rises and when I do they're minuscule. I also think the fact that I would lose CB when a couple with a combined income well above my single one would keep it is an absolute disgrace. It just seems things are never going to get any better for me so just having a little rant, a pointless one as there's obviously no guarantee I'd get the job even if I went for it.

OP posts:
Original poster
theduchessstill · 11/02/2018 22:40

What exactly did you expect to 'improve your quality of life'?! confused

Umm, I expected a promotion to improve the quality of my life. Not that hard to understand is it?

OP posts:
coffeeforone · 11/02/2018 22:41

I think anyone who works in payroll (I used to), will agree that pay rises hardly ever make a ‘quality of life’ difference, once all the deductions are taken into account. You really do just need to live within your means, any salary increase especially like the 10%+ you are looking at looks great on paper as an annual figure. In reality the monthly net will never make a significant difference.

Inertia · 11/02/2018 22:41

Can I ask why you receive no maintenance, but are saving up to pay off Ex? Is it that he isn't required to pay, or that you have 50% care?

Just thinking that it doesn't seem fair if he's supposed to pay CM and doesn't , yet you can't take that off whatever you owe him.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 11/02/2018 22:45

But what do you expect will get better? What is it that's so awful about the quality of life you have now?

You own your own house.

Are you struggling to put food on the table? Have you never had a holiday? What?

I am asking because I can't follow what you think would change, meaningfully, for having more money. It's not that I think people don't deserve to earn lots of money, but I am not sure what you imagined would change that needs to change. When you say 'quality of life,' to me, that sounds like dire issues, such as feeding and clothing yourself or your children.

BackToThe90s · 11/02/2018 22:46

I'd feel rich on 30 k tbh. 😐

Foolish1 · 11/02/2018 22:47

Jesus. Try the private sector. Only in the Public sector could a 6k pay rise not be life changing.

user1471439240 · 11/02/2018 22:48

If you have children and earn between £0 and £40,000 then you end up with the same per month via benefits and in work tax credits. Thats how it works.

MyDcAreMarvel · 11/02/2018 22:50

Pay more in your pension and you will lose zero CB.

BackToThe90s · 11/02/2018 22:51

Even if your mortgage was £1500 pm and bills were £500 pm that would be £24,000 in living costs as a maximum. After that my goodness I couldn't imagine what I would do with that. Go on holiday maybe? Buy my dd the carpet she needs for her bedroom (to replace old crappy flea ridden one.) I just couldn't imagine it!

SilentEm564 · 11/02/2018 22:53

So many judgy posters. It's not unreasonable to be a bit Hmm that a 6k pay rise on paper only works out to 1.2k in what OP actually gets. Regardless of what OP's financial situation is, I'm genuinely surprised that the gap is so big.

NewBallsPlease00 · 11/02/2018 22:54

Back to the 90s that's the point thpugh- on 50k your take home is pretty similar to someone on 30k because of the wtc CB position etc

NewBallsPlease00 · 11/02/2018 22:55

So 24k /2k month is probably the total take home, I get its a lot of money but not in context of salary

Original poster
theduchessstill · 11/02/2018 22:55

What I mean by quality of life is not having to worry about money all the time. I don't struggle to feed the children or pay the bills, and do have a week abroad most years, as well as few days out. But it's the constant nagging worry about interest rates rising (mortgage isn't stupidly big, though I had to increase it to pay off ex) and there being very little put away for the dc's futures that gets to me. And doing this calculation tonight brought home the fact that there is very little I can actually do about it, other than meeting a man Hmm.

I think I was badly advised wrt financial settlement. No mention was ever made of CM payments during the process. He has them about 30% of the time, less in holidays, and pays for nothing but their food when with him.

OP posts:
MyDcAreMarvel · 11/02/2018 22:55

You don't get wtc if you earn 30k

BackToThe90s · 11/02/2018 22:55

30 k is still a very good salary.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 11/02/2018 22:56

theduchessstill 🍷

I get where you’re coming from. It’s crap feeling ‘stuck’ when you’re responsible for the mortgage, all bills, couple of kids. Then to see a job/promotion of £6k only to realise how little it makes in real terms, especially when if you were married you could earn double and not lose CB.

Anyway, hopefully £200 is closer to the mark and maybe more if you up your pension contributions.

Are you going to apply for the job?

Hedgehoghogger · 11/02/2018 22:57

I sympathise and am in a similar boat. It is hugely unfair that a couple earning 49k each are not affected but single people on 50k are.

Easy to think 60k is loads but if you go to entitledto you'll find those earning half that in some cases have more money. I worked out my calculations and was shocked. But there are of course other benefits to working.

Depends if you want the job or not - and whether it would take you to a bigger next step?

BlackeyedSusan · 11/02/2018 22:58

I get that it feels demorilising to not se the amount you get go up substantially, due to losing out in other areas.

Hedgehoghogger · 11/02/2018 23:00

And I think it's fair to expect an increase in stress and most likely hours to be rewarded yes.

CabbagePatch91 · 11/02/2018 23:01

Sorry for being ignorant but what's CB?

LRDtheFeministDragon · 11/02/2018 23:02

duchess - well, there's your answer. Lose the week abroad, and you're sorted. You could even save a bit.

It doesn't have to be scary. But you can't expect to earn lots of money, and spend lots, and feel aggrieved that you're not financially secure!

user1471439240 · 11/02/2018 23:03

This is why we have the lowest productivity in Europe, there is no point in promotions or increasing hours.
It is also why we have adverts pretending that a newly degree qualified teacher or nurse should be excited at earning £24k. It never used to be that way

bluepears · 11/02/2018 23:03

ybu wouldn't you get approx 300 a month in child tax credits just for having children

MummySparkle · 11/02/2018 23:04

I was offered more hours at work, worked out that I'd be worse off taking them than I was without :(

BackToThe90s · 11/02/2018 23:06

I don't understand the grievance of losing CB when you can afford a holiday abroad every year or so. Am I missing something? Essentially CB is paying for a foreign holiday?

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