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

[theduchessstill]

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.

55k here. After mortgage, household bills, nursery/ childcare, transport to work and basic food ... less than £200 left.

That's £200 of course for luxuries such as school uniform but that's not the point - how have we got to a situation where 55k leaves you with that little. Shouldn't we be aspiring for better? For all?

But that's life.

Pay rises sometimes arent worth it as you go into the next tax bracket yadda yadda.

I'll save my pity for those struggling to afford to feed and clothe their families rather than you with your £6k pay rise.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_in_the_United_Kingdom#Post_tax_household_income

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/nowcastinghouseholdincomeintheuk/financialyearending2017

I think a lot of your anger should be directed at your ex? Why isn’t he contributing at all?

I kind of get your frustration but you do also need to understand that it’s a bit of a “first world” problem compared to things some people are dealing with.

CB is not just for people who are struggling financially! What a terrible thing to imply. It should be paid to all parents, being able to go on holiday once a year should not disqualify people from receiving the benefit. Jeez.

The intention behind not paying it to people earning above 50k was good, but it is completely flawed if a couple earning 90k combined can still claim CB whereas a single parent earning 55k can't.

These links discuss median household income.

Alright LRD I'm a complete and utter entitled arsehole and will never complain or feel disappointed about anything ever ever again, ok? And you're right of course, a couple would never have the temerity to feel put out by anything, or express discontent in any way, oh no.

BackToThe90s You have an odd attitude. Do you think the majority of people who receive CB never buy anything other than essentials? And I don't have to think about teachers - I am one.

A better job and £100 a month better off?
Get the violins out

a week in the UK a couple of years ago and it cost similar to what it costs going abroad

This confuses me. We got a cottage in the Lake District in 2016 for £700 (£100 on petrol). 6 people. Where can you go abroad for a week for 6 people, £800? Some kind of camping or caravaning jolly, right?

No but on one hand you're complaining about losing CB whilst on the other saying you have a foreign holiday every year or so. Just think yourself very fortunate. Some can't afford a weekend away in England let alone a week abroad even though they are qualified, working and experienced. The point is to realise what you actually have.

I do not understand why you're so angry.

All I'm pointing out is that most couples earn considerably less than you do, so it's not about household income. You did ask!

You also asked people to comment on your finances. You can't be shocked to find you're very well off. In fact, it's pretty obvious from this thread that you were actually just boasting. So: great. Well done on the pay rise. Maybe, next time, find some actual people to celebrate with?

I've just put my details into entitledto.co.uk and if my salary was 25k at 20 hours per week and I was in rented accommodation I would be over £500 better off a month than I am working full time at 60k.

That is of course a short term calculation and would drop as kids got older.

I want to make it clear that I do not begrudge those on a lower income a penny of that.

But please don't assume a single parent on 60k is hugely better off as they are not!

Is the promotion £6,000pa worth of extra stress, or just better paid for a more interesting role? Given that there are so many factors in deciding whether a new job is worth it and, frankly, which jobs get extremely well rewarded and which very poorly has limited logic or fairness in it, I don't get your dismay. It's no more fair that some jobs are appallingly rewarded despite the responsibility and stress involved, and some exceptionally well rewarded, despite being less stressful, less useful and more enjoyable, than it is that once you start earning a certain amount, society stops topping up the deficits in your income with things like CB.

Do you want the new job or don't you?

If someone was only working 20 hours per week and earning £25 k they would be in a very good job indeed! Try doing 24 per week at 8 k per year. That's more realistic to real folk!

I’d be frigging made if I was earning £25k for 20 hours work.
The majority of people working 20 hours will not be earning that.

Where are these jobs where you can only do 20 hours per week and earn 25 k??? 🤔

If you can afford it, put it all into a pension until your wages rise enough about 60K.

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.

Divorce settlement notwithstanding, if he isn’t paying child maintenance you can claim through the CMS. childmaintenanceservice.direct.gov.uk/public/

Those of you criticising the OP for feeling disheartened, read this:
inclusiq.com/a-parent-must-earn-40k-to-break-even/

Definitely worth taking the payrise if you can get the job though. Future pay rises will be based on this, you won’t always have kids, and you have the option to save via your pension.

@user1471439240

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.

Bollocks. We earn about 31,000 combined and aren't entitled to anything except CB. I think if we had three or four DC we might get a small amount of tax credits. Funnily enough that thought never tempted me.

Ok I've just repeated it on 10k per year. I'd actually still be better off but only by about £100.

But cant you see this isn't about low pay? Surely you live in hope that if you did earn more, in a more stressful role, that you'd have lots more money?

ana, that's really interesting reading, and I'm sure all of those parents who can't afford to put their children in nursery are totally persuaded by it.

Being able to afford nursery is already something you do if you earn well.

I would love to be able to go back to work full time. So would my DP. But god knows we can't afford it, because we're not earning those sorts of salaries.

But you're a couple - depends if you're both working full time eg full time childcare, own your own home etc.