Could I survive on this?

[Oatypancakesforbrekkie]

Live abroad, thinking of returning to the U.K. with toddler Dd.
It would be just her and I.
The salary I’ve seen is for £25 thousand, how would we be able to live on that amount, would we be ok? I have no idea of prices of things, bills etc, nowadays.
I imagine an average mortgage would be £800? then with bills, food etc.
My position would be a lower one than my qualifications, but would fit around my Dd at school etc by then
Would you get any help for being alone and on that salary?

[quote wallysally]@icedcoffees I don't understand? Why would a job advertise as 25k if you don't actually get paid 25k?? [/quote]
Many (especially school, or part time) jobs offer £x as full time equivalent for a comparison for other salaries. When you accept a position it's on the understanding that this will be pro-rata'd down to the actual hours you will be working.

OP, you will get paid IN the holidays but not FOR the holidays. You only get paid for the days you are actually at work, something like 190 days, but this is spread over 12 monthly payments. I was an HLTA and you will get nothing like £25K.

That is the oddest thing I have ever heard...so they say it's 25k for the year but you can't actually work for the year so it couldn't possibly be 25k. What's the bloody point in mentioning it then? Ffs...

Unless I've missed it, the OP hasn't stated that the school would offer a fee-free place at the school. If the school did, as someone who has worked in several private schools, I'd find that extremely unusual, unheard of in fact, especially these days where many (even well known and established) private schools can't even afford to even stay in the Teachers' Pension Scheme and are having to pull out.

I would stick with the south west if you have family there who could support you and your child.

Are both jobs on 25k salary? Are they permanent jobs? I agree it sounds like a high salary for a TA. When you say you’ve been offered two jobs, do you mean interviewed, references etc? I was wondering if it was through someone you know.

I think that’s just enough to survive comfortably on for you and one child.

@wallysally

That is the oddest thing I have ever heard...so they say it's 25k for the year but you can't actually work for the year so it couldn't possibly be 25k. What's the bloody point in mentioning it then? Ffs...

It's perfectly normal and very common.

Even if the school place is free or reduced it will count as a benefit in kind and be taxable I think? Will also count in benefit calculations although I’m not sure whether you’d get any universal credit for one child on a salary of 25k

@Oatypancakesforbrekkie

I should have a good sized deposit. My wages should be higher in the future. I’m thinking of accepting a higher level teacher assistant job, but am a teacher. I’d like to settle in initially, without the demands and stresses of teaching

Make sure that salary isn't pro-rated and is actually what you'd be paid.

HLTA are often hourly paid whereas teachers are salaried

Here is what I pay in the NW (2 bed) for main bills if it helps (single person)

Council tax 125
Gas and electric EON 65
Mortgage £400
Water 20
BT 30
Contents insurance 10

Plus obvious car bills, Netflix etc!

I think it's tight but depends so much on EXACTLY where you will be living.

For example, SW - huge difference between somewhere like Bristol to Cornish Clay Towns.

You need to do more research using rightmove to see houses you would want, and how much mortgage you would need to top up your £100k. Then use online mortgage calculator to work out repayments.

To be fair, many fee-paying schools offer whole year holiday clubs, so that parents can work, and these are usually run by the support staff, so it could well be that OP has her statutory holiday of 28days (or whatever it is now) and will actually be working the rest of the year, thus the higher salary. Also, as another poster says, HLTAs are regularly covering classes now, for PPA etc, so the job would be fairly demanding and worth the higher salary. Perhaps the role incorporates SENDCo also, again adding to the salary. Only OP knows the offer.

And the holiday clubs offer extended hours (covered by before/after school clubs in term time) - ours was 8am until 6pm, so v hard work!

@Embroidery

£800 is a large mortgage. Esp in the north.

Mine is £265 but I admit its low because Im 50yo.

Do you have deposit?
How much is 25k per month take home? 1800?
My bills - phone / internet, 3 mobiles, gas electric, water, council tax, milkman (optional), home insurance, home insurance, car insurance, car tax, altogether come to £334 per month.
People cut their jib according to their cloth.

But I own 3 bed house and live independantly as single mum on around your income and I think of myself as quite rich with 1200 per month spare.

A lot of MN are keen savers but I dont really believe in that. Ill have less outgoings at age 60/70 so Ill worry about that if and when the time comes.

These things are relative. £800 would cover a 25 year £150,000 mortgage - so that’s not a huge mortgage.

Better to think of what you can borrow. On a £20k annual salary it would be possibly to borrow up to about £90,000 as a mortgage - possibly less as you have a child - and the repayment on that would be far less than £800 a month. Closer to £500 a month.

So then it depends whether £90k plus your deposit would be enough to purchase a property in your preferred area. How much is your deposit likely to be and are you aiming to buy a small flat or a large detached house?

Sorry it’s £25k salary so borrowing could be up to £112,500.

Well considering I’m raising three kids alone on less than £20k a year, yes that’s more than doable.

Including any top up benefits?

The OP has clearly stated that the salary is the actual salary, not pro-rata. She has experience of working in schools so it’s not as if this will have slipped her notice.

Also, I don’t think it’s that unusual for a HLTA. I just had a look and theres a job advert for one near me (in the Midlands) which is just under 25k actual salary, would be 27-34k full time.

@CovidPassQuestion

To be fair, many fee-paying schools offer whole year holiday clubs, so that parents can work, and these are usually run by the support staff, so it could well be that OP has her statutory holiday of 28days (or whatever it is now) and will actually be working the rest of the year, thus the higher salary. Also, as another poster says, HLTAs are regularly covering classes now, for PPA etc, so the job would be fairly demanding and worth the higher salary. Perhaps the role incorporates SENDCo also, again adding to the salary. Only OP knows the offer.

That may be true, but it also means she needs to find childcare for the entire year rather than just for school terms, which could cancel out the benefits of the higher salary.

I would be very surprised that a TA job even a an HLTA role is actually paying twenty five thousand that will be full time equivalent so you need to find out what the take gone would be

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback, lots to consider.

Family connection and help in the South West would be amazing, but house prices etc and the slightly smaller salary would make it so much harder. Looking at the North west (where I’m originally from) it’s much more doable.

Dd won’t get all fees paid (if only) but a large percentage.

In one of the schools I’d work over the summer and after school, Dd could be in summer clubs there etc so it’s covered. I’d have to pay for all uniform and extras etc.

The role isn’t a basic teaching assistant one, it involves teaching classes for a portion of the week, which I’m used to, but is less intense, which I’m looking for whilst I find my feet. The roles involve SEN work and involvement in planning etc

@BoredZelda

Well considering I’m raising three kids alone on less than £20k a year, yes that’s more than doable.

Including any top up benefits?

There will be and very (rightfully) substantial.

@Oatypancakesforbrekkie

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback, lots to consider.

Family connection and help in the South West would be amazing, but house prices etc and the slightly smaller salary would make it so much harder. Looking at the North west (where I’m originally from) it’s much more doable.

Dd won’t get all fees paid (if only) but a large percentage.

In one of the schools I’d work over the summer and after school, Dd could be in summer clubs there etc so it’s covered. I’d have to pay for all uniform and extras etc.

The role isn’t a basic teaching assistant one, it involves teaching classes for a portion of the week, which I’m used to, but is less intense, which I’m looking for whilst I find my feet. The roles involve SEN work and involvement in planning etc

Private schools are reducing fee subsidy all over UK. In fact there’s been a few threads on from very stressed teachers

It’s written on contacts as a benefit

Which can be removed at any time and not guaranteed

@Oatypancakesforbrekkie - not sure if this has been covered somewhere along the way, but do you have your daughter's father's permission to remove her from her current country of residence?

Having a portion of fees paid for you probably counts as a taxable benefit so I'd make sure you know how much of your salary will be deducted for this - similarly for her attendance at summer clubs etc.

@icedcoffees

Having a portion of fees paid for you probably counts as a taxable benefit so I'd make sure you know how much of your salary will be deducted for this - similarly for her attendance at summer clubs etc.

It's definitely a taxable benefit to be reported via P11d unless it's a salary sacrifice arrangement, but if so then that obviously comes off the salary in the first place.