Not paying for childcare this autumn as bills go up

[Essenceandvibes]

I've just had an epiphany.....I absolutely won't be paying a penny for childcare this autumn as bills increase and I won't be made to feel guilty about it either. I can work from home and watch my baby and pick up my 10 year old from school without the assistance of anyone else and if my employer has an issue with it, he can pay an extra £2000 per month post tax to cover the cost of full time help.

Our bills are going to be about £800 a month just electricity and gas alone for our detached 4 bed house, this isn't even thinking about the increase of petrol or groceries.

The mortgage has also gone up a few hundred quid too....childcare and commuting is now a luxury not necessity and I really hope every parent joins me in asking for employers like it or lump it

Shameful the government have let everything get this far, the knock on effects will be huge

Good luck when you've got a toddler.....not thought your bullshit through have you ?

I do agree with this, but I'm not sure how bringing the economy to it's knees by effectively refusing to work will help. Yep, loads of massive companies making their shareholders millions that you can have a go at but google tells me 61% of employment and 52% of turnover is SMEs. These companies tend not to be able to weather the changes in the economy, increased costs etc so well and will be effected much like individuals. Will struggle as it is and be crippled by your action. Resulting in closures and unemployment. Fewer taxes being paid so fewer pennies to spend on care sectors etc. Being SMEs they have very little influence on government policy so cannot put pressure on to make changes. If you and 5 like minded people worked for me and took this action it could close my business I'd lose everything and 30 people with very specialist skills would be redundant.

If we ever stood a chance of making life easier for parents it's now, it's literally the time to be as audacious in our demands as we can be

I'm just on the line to the cabinet now to see who's available to babysit this weekend.

A tax credit is a negative tax.

Childless and parent both put x into the pot. Then the government takes y out and gives it back to the parent.

It's the same but with extra steps.

Perfect thank you, I'm planning to save £1700 a month and actually enjoy a higher interest rate on some savings I will be then able to contribute to....

How about you?

Pregnancy and maternity are protected characteristics. Parenthood is not. You seem to believe that we live in a country where parents are never able to be fired. Do you honestly think that can be right?

I haven’t caused my employer anything, what are you on about?

@Essenceandvibes

I’m not worried at all about the extra 300 pounds that I’ll pay this winter. For context me and my husband have quite low paid jobs in comparison to other mumsnetters.

Oh I don’t live on a different planet but I do live in a council house with affordable rent. Seems you’ve been living beyond your means dear and you might need to work a bit harder. You and your husband clearly overstretched yourselves and now you’re coming across like an unhinged spoilt toddler who is throwing their dummy out the pram!

Some people really do need to grow up.

Is that you Daily Fail? Wanting to write a sensationalist article about how women are all going to WFH surrounded by their offspring?

IF you do this. Don’t tell a soul. Not even a mum on the school run, not a FB post, no-one whatsoever. Someone could dob you in and you could end up sacked.

Yes you are right.

The system is fucked. So OP may as well do what those making profit off it do and think "fuck em this works for me".

Guess the government will have to step in and make some changes before it comes to that then 🤷🏽‍♀️

It's literally the whole point of civil disobedience

Have you worked out that I don't give a fck yet what my employer thinks?*

With this attitude I bet OP will do really well with her current employer in the future. She's obviously the kind of person you want running an organisation or even just a department. Not.

Well she does talk shit..

I suggest you read this from the Guardian before getting too self-congratulatory about the Don't Pay UK plan…

“Gas and electricity bills are classed as priority bills, which means there can be severe consequences for missing or being late on a payment, said the charity Stepchange. If people don’t pay them, their supplier can collect the debt using a debt collection agency. They can also get a court warrant to enter people’s homes to fit a prepayment card meter.

“Any arrears will be added to the meter and a set amount will be deducted each week. This means you must pay the arrears at a set weekly amount or lose the supply.”

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/07/serious-consequences-for-not-paying-energy-bills-warn-uk-charities-dont-pay-campaign?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

You just need to work harder.

My kids eat rock's and I don't complain.

I'm happy my kids suffer so millionaires can make more money. Why can't you be???

So, based on responses here, I don't think the revolution is happening OP.

You take your stand though. Let us know how it goes 😉

Is this a reverse?
Yes many did this during lockdown out of necessity but it is not a long term way of working. If you want to work, you need childcare. Yes it's expensive, many of us have been there, and it's the reason I have a large gap between my dc as I couldn't afford 2 in nursery at the same time. You just have to suck it up, it's not forever.

They'll just outsource your job.

@TheKeatingFive

I’ll join you with the popcorn 🍿.

I worked from home with a 2 year old during lockdown and it was possible the worst 3 months of my life. Even with another adult in the house to juggle childcare with but as we were both working full time it meant we were both struggling to work our contacted hours.

Have you looked at childcare costs compared to your household daily income? Could you or your partner look at working part time to reduce childcare costs? I used to do 4 longer days and half a day on the weekend so I only had to pay for 4 days of childcare while still earning a full time wage, was working really well for me then lockdown hit!

@Essenceandvibes

you’ll be saving nothing when you’re UNEMPLOYED

HTH

So far, the high tide of the OP's civil disobedience is a shit fit on mn. Entertaining as it is, I don't think the government is quaking yet.

@LuckySantangelo35

😂😂😂 This thread is getting funnier!!

No, it isn’t. Child tax credits are a mechanism by which certain groups receive a refund on their tax paid, to put towards the care of their children. Everyone pays tax and if you have kids, you get the refund. If you don’t, you don’t. This is how it works currently and as an infertile person I accept that kids need financial support.

A childless tax would be a financial penalty applicable to one group only on the basis of behaviour that they perhaps can’t change or can’t easily change (e.g. infertile or gay people). As an infertile, gays person I would have serious objections to this. There’s a world of difference between the two politically and I don’t believe the government is seriously considering it.

@Essenceandvibes can you actually do your job by WFH full time AND look after your baby?

I guess it would work if you are a childminder in your own home and your being your baby to work.

Could you give us an idea of the work you do? It might give other people an idea for more flexibility of their own. Not many jobs (that I am aware of) could accommodate this successfully.