Who are these people that the government want to get back to work?

[MissHoneysHappyEnding]

As in, the workers who they hope will come back because of free childcare.
I don't know many mums that don't go back to work straight away.
The few I have met feel strongly about being at home and I don't think free hours would change that.
The ones (two) I have met who left jobs and would like to return but can't afford childcare are in healthcare and hospitality where regular shifts don't fit in with nursery opening times anyway.
Tbh and only in my opinion, a lot of the 'we can't afford childcare so I had to give up my job' crew are often told that by controlling DH/ DPs or don't really want to go back to work anyway. Happy to be proved wrong!

@Architectahoy

Is he working away now?

If you make childcare the problem of only 1 parent then obviously you're going to run into problems.

Why is he not also responsible for finding a solution? They're his kids too.

I honestly think Hunt is hell bent on destroying the UK. How are we affording this? The cost of living is sky-rocketing, wages have been almost stagnant for a decade or more, the NHS is on its knees, tax brackets have risen at a much lower rate than both inflation and pay rises, meaning that more and more people pay higher rates of tax.... There are so many more important things to spend money on that involve giving people the autonomy to decide how they spend their own money.

Oh - and they keep doubling the price cap on energy, allowing energy companies to make record profits and pay record dividends to shareholders at the expense of families and businesses in the UK.

Where are you based? Asking for a friend!!

Very true @Botw1 - he works away every other week. He just messaged me to say he's booked a house valuation to we can discuss relocating to somewhere more sensible;

Where there will be
-Wraparound care
-Holiday clubs
-Jobs for me

As currently, I live in a small city that seems to be a blackhole for childcare, education, fun and careers!

So he's definitely "on it" and looking at solving the issue of living somewhere shit! 😊

@Architectahoy

Excellent!

Me! I would love to go back but I'd be worse off having DD in nursery, free nursery hours would mean I could go back to work

I think under employment is an important issue and not mentioned a lot. I don't know any SAHMs, not a thing in my social circle, but I do know lots of women who work 3-4 days a week who would earn in the 50-60k range full time. If you have two in nursery, given your 5th day would be taxed at 40%, it's not worth it. This could help with that.

I think wraparound is a problem but I also think more people need to think about this ahead of time. We just wouldn't have chosen a school that didn't have wraparound or lived in a town without any.

@Theelephantinthecastle wraparound is vital, absolutely, as is planning on the part of parents, yes. But, in the last year, the wraparound provision where I am (partly chosen for childcare options) has reduced dramatically. We're all on waiting lists, cobbling childcare together by the skin of our teeth. Even a setting with a very recent Inadequate rating has a waiting list here!

@Theelephantinthecastle it's all very well in saying that. But what happens, if like us, you choose a school (and a city!) with good wraparound care and then it all falls apart due to pandemics and lack of funding?

Even our local private school had wraparound care and holiday club which hasn't restarted since Covid. And they charge £1200 a month. Some families chose the school based on this alone and are now fucked.

Your comment is a little ignorant and lacks awareness of the wider country 😊

@LadyWindermeresOnlyFans @Architectahoy I appreciate that sometimes things change but there are definitely posters who just seem to sleepwalk into a situation where there is no wraparound care and don't seem to have considered it at all beforehand.

I am not sure what funding you're referring to @Architectahoy - I haven't run across any wraparound with funding from anywhere but parents/tax free childcare

I don't work because it didn't make financial sense to do so with 2 under school age. My youngest is going to school this year so I'm training in a new career.

@Theelephantinthecastle I mean funding from the Local Authority. Council funded holiday clubs used to exist here.

@Idtotallybangdreamoftheendlessnotgonnalie that's exciting! Hope it goes well

Oh I see - I don't think those have ever existed here except for very short hours ones not designed for working parents but more to keep kids occupied/socialised at low cost

Jezza just announced more funding for wraparound care. Woo hoo!

Didn't mention holidays though! Yet 😂

I'm not the over 50 demographic govt is aiming at - nearly 69 and could retire anyway - but am looking to get back into work after a 2 year hiatus due to having had enough of awful management and a brutal commute. Out of interest I looked at the rates for a local pub that is always looking for staff. Starting wage at - £ 5.50. Now, I'm prepared to take a cut in salary - I already get my state pension - but really? just over a fiver an hour? and this is London and a large brewery chain.

@MrsDanversGlidesAgain that would have to be for a 16/17 year old. Over 23 minimum is £10.42 (from 1.1.23).

I wish they would have done something about school holidays and zero hours contracts, they are what are keeping me underemployed as a single parent

DH has climbed the career ladder, now senior management, but is currently at a conference for three days, irregular project management trips abroad which have been weeks, every other year months. Can work from home a couple of days a week but not fixed.

He's managed that because of me being there to look after his kids, carry the mental load.

We're now at the point we're I am working part time but this involves an excellent flexible employer, but working away, high rate of pay and the kids being old enough to a point to be home alone.

The kids hate it. The house is empty and cold. I left this morning at 5am, I'm in a hotel now, talking them through using the microwave because the oven has packed in. The heating sounds like its tripped and DH is back at 9:45pm.

You can't both have amazing full on jobs and kids, something has to suffer and honestly it shouldn't be the kids. I have no regrets staying home for years. I'm bloody lucky to have squeezed back to work but there's no way we could have done this with teens even a couple of years ago.

God I hate it. You made it easier for your husband to beat rhe woman with kids, good for you, enjoy every penny you took off that working mother, who didn’t have some woman at home helping them

and your kids don’t even know how to use a microwave. What a thing to post

Childcare can cost more than mortgage payments. Imagine having twins.

Have you noticed that help for the working people e.g. childcare is not happening until next year earliest but the help for the richest e.g. pension allowance increases are happening immediately?
Says it all. I honestly think the childcare help will not happen at all. Another empty promise from this turncoat lying government

Hopefully it will be the ones who choose to have children they can't afford and then choose to work minimal part time hours in order to receive optimum "in work" benefits even when full time hours are available to them.

That's because the nurserys need a bit of notice ffs. They need to plan how it will work, how to recruit enough staff etc. Its much easier to just switch an allowance a bit higher.