DH and I going part time to deliberately reduce wages

[Bucketheadbucketbum]

Just working out the free childcare hours and actually DH and I will be muxh better off if we both dropped to 3- 4 day week to deliberately reduce our incomes. Would obviously be nice way to live too! Anyone else doing same? Seems mental but we've looked at it 100 times over and it's true!

Oh dear, another one who hasn't read the thread or the research and data posted or grasped the issue at all? OP IS paying for her childcare, and that of several other families as well. What she's not prepared to do is pay EVEN more to then be excluded from accessing the services she's paying for - for herself and others - only to have LESS net income and less time with her own children for working MORE hours. Because nobody sane would do that.

But the benefits are there for people who are struggling. You're not worse off just because other people have become better off.

In my experience going part time is not great for your career, due to missing out of promotions etc. Seems a bit shortsighted to do that purely to gain an extra £15,000 or whatever in free childcare, which is only going to be relevant for a few years anyway, until kids start school.

:@ScruffyGiraffes happy Mothering Sunday to you too!

Thank you. I'm not ok at all. Some of the nasty responses here have made it worse, I wish I hadn't posted, but thank you for being kind.

I'm reminded of this.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxk1cyYJe-o

Nah it really is not. What you mean is its on a different scale. But the principle is the exact same. You and others have got a nasty undertone on here.

If I work more I too have to fund my childcare and more tax what on earth are you talking about. I'm sorry but you are not a cut above the rest!!

Well she clearly has.

I agree, greedy gits. I paid for my own childcare 25 years ago, so I now work and pay tax for other children, oh and students who never pay their tuition fees back. It’s a privilege getting a degree not a right of passage, fees should be paid back with no threshold on earnings. I know someone that has 90k of debt, is 28, has a 1 year old and has gone back to work part time so it doesn’t trigger off payments, how is that fair.

Thank you. Not sure why only the video and not the rest of my reply to you appeared! But I'd said thank you for your reply. I'm really not ok and the horrible and spiteful responses here have made it worse. I wish I hadn't posted but for the few people who did offer support I am very grateful.

Well you can get taxed on what you don't earn. It's got to be in proportion obviously.

I know that I'm not worse off because other people are better off. It's not a relative situation. It's really simple - I am not going to allow my income to go even a smidgen over £100k because I will instantly lose around £15k of take home income. Nothing to do with anyone else's pay packet. It's the government's problem if they cause lots of other people to make the same choices as me.

Luckily part time workers actually have a few routes for legal protection against discrimination from their employers for being part time. But my preferred option is to reduce my hours by using my unpaid parental leave allowance to work a 10 or 11 month year whilst my children are young without varying my employment contract.

Well you can get taxed on what you don't earn. It's got to be in proportion obviously.

The proportion in question being an effective tax rate of well over 100%.

Seriously read the thread and get a grip of the maths before making silly comments.

Wtf?

I haven't even said what I earn at any point in this thread. Not sure why you think it's appropriately to accuse me of thinking I'm a cut above because I think government policy is batshit. I said further up the thread that there shouldn't be any cliff edges anywhere.

Talk about self righteous.

Wow. After all I've shared here, this is how people speak to me. I give up.

@Clymene
Haha I agree!

I agree with this completely. I have followed the thread from the beginning and have been shocked at the majority of comments from posters who don't have any understanding of economic reality and secondly appear to just be spiteful and jealous.

As I've said before too, I say all this as someone with no skin in this game at at all. I'm a low earner overall and I will never ever earn that kind of money.

Thank you @WeightoftheWorld

They have nothing to be jealous of in my - or my children's - case. Before long one way or another it will be over because we cannot carry on with things as they are.

@StatisticallyChallenged I've been following this thread. I'm not one of the posters that have slagged off OP. Perhaps you and a couple of others should look back at my origal comments.

It has pointed out that is a system flaw. I have added that it works at a lower end but people are refusing to acknowledge. I can't even be arsed to give my own personal example which is factual.

Yes it's self righteous to bang on about childcare it's expensive for most people not just higher tax payers.

How can I possibly be "self righteous" about it when I'm not effected by it?

And it's a thread about an OP reducing her working hours, and therefore income, due to the cost of childcare. So I think it's entirely appropriate to be "banging on" about childcare...

@StatisticallyChallenged I'm aware of what this is about and I agreed with OP from the very start if you care to look back.

@ScruffyGiraffe sorry for how you're being treated on here. Feel sad for you reading your posts.
Shame that some people struggle to engage their brain on the (not particularly complicated) maths here.
It's just unbelievable what a disadvantage you're at despite your "high income".
Sending positivity your way. Your children are lucky to have a mum like you.

I didn't say you weren't agreeing with the OP.

I don't understand why you are suddenly having a go at me, accusing me of things I have neither said nor thought.

In the space of a few messages you've called me self righteous, accused me of "banging on" (about the topic of the thread), thinking I'm "a cut above" and said I have a "nasty undertone"

Not sure what your problem is but it's frankly uncalled for.

I think you will find you started dishing it out first! You went on to tagged MY post.

You have had your opinion. Started a new opinion again underneath of your OWN post.

Now your saying I have a problem with you personally. Why would I? I don't know you from Adam. I never attacked your post. You've defo picked up the wrong e d of the stick.

You indirectly posted about me did you not? Chuffing cheek of you 🤣

Our Daughter split her childcare between me and nursery fortunately im only 10 minutes away walking distance. I always said to her i will look after them if need be to save on childcare fees but i understand not everybody is as lucky. you do what works for you. now her girls are at school full time so im a bit redudent now lol .

Apologies, misread at speed and thought you were replying to me.