Living alone is tough financially

[Addictedtofizzydrinks34]

If you have a mortgage or rent a home alone..maybe different if you're mortgage-free or perhaps only renting a room or something.
You have to make sure you can afford everything each month. If anything breaks/needs repairing, you foot 100% of the bill. All renovations are paid for solely by you.
You have to make sure you have money aside for various things.
Living alone has many advantages, but financially it's tough and I'm not sure I can do it for much longer. It's stressful unless you have a lot of savings I think.

That is not even close to what I meant and iv been sticking up for single people through out this whole thread as I have lots of single friends and I know how hard life is for them and I also know how much money I would lose if I didn't have my kids.

But if their childcare costs more than their wage, it's pointless, and they are no better off.

I don't need a plan as I'm luckily or unluckily am disabled so am quite protected and have that safety net. I also have a partner. Also by the time my kids are grown I will hopefully have paid of the mortgage. I know im in a fortunate situation but I can understand a lot aren't through no choice of their own and people shouldn't be punished for escaping domestic abuse, becoming a widow or just not finding a good healthy relationship. Nobody should have to stay in a relationship for financial reasons and nobody should get pregnant for financial reasons

A person in a relationship earning £25k is taxed exactly the same as a single person earning £25k.

A person in a relationship earning £50k is taxed exactly the same as a single person £50k.

Obviously (and rightly) you'll pay more tax if you earn £50k than someone only earning £25k, regardless of relationship status.

There's no specific tax rates depending on your relationship status!

Well no one should have to stay in a DV relationship, I left a very abusive relationship 11yrs ago. However, the benefits system is meant to help people when they need it, you're not supposed to get your child to 18/19yrs, then realise that they stop and your down £800. When I was on tex credits, every time I took a payrise they went down and as my children got older they also went down. It couldn’t have been clearer to me that this was not a long term solution.

But you can't plan life, people become disabled, partners die, people lose jobs . People's circumstances are complicated

Of course nobody should have to stay in an abusive relationship, but realistically what do you do if you’re on your own, have no family support, a job that doesn’t pay much - if you have a job? Renting a one bedroom flat in an average part of my northern city costs £900, a huge chunk of your take home pay even if you earn the UK median salary of £34K.

But if they’re in a couple and the other person loses their job, there are two people who can potentially look for work, doubling their chances of at least one of them getting a job quickly (and then of course whoever doesn’t have the job could do the childcare). Or if the children are school age then the SAHP could look for a job around that to bring in a bit extra. Or the SAHP could do something like childminding, so no childcare issues.

That isn’t what people are saying, which I do think you know.

If I was to say ‘I earn £25,000 per year’ then I think most people would agree that I’d struggle in the current climate.

If I said ‘I earn £50,000 per year’ then most people would agree that’s a good salary and I shouldn’t struggle.

But out of that £50,000 I’d have to pay for

rent / mortgage
electricity
internet
insurance
council tax with a 25% discount (not 50)

And other expenses aren’t a 50/50 split. Food, as we’ve established, entertainment and the like.

So while two people on £25,000 each aren’t considered to be on a good salary, one person on £50,000 is, but actually have much higher costs.

Obviously (and rightly) you'll pay more tax if you earn £50k than someone only earning £25k, regardless of relationship status.

I don’t think it’s obvious and right at all, and the tax system penalises single earner households (not just single people). How is it fair, for instance, that a two person household with a single income of £50k has less net income than a two person household where each person earns £25k? UC is worked out on household income, so it does seem unfair tax is individual. But that is a different issue!

Childcare isn’t forever (I am well versed in this as I have two children who aren’t school age!) either.

And how many mums left work to look after kids and are now fucked financially as their DH didn’t pull his weight and they haven’t earnt a full stamp and have not reached their full earning potential. Don’t have a good financial safety net. See it on here all time they’re approaching divorce and feel it’s so unfair DH has good job good pension and they have… nothing because childcare was expensive

I’m not sure what that has to do with the topic though!

On the subject of getting a job as the SAHP - nobody says they have to work full time. I worked 21 hours a week when DS was in nursery and needed commuting time either side. 22 were covered by the "Free" Hours Childcare system and we got 20% Tax Free Childcare contribution on the other 4 hours a week.

Renting a room in a shared house can be fraught with problems. Some shares are great, some are grim.

I am with you OP.

It is tough to have only one wage coming in and single parents especially have all my admiration for managing to keep going.

Also we don't want women to be trapped in abusive relationships because they can't afford to leave.

Council tax especially should have a 50% discount for single households.

We can't have everything in life

Because you are taxed per person.

Are you really suggesting that single people should be rewarded by being given preferential tax breaks not available to people in relationships?

No, I am saying that tax should be on a household income as UC is. So all households on the same income pay the same tax, regardless of whether there is one earner or two.

I planned.

At the beginning of 2020 when my daughter was 15 and in year 10, I was working term time only.

I registered an expression of interest for the training pathway of a police staff job with better money whilst training and the potential to double my income over the next few years and career progression after that too.

Then Covid hit...and 10 days later my dad was put on the end of life pathway, where I cared for him for 15 months until he passed away because we were terrified of him going into a home at that time.

My employer was awful...I was forced to take an unpaid sabbatical for 9 months. I went back the following September with the intention of getting my ducks in a row and moving on the following year (2022). But the impact of what I'd been through in Covid basically caused me to have a breakdown and within a month I was signed off and ultimately diagnosed with cPTSD.

After some time out I started doing some freelance work, topped up by the benefits I was entitled to as I had a child at home, and some financial help from my mum, which I was extremely lucky to have.

I was also applying for full time work but without success. I finally got a zero hours contract doing evening lettings at a local school which led to my current full time role there, which I absolutely love, but even doing both jobs it's a struggle.

As I've said, I'm now studying to try and increase my career options and earning potential but that's not going to happen overnight.

Oh and BTW I'm single in the first place as a result of leaving an emotionally abusive relationship before anyone tries to tell me that's also a choice.

Had we not had an inheritance from my uncle just before Covid, I'd have been on the bones of my arse.

Yup I have 3 young children 100% of the time too and it's brutal. CMS has stopped as ex husband has been made redundant and made no effort to get a new job. I planned ahead when I divorced and did take out redundancy insurance which gives me a certain peace of mind but all the DIY / breakages / car repairs always seem to come at once and just as I've paid off one credit card bill for say the washing machine breaking then something else breaks or school announces a ridiculously over priced school trip

Some days I feel like a strong independent woman with my shit together and feel proud of what I've achieved in living alone....and then other days I just sit and cry

Because there are no single income households supporting children, are there?

My sole income supports 4. You make it sound like single income households are some kind of luxury.

I don't agree with being taxed as households but seriously, what is it with trying to make it look like single people, by virtue of being single, are living some kind of luxurious, amazing lifestyle?! Hell yeah, some kind of tax break for single income households would be amazing. Sure as hell take the pressure off.for.those with children. Why is that a bad thing? Remove the need for UC, perhaps?

Feminists campaigned for years for individual tax rates. Would be a very socially regressive step for a woman's tax rate to be determined by her husband's income.

With the greatest of respect I left an extremely abusive relationships 11yrs ago, I know all about choice and how hard doing it alone is. I also ended up volunteering for a local DV charity and met many women who are dependant on benefits. I don’t think coming off benefits for anyone is easy, and applaud anyone for trying but the stark reality is the goverment make it very clear not more support after school.