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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To want my kids and I to have passports?

450 replies

Marzipanface · 22/07/2025 00:49

My children and I don’t have passports. My husband does. He is the main breadwinner, I look after our two children who have some additional needs. As a result I do not work outside of the home. I simply don’t have the time due to caring commitments or the childcare and I’ve been out of the job market for a very long time due to a serious health condition. Thankfully I’ve recovered from it fingers crossed and then I became a SAHM to my two children. The plan was to go back to work when they were settled in school but life got in the way and now I have a teenager and a preteen who both have additional needs and some health issues and mainstream school never worked out for them both. I have no family support re: childcare or help.

As a result I have little economic to no economic independence from my DH. He has always been fairly reasonable about his salary and we consider it a joint income until it comes to big purchases, then he makes the decisions.

Two years ago my DH received a significant inheritance. The only thing I requested was could he please get me and the kids passports and could we try to take them in a trip to France or Spain. It doesn’t have to be exotic. I regularly have an issue with ID as I don’t drive and I would really like to take the kids abroad on holiday or on an educational short trip. He didn’t pay for them.

The kids are older now and regularly ask why we can’t go to another country or go on a plane/boat, and I have to explain that we don’t have passports.

I’ve had enough. I want a passport and I want to be able to take the kids somewhere. I also want to be able to go on a trip with friends on a city break instead of always having to make excuses. As usual my DH has demanded ‘why do we need them’ and told us he can’t afford them. He has now gone to bed in a piss because I’m having a ‘go again’ because my daughter is asking us for a passport and pointed out to me she is 15 and never been to another country.

He doesn’t care much for travelling despite having to do some for his work. He has told me yet again that I don’t need a passport. I’m fucking sick of it. AIBU?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Chompingatthebeat · 24/07/2025 22:29

Marzipanface · 24/07/2025 22:21

I also think he is most likely on spectrum and it can affect his decision making. He tends to be very logical and can lack empathy. He assumes we all think the way he does or doesn’t recognise how his choices affect the rest of us. Sometimes I point stuff out to him and he is aghast. He apologised and tries to change his behaviour or factor in what I’ve said. Case in point, It wouldn’t occur to him that his lack of interest in travelling far affects the kids and me and our life experiences. It needs to be spelling out to him.

I bet it doesn't affect his decision making or need to be spelled out to him at work

HardyCrow · 24/07/2025 22:37

CrownCoats · 24/07/2025 20:57

Have you ever stopped him from spending money on something after these discussions? Or does he only stop you? Because, as far as I can see, there’s a monumental power imbalance in your relationship. It’s all very well saying you both discuss large expenditure, but he controls almost all of the money and gives you a small allowance. Your life is being controlled by this man because he knows he can do it and there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re completely trapped because he holds the purse strings and you have kids with additional needs.

I agree with this. Do you have any close/ longstanding friends with whom you could discuss this. Ask their opinion, ask what they think you can do about this. Maybe ask them how they see your relationship and it’s power dynamic- it’s very easy for the power dynamic to get skewed if one partner is SAMH and has no independent income or so little income that they depend on their partner for financial support. It’s not great for a relationship. He needs to understand that you are equal partners and that he is able to work and earn money because you care for your joint children.

Marzipanface · 24/07/2025 22:40

Chompingatthebeat · 24/07/2025 22:29

I bet it doesn't affect his decision making or need to be spelled out to him at work

Yes it has done.

OP posts:
AppropriateAdult · 24/07/2025 23:41

Because we discuss large purchases. He talks to me about and I talk to him about. No, I’m not afraid he’ll get angry or violent. He isn’t like that. He can be very stubborn.

But this arrangement, whereby you discuss large purchases in advance, is no longer working for you, as he refuses to see reason on this particular matter. So you are allowed to change the rules for this one, OP. You can go ahead and begin applying for the passports, and tell him afterwards, making it clear that it’s his unreasonable behaviour that has driven you to doing it this way.

Hopingtobeaparent · 25/07/2025 07:16

Marzipanface · 24/07/2025 22:21

I also think he is most likely on spectrum and it can affect his decision making. He tends to be very logical and can lack empathy. He assumes we all think the way he does or doesn’t recognise how his choices affect the rest of us. Sometimes I point stuff out to him and he is aghast. He apologised and tries to change his behaviour or factor in what I’ve said. Case in point, It wouldn’t occur to him that his lack of interest in travelling far affects the kids and me and our life experiences. It needs to be spelling out to him.

Please, do, OP! SPELL IT OUT!!

And, one by one they’re not (in my opinion), a large purchase….

And, like you say, even when there’s been more income, he’s not agreed. Just go ahead and do it/them. Stop doing the dance.

OutsideInsideListen · 25/07/2025 08:26

Check your National Insurance record

This pays your benefits & your state pension

Claim carers allowance, it pays your National Insurance contributions if you are not working

www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

Welcome to GOV.UK

GOV.UK - The best place to find government services and information.

http://www.gov.uk

OutsideInsideListen · 25/07/2025 08:27

www.gov.ul&/check-state-pension

HurrayDuvet · 25/07/2025 09:08

Easy for me to say but I would rather end the marriage I think than have to squirrel away benefits money to buy my own kids their passports. What about the next financial issue that comes up? This is no way to live.

Lavenderblue11 · 25/07/2025 09:55

Can't you get a part time job to fit in with the kids being at school? They're old enough now and it would give you the means to buy what you want. I personally couldn't be financially dependent on anybody.

Clockworkchocolateorange · 25/07/2025 10:12

I’m not sure what else anyone can say to the op. She needs to get a job/ saves up her benefits money -even if it takes a year, or just accepts that her husband won’t pay for passports.
Surely you must have known when you first got together/ before kids that he didn’t like to go on holiday abroad ? If I’d have met someone and they said they didn’t like to travel, I would’ve stayed with them let alone have a family.

99bottlesofkombucha · 25/07/2025 10:15

Lavenderblue11 · 25/07/2025 09:55

Can't you get a part time job to fit in with the kids being at school? They're old enough now and it would give you the means to buy what you want. I personally couldn't be financially dependent on anybody.

both kids have special needs. One is part time at school and one is home educated. Which means no she can’t get a job while they are at school.

Jjhge · 25/07/2025 10:21

I think I agree with OP here. Having a passport and going abroad makes life a bit better at times.

Hont1986 · 25/07/2025 12:10

You can backdate a Carer's Allowance claim by 3 months which would pay you about £1000 in backdated payments, plus £83.30/wk going forward.

Marzipanface · 25/07/2025 12:12

Hont1986 · 25/07/2025 12:10

You can backdate a Carer's Allowance claim by 3 months which would pay you about £1000 in backdated payments, plus £83.30/wk going forward.

Thank you. I wasn’t aware of this so I am planning on looking into it.

OP posts:
Marzipanface · 25/07/2025 12:14

99bottlesofkombucha · 25/07/2025 10:15

both kids have special needs. One is part time at school and one is home educated. Which means no she can’t get a job while they are at school.

Even if my youngest was in ft school, the oldest has a complicated schedule which I need to be around to facilitate. So any work is going to have to be flexible/part-time or from home.

OP posts:
Hont1986 · 25/07/2025 12:25

The eligibility criteria is here: https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility, and you can make an online claim through the same website. It takes about 15 minutes to go through the form, it isn't too difficult.

Falseknock · 25/07/2025 15:58

Marzipanface · 24/07/2025 22:21

I also think he is most likely on spectrum and it can affect his decision making. He tends to be very logical and can lack empathy. He assumes we all think the way he does or doesn’t recognise how his choices affect the rest of us. Sometimes I point stuff out to him and he is aghast. He apologised and tries to change his behaviour or factor in what I’ve said. Case in point, It wouldn’t occur to him that his lack of interest in travelling far affects the kids and me and our life experiences. It needs to be spelling out to him.

Is he an only child?

CrownCoats · 25/07/2025 19:30

Falseknock · 25/07/2025 15:58

Is he an only child?

Glad to see that someone is continuing to reinforce only-child stereotypes despite there being no evidence to support them.

Alstromeria · 25/07/2025 19:58

if the person is on a maximum care package it doesnt mean the next step is a care home at all, it just means that supplementary care or tasks or interventions or errands need to be done by family and friends.

Social services can't force anyone to provide that care. If nobody is willing to do it (they don't need a reason, just "no" is enough) and the person's needs can't be met with 4x care visits a day then they absolutely do qualify for going into a home. And that is what happens because it's the most cost effective option for social services versus providing even more carer/support worker hours (support workers are who does all that other stuff you mentioned, where people have no family or friends to help).

You're right it's not easy because social services will tell you lies and say you have to provide care or they aren't going to provide care etc, none of that's true. The hardest part is that the person might suffer a while temporarily until social services realise you mean business. Social services won't step in because you want to stop caring. All the time you're doing it, the person's needs are met, so they aren't eligible for further social services funded care. You have to notify social services of your intentions to stop caring and then stop caring first when you said you would, so there's an unmet need, before they'll step in.

It's not easy getting social services to do their job but it is an option. Where someone is being run ragged to the point that something needs to give, it's perhaps a sensible option, rather than the person's children suffering or the person's own health going downhill or having to stay in a marriage they'd prefer to leave, because they've no time to work to support themselves etc. Maybe it's not an option OP wants to take, but it's important she knows it exists. If she's caring for her relative it should be through choice, having weighed up the pros and cons, not because she thinks she doesn't have any choice. I understand the law around it perfectly well.

Im not sure why people have repeatedly gone on about driving when OP has set out a number of times that she has chosen not to continue trying to learn to drive because she couldnt get on with it.

Probably because the second half of her statement was that he wouldn't pay for any more lessons. Until her most recent post where she clarified a few things about it, it wasn't sounding much like it was her choice. And she has DC with SN which most people would find to be a lot easier to get them from A to B in a car than on public transport.

It also opens up opportunities for work, both in terms of location and in terms of distance able to be travelled in a certain timeframe. You can often do 30 miles in a car in the same time it takes to go less than 10 miles on a bus. In some areas, running a car can be equal to or less than the cost of public transport too (excluding the initial purchase price). She mentioned having limited time to work, a car would help with maximising that. If it's not something she wants to pursue for whatever reason then fair enough, but that's not how she initially made it sound.

OP nobody is really going to be considering all the "what iffs" when you post. Usually people will take what you say at face value. So if you only provide part of the information, you can't expect the same responses as if you provided all the information and people had a complete picture.

Alstromeria · 25/07/2025 20:26

The one redeeming feature of this husband is that if he finally understands something he tries to do better and does sometimes alter his behaviour. Assuming that this is consistent and lasting improvement and not the cycle of abuse, where an abuser goes on their best behaviour for a while before gradually sliding back into old patterns of behaviour, then it's a good thing.

How many holidays does your family (you DH DC) have per year. Because you mentioned CenterParcs which is blooming expensive. Which means the passport issue isn't a financial one. A passport for you and a flight to Spain to stay with your family costs a lot less than that. Since you've not been there in 20yrs you'd be justified in expecting a 5 day stay at CP instead of a 7 day one, the extra money to pay for your passport and flight. He'd have to look after DC for once even if it meant taking some annual leave. That's not unreasonable. But you said he was like this even when there was a nest egg. (Which could have been used for driving lessons too instead of whatever it got used for. Maybe you'd have done better in an automatic car, if you haven't already tried that.)

So mainly he needs to realise he isn't the arbiter of what is and isn't a waste of money. He's got other reasons than financial for denying you all passports and whatever those reasons are, it boils down to one thing: control. This is your fundamental problem and it's not necessarily something you can fix. Only he can do that and first, he'd have to want to change.

The problem with controlling people is, they always think they're justified in their actions. To them, it's always the other person who is in the wrong, even when that other person has bent over backwards to accommodate them. It's rare that they ever see any need to change.

You shouldn't have relationship counselling with an abuser. They tend to use it against you to further abuse you during sessions. If you're convinced he's not an abuser but that this is a manifestation of an undiagnosed condition, then you could try counselling, but be on your guard. Not because you want a passport, but because you want to be treated as an equal person in your marriage, you want your workload in the relationship recognising as of equal value to his paid employment. The counselling at the least might show up whether there's any chance of that or if you're just incompatible (because he believes you're not equal and you believe you are, it's not something you can compromise on).

celticprincess · 26/07/2025 10:18

Do you claim DLA for your kids due to their health needs. If so do you claim carers allowance. This is means tested but only for yourself so if you don’t currently work then you could be claiming it. You can also personally earn a small amount before it would stop. You should also be getting child benefit for your children - unless your household income is too high for that.

I got my first passport at 19 when my parents took me and my 18 year old sister abroad for the first time. So it’s not massively unusual. If you could claim DLA and carers and have it paid to your own account then it would give you money for your kids separately and then you could potentially save it to allow you to get passports and take them away yourself.

celticprincess · 26/07/2025 10:29

Can’t edit but adding. I see you do claim DLA for one. Maybe try and claim for the other. Someone has mentioned carers allowance is deducted £4£ from UC. I didn’t read anywhere that your family claims UC. If it does then ignore my comment re carers. you’d get the carers element on UC as well as disabled child element.

But if your husband earns enough for you not to be claiming UC then the carers allowance claim is definitely worth going for.

Imbusytodaysorry · 26/07/2025 10:31

@Marzipanface he shouldn’t be transferring an amount you should have access to it as a joint account .
It’s hardly a massive spend . Jeeze one a month or every 6 months would have sorted it ages ago.

Where is the inheritance ? Does he earn good money ?
He is controling op .
You would be entitled to half of everything if you left . You could all enjoy life and go on a holiday .

You have down your fair share and more . I think the least you deserve is a passport.

Id be livid he had one and goes away for work internationally but keeps the wife stuck at home ( very controling)

Marzipanface · 26/07/2025 11:44

celticprincess · 26/07/2025 10:29

Can’t edit but adding. I see you do claim DLA for one. Maybe try and claim for the other. Someone has mentioned carers allowance is deducted £4£ from UC. I didn’t read anywhere that your family claims UC. If it does then ignore my comment re carers. you’d get the carers element on UC as well as disabled child element.

But if your husband earns enough for you not to be claiming UC then the carers allowance claim is definitely worth going for.

No we don’t get UC and I was unaware I could claim carers allowance.

I didn’t think I had given partial information regarding driving lessons. I thought I had made it clear that a lot of money had been spent on it and I had failed to get on with it. It is one of the biggest disappointments and a constant hurdle in my life. Yes I have tried automatic lessons as well. I find it nerve-wracking and I cannot concentrate or focus. I’ve tried hypnotherapy, counselling and even bloody flower remedies! I don’t know why I find it so hard.

OP posts:
Idontpostmuch · 26/07/2025 11:58

Marzipanface · 26/07/2025 11:44

No we don’t get UC and I was unaware I could claim carers allowance.

I didn’t think I had given partial information regarding driving lessons. I thought I had made it clear that a lot of money had been spent on it and I had failed to get on with it. It is one of the biggest disappointments and a constant hurdle in my life. Yes I have tried automatic lessons as well. I find it nerve-wracking and I cannot concentrate or focus. I’ve tried hypnotherapy, counselling and even bloody flower remedies! I don’t know why I find it so hard.

OP I've never found driving essential. Over rated IMO. Don't feel bad about it. Do you live somewhere remote? Is that it? Having said that, my mum finally passed age 57, 5th attempt. A lot of luck with driving tests. Many of us would fail if we had to sit it again. Why is everyone determined you should drive? You want passports, not a driving licence.