Contemplating whether to be SAHM? Do Universal credits pay more?

[CarmineInWonderland]

I am contemplating on whether to be SAHM.
There's hear say that it is better off being on benefits than working as wages go to childcare.

It would be a dream but it would mean one less wage and relying on my hubby's income which isn't enough to cover a toddler and a baby.

What are the thoughts of being a SAHM on universal credits after maternity leave?

Rage bait

UC works out better for people who work because too many people weren’t working because they’re were better off.

I also don’t think you get much if anything when you have a partner. It is more beneficial when single

Thank you. I will see if I can reduce my hours so I can have an equal balance

If you go into “turn2us” you can work out to the penny what you would get, if you could get anything. It’s accurate.

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/

mess around with it and see what you’d get if you worked/didnt work/worked 16 hours/worked 30 hours etc

Yes, good idea. Quit your job and then contact the DWP to let them know you’ll be claiming benefits just because you fancy it.

Do it. They are only young once

Yep!

What does your husband earn?

As someone who (like many!) went back to work after six months maternity leave and then had to work extremely hard to balance work and family life I’m afraid this post is infuriating.

Maybe it is rage bait as a previous poster said?

Otherwise, how can you possibly expect others to work and pay taxes in order to subsidise your lifestyle?

It very much depends on what your husband earns
What you will lose in earnings
How much rent( if you rent ) you pay etc.

Depends what your DH earns.

He may well earn too much for you to get anything at all.

Also, the very high awards you may have heard about are nearly always down to high rent and/or childcare costs being paid. If you're a SAHM then obviously childcare costs won't be paid, and if you've got a mortgage rather than renting you won't get housing element either.

You don't seem to know much about how your cunning plan will actually work tbh.

I don't believe this is a genuine post.
In the unlikely event you're brand new to MN and do really believe people on benefits are better off, I will answer. If your DPs earnings are low enough that you would get UC if you quit work then you will be eligible for 30 hours free childcare for them at the very least, you many even be entitled to some UC to top up your wages and pay up to 85% of what childcare costs you have on top of your free hours, so no, it is not true that you will be better off on Universal Credit. It's a myth.

Thank you, it does clarify a bit more. As things stand it is not realistic being a SAHM is out of the question.

Thank you. In an ideal world it would be nice to be a SAHM but in reality it doesn't look like it's going to happen...

Thank you again 😊

Theres benefits to children to go to nursery/childminders/preschool. Working is always best. Women should have their own money really. You just never know what might happen in the future with your relationship

Thank you. 🙂

My thoughts are that you can’t afford to if you need to sponge off other tax payers via universal credit.

Expect benefits to change when there is next a change in government, and rightly so.

My very high award comes from having 3 kids, 2 autistic (I actually have 4 kids but ones an adult)

DWP are most accommodating when on a whim you fancy a bit of the old UC .😁

Then grill the living shit out of you about every aspect of your life.
They go after the wrong people.

Nobody should just consider childcare costs against current earnings - you also need to think about when you don't need childcare any more but you are stuck earning less than you used to and the impact on your pension. It's very short term thinking.

It might work out financially better on the calculator.

But as people say you need to think about the future too.

It’s actually worse when the kids go to school and you have to drop off/ pick up at silly times and school holidays.

So unless you can be a SAHM for the foreseeable.. by which point you might become unemployable. Then do it yes.

If your husbands wage is not enough to live comfortably then I would try to get into a job with flexibility. Earn your stripes and good will whilst the kids are in nursery childcare (better coverage on hours) even if your breaking even! And then when the kids go to school you will have hopefully earned some goodwill to stay in a role whether part time/ condensed or flexi time. .

Why should we subsidise you to do this?