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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to not bother working

38 replies

Flocci · 12/03/2009 19:04

I am totally pissed off at this situation I am now in.

I receive Carers Allowance for my dd who has SN which is just under £3000pa and very welcome it is since I gave up a very well paid job when the twins were born and we really need every penny.

Now I am trying to get gradually back into work for money reasons and also because twins are at school and I think why not? If I can work p-t around school and still do everything dd needs then it makes sense.

I have picked up some odds and ends on a self employed basis which come to about £2000pa roughly. It's hard to pick up bits which are flexible enough, but then I found an additional single job which will pay £3500 pa.

But now it turns out that if I take that job, my total income of £5500 is over the Carers Allowance threshold so I will automatically lose that benefit. This means that I will be working approx 15 hours a month in the new job and my total increase in earnings will be £500pa ie about £40 per month.

So why should I do it? There is absolutely no bloody incentive to work at all. I am trying to get back on my feet, but only some sort of nutter would take up a job that involved 15 hours per month and earned them £500pa.

How can the benefits system be so badly designed as to put people in this situation? Why not gradually taper benefits against earnings, rather than just having a fixed limit and a penny either side means all or nothing.

So what do you think?

OP posts:

wotulookinat · 12/03/2009 19:11

Very frustrating.

choochoochaboogie · 12/03/2009 19:12

I agree with you - I'm p**ed off with it too

SimpleAsABC · 12/03/2009 19:16

Will it lead to more work and in turn greater income?

OnlyWantsOne · 12/03/2009 19:18

There is very little incentive for you to return to work... tough situation, maybe do some thing else that will challenge your mind and keep you active.

Coming from the serial student - why not try a OU course?

Original poster

Flocci · 12/03/2009 19:20

No, unfortunately not. I did think of that - if I thought that more work might be on its way then I would just have to bite the bullet and go through the threshold now. I could do it and think of the bigger picture, albeit grudgingly and with a right strop on. But the truth is this new job and the other bits and pieces are definitely not leading anywhere and I don't know that I will pick up anything more.

OP posts:

Original poster

Flocci · 12/03/2009 19:24

The truth is, I don't have a lot of free time so I don't need to look for ways to fill it. And i am not someone who is worried about my brain rotting either. I actually want to earn some money in my chosen line of work and boost my finances a bit. Now I just feel that is impossible. I have to get a proper job earning a big wage or nothing at all, and I can't manage a full on job at the moment.

OP posts:

Mintyy · 12/03/2009 19:27

Yanbu.

Lancelottie · 12/03/2009 19:35

Umm, is the single £3500 job over the threshold on its own? Could you take that and leave the freelance stuff for the moment?

Original poster

Flocci · 12/03/2009 19:38

The threshold is £5000 so in theory I could take the job and leave the freelance stuff ...... but the point is still the same - I would be turning down paid work which I want to do because I am better off not working. it is ridiculous. As it happens I want to keep the freelance stuff because that has potential to grow in the future whereas i know this new little job doesn't have any prospects.

OP posts:

mariemarie · 12/03/2009 19:57

Hi Flocci

I could have written your post myself. I am in a very similar situation. My youngest child has just started full-time school and I get CA for one of my older twins.

I gave up work about 7 years ago and whilst we are lucky that we can manage financially, we are by no means rolling in it and to be honest, I am going abit stir crazy.

It would be financially beneficial for me to return to my old job because that was well paid but it would mean full time work which is not be possible. The only part-time work I can really see is for minimum wage and like you, it would be totally wiped out by losing the CA.

I am considering going to college in September to re-train in a completely different career with a view to working full time in a few years when the children are old enough to fend for themselves for a few hours a day until I get in from work. However, even this has its problems because you cannot study for over a certain amount of hours per week else you lose CA, and although I cant remember exactly the number I'm sure its something ridiculous like 16hrs per week.

How can this be!!

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

SadMarg · 12/03/2009 21:21

It's completely mad, isn't it??!!

Why not do an earn £2 lose £1 until you lose it all or something like that? I bet a lot of people would then have the incentive to go and do a bit more work that way. Think of the benefits to everyone apart from the financial - Government might spend a bit less on welfare, people would stay trained in their work and then not face the prospect of not being able to get decent work later in life, children learn the value of hard work and earning a living.

marina46 · 12/03/2009 21:46

I am in the same position, i am working 10 hours a week when i could do more as both my DC are at school. I could give up the CA but then ill be working the rest of the week for nothing. I need to ring to check but apparently it looks like if i take SMP (90% of £90) i will still lose the CA. So i will go from having £90 wages before tax plus £50 a week CA to getting £81 approx SMP. How is it people that are working whilst caring get such a hard time with this confusing system.

Sidge · 12/03/2009 21:52

I sympathise.

I went back to work in September - I was very lucky to find a term time contract working school hours only, which means I don't need childcare for DD2 who has SN. However after tax, nursery costs for DD3 and the loss of my CA (I earn £6 per week over the threshold after deductions apparently) I am actually now out of pocket working

I am trying to look at the long-term picture but it is difficult. I am bloody knackered yet not even earning anything in real terms.

violethill · 12/03/2009 21:59

I think a lot of people who have caring responsibilities/childcare costs etc are in this position.

You're right - it's very tough.

Probably the best way to look at it is that in the longer term, one job can lead to another, with better pay and prospects.

I worked for a while for no financial gain because of caring costs, but I did it to keep my hand in, give me some stimulation outside the home, and also for the long term payback (which was definitely worth it, because if I'd given up work completely, I wouldn't be earning the money I do now!!)

Portofino · 12/03/2009 22:01

There is more to work than wages though. Your pension contributions for one. Your self esteem, your CV, experience, human contact, personal development are other good reasons for working.

Is it better to earn your own money rather claim a benefit, even if you're not better off? I can totaly understand why you wouldn't bother. I agree that the system is wrong. You should always be better off for working than not working.

Sidge · 12/03/2009 22:03

I think the other but that galls is that you don't stop caring because you're working. But because you're trying to better your family's situation in the long term you're penalised.

I think it's time they raised the earning threshold.

abbierhodes · 12/03/2009 22:09

The system sucks. My DH lost his job recently, and we have applied to claim JSA. The most depressing thing we found is that when you add JSA to what we usually pay in chilcare, it adds up to more than his wages. And he's on a reasonably decent wage compared to some. It's difficult to know what to do sometimes.

kif · 12/03/2009 22:09

Is there any way you could adjust your 'package' to reduce the actual cash element?

For example, ask for benefits like life insurance/health insurance/childcare vouchers/season ticket/petrol allowance/new PC for you to work on.

You could also think about when you get paid. Say, if you have lots of work this year, and not so much next year, could you get paid via a smaller salary, and a completion bonus falling conveniently into next tax year?

You'd need to be careful not to get the wrong side of the tax man - but my company won't stop telling me how valuable my 'perks' are - so there must be a way for it.

FairLadyRantALot · 12/03/2009 22:19

hmm...£500 extra for only 15 hours per month is not that bad, is it? some people don't earn that much on many more hours...
I understand that it isn't much for you, though, and I suppose it depends on why you are doing it...is it to keep a fot in the door, to socialise...well..positive readons as such....if purely financially than, I suppose ,there isn't any point....iykwim...

fwiw...I have gone from sahm to full time student, and whilst I find it a lot of work, and money is zero or -....it is so worth it....in the long run but also on a refinmding myself basis, iykwim...

Portofino · 12/03/2009 22:21

I now live in Belgium. I pay a HUGE amount in tax and social security payments. More than half my gross wages. But childcare is cheap and tax deductible, Kindergarten is FREE from 2.5 yo. School holidays are totally covered with affordable childcare or slightly more expensive activity weeks or trips. Parental leave is available to both parents up to the age of 6.

It is fab. Why can't the UK get it's arse in gear?

Sidge · 12/03/2009 22:21

FairLady I think she said it would be £500 per annum so £40 per month for 15 hours.

mariemarie · 12/03/2009 22:22

Portofino, whilst I do agree with what you have said it is still not that simple for me.

My DH works shifts and my parents live about 3 miles away from my childrens school. They dont drive and would therefore have to get buses to get them to/from school. I would not be able to afford breakfast/after school club so it would all fall on my parents.

If money was tight and we needed the extra money to make ends meet then I would feel ok asking my parents to help out but, I could not put them to this trouble just to ease my boredom as such.

So, for now, I will continue to claim CA and run the house so that DH also has a nice easy life when he finishes work. Its not that bad really, and if you knew what we'd been through with my daughters health then you'd probably wonder why I'm complaining. I am very lucky really and have a nice life. Its just that I miss working and as much as I know DH loves me I really do think that women lose a bit of respect when they dont go out to work everyday.

FairLadyRantALot · 12/03/2009 22:25

ooops...but I suppose it is still adding rather than substracting from income....and reasoning still stands...i.e. what you do it for, iykwim

FairLadyRantALot · 12/03/2009 22:30

can I just say though, that if you do it for any other reason than financial , I think the big motivator will be liking/loving what you do....
I was a nurse and could have taken the "easy" option and just take that short return to nursing course....but, well....I doubt I would be happy doing that....yes, doing a degree in OT is, right now, not finacially rewarding...but hopefully longterm it will be and I am soooooooooooooo loving it...I do it for free, if I could, lol!

Original poster

Flocci · 13/03/2009 10:08

I work as an accountant so it is certainly not something I do for the love of it, I do it for the money. The tiny bit of self employed stuff I do is enough to keep my mind occupied and would be able to expand to fit my CV in the future if I needed it to.

So this is purely down to the fact that I want to work and earn a bit more money for myself now.

I accept that my income would still go up fractionally, but £500pa for 15 hours work pm works out as just £2.22 per hour.

OP posts:

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