I think I'm about to become a LP to 3 under 5!

[weakestlink]

I think I need to split from my husband following his affair as I just cannot forgive or forget and I am making myself ill.

The only reasons I can think of for staying are financial / just for the children.

I would probably have to give up one of my 2 jobs due to childcare issues.

So I'd be left with 11 hours a week (winter) and 17 hours a week (summer). I think in winter I could claim Income Support and in Summer Working Tax Credit. Not sure which works out best really as I noticed on Entitled To that when on IS the children would get free school meals & healthy start vouchers which all adds up.

My head is such a mess I don't know if I'm coming or going!

Don't panic I to was/am a single mother my children were 1,3,5 when I left my EXH.

To begin with I was in income support until youngest started school then I went on to tax credits, as a single parent you are better off working and have to work a minimum of 16 hours!

You would manage on IS though and your right you will get school meals and healthy start etc.

Do what's right for you and makes you happy, you will be 100% fine and cope on your own though

Minty what exactly are these healthy start vouchers? How do you spend them? I can work 17 hours/week until approx October so wouldn't qualify for a while.
I can only imagine what a PITA it's going to be to go from IS to working tax credit and vice verca twice a year but not much else I can do!

Healthy start vouchers are to be used just like a coupon at the super market, either towards baby milk, milk, fruit and veg! Can't exactly remember how much you get and you used to get them every 2 weeks in the post!

Over the winter if you could do 5 hours work as say a cleaner then that would give you your 16 hours to quilify for tax credits

To echo mintymoo apparently doing something like Avon or betterware could bump your working hours up too as you could easily be doing 5 hours a week distributing books, ordering, bagging up and delivering.