Impossible to better myself!

[Exhaustedmumoftwo]

It's 4am and I just need a rant.

I have recently gone full time (with no option to go to part time at the moment due to being the main employee of my job while the other worker is on maternity.

Long story short.

Working part time - no child care (have a fab mum)
Earning about £160 per week plus tax credits about £165 (it fluctuated)
Paying about £70-90 per week rent dependent on tax credits and no or min council tax

I had my own business for a year so that buggered up my tax credits

Full time

Working 40 hours a week salary 20,800
Childcare £32 a week (2xafter school clubs)
Tax credits have just been reduced to £127 so I'm no longer getting the working part or childcare help due to higher income

Full rent and full council tax

Plus my house is a shit hole and I never see my kids and I'm exhausted.

Here's my basic maths
£160 per week £0 tax occasionally some ni + £165 tax credits - £90 rent (BEDROOM TAX GRRR) - £0 council tax - £0 child care = £235

£400 after tax and NI £320 + £127 tc - £134 pw rent - £35 pw council tax - £32 child care = £246

Obviously child benefit is the same regardless.

£11 per week better off.
I probably spend that a week on coffee.

These amounts are just averages but you get the picture.
I'm working an extra 24 hours a week for £11! I'm earning 45p an hour. And I'm emotionally drained. My ex is currently paying £0 and not seeing his child.

£246 pw is not enough to pay for food, petrol, bills and have a decent living at the end. I have enough to cover my bills (I can't reduce them, there's nothing extravagant just basic plus a few old debts which I pay £0 interest on and probably £50-100 per month towards extras like days out anything left over for clothes hair cuts etc

Why is it so hard to better yourself?

Sorry for the rant. There's people in much worse positions. I'm just frustrated.

It sucks
But if you keep at it one day your kids Won't need childcare
You'll have a pension
The longer you're there hopefully you'll go up the pay scale

Will it also help you get another job if you want to ?

I can't afford to pay into a pension lol...it's a job with a lot of responsibility and business experience so no doubt will help me in the future. Just been working my arse off my whole adult life and I never seem to get any financial better off ever! If I receive anymore in one hand someone says oh no can't be having that and takes it out the other. There's people in a lot worse situations granted. I'm just bitter towards others that seem to be able to afford everything I want yet I work just as hard :( x thanks for listening x

the main cause is of course that the sperm donor isn't paying his way.

I'm not quite clear on the maths, but if part-time would work better is it worth changing jobs? The fact that your employer can't manage with you part time isn't your problem, and they may prefer that to losing you totally.

I'm only full time until September, but I'm the only person able to do my job unless I train someone which would take a month I love my job, I don't want to leave, I just don't understand why you are penalised. Surely the harder you work the more you should be rewarded. It hasn't helped this month that payroll was sent the wrong tax code as they have me employed twice so didn't get a full pay :( x

if you are the only person who can do it, they need you. Ask to go part-time and explain why.

the benefits system is nuts!!