To be better of working part time or SAHM?

[princesspeppax]

New here & need some advice, currently a SAHM with 2 young kids, partner works full time and i get carer allowance and help with nursery costs due to this, i have recently been looking at part time jobs (which would keep me under threshold for carers) but have been advised that this may mean tax credits reduce and be worse off? Can anybody advise please as wouldn't want to make a mistake and make us worse off financially?

Any earned income will affect tax credits., although I guess as you can only earn £116 or less a week whilst on carers allowance it isn't going to make a huge difference. It would depend what your husband earns though, I guess the worry is that it could take you over the threshold completely. the threshold for 2 kids is around 32k without childcare costs.

Thanks for the reply Babyroobs, he earns about 22k a year after tax and ni so not a high earner thats whats making me more worried as we do rely on these tax credits

So with his 22k, and your carers allowance (£3224 ) and earnings of say £5k then you could be close to the threshold. I'm not sure whether if your child is on DLA then the threshold is higher or whether if you lose your tax credits you lose the disability premium altogether. perhaps best to go to CAB and ask then to do you a 'better off' calculation.

Sorry should have stated carer allowance is not for any of my DC its because im a carer to my mum. Thankyou for the advice i will give them a call tommorow i think

You can also do an online checker on the website called entitled to.org.

Thanks clarabumps i have seen them before i just wasnt sure how accurate they were

with having 2 young children and going to work, how would you be able to care for your mum at least 35 hours weekly, i.e. 5 hours a day provided you give care 7 days per week?

Gingerh4ir i a part time job working 16hrs over two days few years ago which still left me with 5 other days and evenings aswell going back and forth its more just with getting child tax credits i was concerened about though