AIBU to stay on UC instead of working

[Lulubon]

Hey I'm looking for outside insight...

We are currently receiving around £950 UC/Month
this is made up of a standard couples amount, child tax and housing benefit. Plus £84 child benefit

My partner works full time, he earns around £1400/ month
Our rent is high but standard for our area (£1075/ month for a 2 bed flat)
We cant move due to contract + we would have to move quite far to lower rent, meaning further from partners work- costing more in travel etc which would make it around equal we've checked this...

We have 1 child aged 1.5 years

We struggle with money but make do- usually dipping into the overdraft to afford food shops/ petrol though. We dont spend on extra luxuries, no dinners out/ new clothes, I try to buy everything second hand. Though I do spend some on toddler groups with my son (usually 2x a week max)

I have a 0 hours job but we cant afford childcare (£100 a day is standard in our area for nurseries/ £7+/ hour for childminders, though ive never managed to find space anywhere!!! I'm 190th on the waiting list for one nursery!?) so I don't take many shifts.

I'd like to work a part time job in order to come off UC as it gives me huge anxiety relying on it, we'd also like another child soon but obviously I'd like to earn more before we took this step. My issue is, even if I work full time, im not going to be bringing in ANY extra money, in fact LESS!?

We have estimated that we will be WORSE off if I return to work due to childcare costs... what can we do?! I feel so trapped! how do we get out of the hole of UC?!

The most I will make a month on a part time job is around £930/ Month
and childcare will be minimum £400-500/month

With a full time job could potentially earn £1400/month with childcare around £900/month min, meaning take home would be £500 after childcare costs.

The upside is, my partner has just completed a qualification meaning he will be eligible for a higher paid job but its marginal and will take from our UC but we should end up slightly better off... and it depends if he lands a better job too.

can anyone help?! am i missing something obvious???

@Lulubon

Also sorry but you ‘taxpayers’ are concerned over me receiving £900 a month because I’ve been raising my child- an extremely important job rather than paying someone else to look after them while I earn next to nothing???

Concern yourself with the billionaires in this country who pay no tax, I promise you it’s a lot more then £900 😂😂😂😂😂

I’m absolutely with you on this Lulu - some people are so shitty about benefits and don’t realise that often you’ll still be receiving “their tax money” whether you’re working or not - there’s a working element of UC/tax credits so not everyone in receipt of “their tax money” is out of work, and those that aren’t working are usually looking after children.

Apparently getting money from the government to pay someone else to look after your children is fine, but getting money from the government to look after them yourself isn’t

Don’t forget to account for the extra costs of going to work (transport, work clothes, food out of the house etc) and the extra pressure it puts on you both (your P will have to do more at home if you’re out of the house all day). If you’re in a decent job making pension contributions etc then working would be beneficial, but if it’s casual work at minimum wage it may not be the best move for you right now, and that’s ok. That’s why you are not required to work when you have young children. Do what’s best for you.

Sorry but would anyone really work for £300pm due to spending £500 on childcare?

Yes. After paying tax, childcare and commute costs my monthly take home was less than this. But it's a shortlived time and you keep active in the workforce, keep up your pension payments and can progress in your career.

I work now with someone in my team who didn't do this, because it was pointless, as she would hardly take any money home. She didn't work for 6 years (2 children, which a gap). We have the same professional qualification. I earn double what she does and have an extra 6 years in my pension.

People getting worked up because op is getting benefits but it’s all going to her Landlord…..over £1000 for a 2 bed flat is ridiculous!

And Mischance makes an excellent point about mat leave - I wonder how many of those berating women for not working have taken any time off on mat leave, getting paid to do nothing by their employer, or taking statutory mat pay from the government? Shocking.

If you were to take a full time job now, with all the financial problems that this will bring, you will also be changing a smooth-running family into one where you are rushing about trying to keep many plates spinning. Working whilst having pre-school children is challenging. I know that many choose to do that and find ways of making it work, but it is not without its problems. and also this. It may work well if you communicate well with your DP, he is an involved and equal partner and you have back up options such as grandparents on hand. Certainly for me, with no living parents between us, no local family at all, and him having a job that involved shift work and moved around the country (so often no real established friend group to rely on) it was all on me. His job meant being in contactable unless an extreme emergency (think being in surgery or flying a plane!) so he would never have been on call to collect a poorly child, and often worked weekends, nights etc so slept in the day time. It’s not always as easy as “just get a job around the husbands hours” when his hours are irregular.

Most families are doing their very best for their DC in the circumstances they have. If everyone who relied on their overdraft was considered unfit to have kids where on earth would we be?! Ridiculous posts on here.

You can't afford another child.
Regardless of where the money is coming from.
You go into your overdraft for food now.
Think of the child you already have and try and sort your finances out and then reevaluate.
It's unfair on the child you already have to stretch your finances even further

@Schoolchoicesucks

Sorry but would anyone really work for £300pm due to spending £500 on childcare?

Yes. After paying tax, childcare and commute costs my monthly take home was less than this. But it's a shortlived time and you keep active in the workforce, keep up your pension payments and can progress in your career.

I work now with someone in my team who didn't do this, because it was pointless, as she would hardly take any money home. She didn't work for 6 years (2 children, which a gap). We have the same professional qualification. I earn double what she does and have an extra 6 years in my pension.

But she probably considers those 6 years spent with her young DCs as being worth more than money.

But she probably considers those 6 years spent with her young DCs as being worth more than money.

Exactly - and society should value this too.

In principle there is no difference between accepting maternity benefits when on maternity leave from work and being on UC now.

I wasn’t going to keep commenting but…

I didn’t realise about the tax free childcare that’s deffo something to look into once he’s 2

I want to clear up once again, once I have got back into work, THEN we will consider another child.

I really appreciate the comments about having another baby now but personally I know I need to save etc before I want to make this happen. Though correct I’ll be accepting stat-mat pay so sorry taxpayer 🤷🏼‍♀️

and thirdly I am not concerned about having a fabulous career, I love being a mum, it will always come before a career. Raising children IS a job and one I’m doing really well at- this is worth more then money to me.
But in saying that I want a stable furture for my children and therefore working and earning money is how I can ensure this. I will miss out on precious time with my very special child, one we hoped and longed for after a lot of loss

Just be kind. Im not a benefit scrounger I’m just a mum trying to work out how to return to work without sinking down a hole of debt.

Have you considered childminding? It’s not for everyone, but it can be a great way to be around for your little ones while also earning money. I did it alongside another job when I was first a single mum, so I worked at home during the day time and then had 4/5 school age children for a couple of hours each evening. At £4.50 p/h each it worked out to about £40 a day for a couple of hours work and more during holidays. As your baby is still young s/he would restrict the number of under 5s you could take, but tbh I only took kids from year 1 upwards as the early years stuff is a lot more work and paperwork! Obvs it depends a lot on your location and home etc as to whether this could work for you, but it certainly tided me over the early years.

Op you're ignoring everyone that says to work opposite hours to your dp. This is a great solution. Is this doable for you?

She's talking about working part time. Not moving to another country and leaving her child behind for 6 years.

£300 a month is food for the family. Or (the way things are going) energy bills. Or a holiday. It does not sound as though her dh is a high earner where this money would not be useful and make life nicer for them all.

OP tax free childcare is a different thing. Look at the UC calculator first.

@rainbowandglitter oh yes I meant to respond to that too. My DP works sporadic shifts. Sometimes finishing at 9pm he also works weekends. Hopefully once he moves jobs that is an option, we’ve discussed me doing evening work

@Lulubon

I wasn’t going to keep commenting but…

I didn’t realise about the tax free childcare that’s deffo something to look into once he’s 2

I want to clear up once again, once I have got back into work, THEN we will consider another child.

I really appreciate the comments about having another baby now but personally I know I need to save etc before I want to make this happen. Though correct I’ll be accepting stat-mat pay so sorry taxpayer 🤷🏼‍♀️

and thirdly I am not concerned about having a fabulous career, I love being a mum, it will always come before a career. Raising children IS a job and one I’m doing really well at- this is worth more then money to me.
But in saying that I want a stable furture for my children and therefore working and earning money is how I can ensure this. I will miss out on precious time with my very special child, one we hoped and longed for after a lot of loss

Just be kind. Im not a benefit scrounger I’m just a mum trying to work out how to return to work without sinking down a hole of debt.

Indeed so - it is wonderful to hear that you are enjoying raising your child and as a taxpayer I am happy to support that. Just as I am happy to support working mothers with maternity leave.

There is no more important job you could be doing.

If I were you I would have that second child now and be at home with them both, so they both gain the benefit of a wonderful committed mother. And you will have all the kit on hand and routines in place still.

Time enough to be at work and pay back into the system.

I say again - morally there is no difference in accepting maternity pay on maternity leave from work, and accepting UC now. Both represent society's commitment to the value of child rearing.

Sorry but would anyone really work for £300pm due to spending £500 on childcare?

Loads of people do this, or for even less, for a variety of reasons (career progression, pension contributions etc). You may not want to, which is fine, but it’s not an insane proposition that no one else would ever do. It’s not even unusual.

Definitely look in to tax free child care - but you do have to be working to get that. I can’t remember the exact amount but there is a minimum amount you need to be earning (the max amount is £100k). And you can use it from any age, we use it for DD and have done since my maternity leave finished. Even if you don’t go back to work now it’s worth knowing about because you can use it for after school clubs as well I believe, once he’s older.

[quote Lulubon]@rainbowandglitter oh yes I meant to respond to that too. My DP works sporadic shifts. Sometimes finishing at 9pm he also works weekends. Hopefully once he moves jobs that is an option, we’ve discussed me doing evening work[/quote]
But bear in mind that working opposite shifts you run the risk of becoming ships that pass in the night, no couple time, no family time. Sounds like a recipe for relationship breakdown to me. Do people really not value their time with their partner at all to suggest that this is somehow better than accepting the benefits to which you are legally entitled?!

Tax free childcare kicks in as soon as you have a child. 15 hours free kicks in when they are 2 if you earn under £16k. 30 hours free kicks in after they are 3 for middle income earners.

Again - a quick Google will tell you that.

I a taxpayer am also in receipt of UC, it's definitely worthwhile going part time, our UC after deductions covers the cost of our childcare (I dont earn quite as much as you would). We end up approx £100 better off per month than not working and every little helps at the minute!

@Lulubon

This is hilarious. I’ve said I WANT another child and that I WANT to work so I wanted to see how I can make that possible. I DONT want to rely on ‘taxpayers’ hence why I’m NOT having another child until I work. but may I remind you that I have been a taxpayer my whole working life until I became a parent. This country doesn’t support working mothers. It’s very simple. Having said that now that I can get support for childcare I am going to work.

Sorry but would anyone really work for £300pm due to spending £500 on childcare?

Yes plenty do and for less.

I would try and get back into your career as it will benefit you and your family in the long run. It sounds as if it is really difficult with your DPs work pattern but if that could be sorted and you could work around it then it might make things easier for you . Good luck

@rainbowandglitter

Op you're ignoring everyone that says to work opposite hours to your dp. This is a great solution. Is this doable for you?

We did this for years to avoid childcare costs but it's not without problems. I looked after the kids all week then went to work doing nights and weekends. It took a huge toll on my mental health overt the years and I missed out on a lot, but it can be done.

I would try and get back into your career as it will benefit you and your family in the long run. I disagree with this. The early years are precious years and as a society we should be supporting mothers who want to be there for this time. You cannot get those years back. I did 5 years out with no detriment to my career whatsoever.

But bear in mind that working opposite shifts you run the risk of becoming ships that pass in the night, no couple time, no family time As a society we should be supporting quality family lives. For that you do need to get to speak to each other now and again!

The pattern of rushing through school always trying to pass benchmarks, rushing through university then rushing out to work and striving to climb the career ladder - all this is a huge millstone round people's necks. It is possible to stand back and take it all a bit more gently. Give children time to develop at their own rate at school; recognise the value of a career but also give equal or greater value to creating happy families.

There is no need to follow the crowd and be brain-washed into thinking this is the only way.

[quote Lulubon]@Firefliess no sorry you’re confused.

UC but not working = £936
Working + childcare= £300
I won’t receive my UC on top of that £300, I will be £500 worse off. Hope that makes sense[/quote]
UC childcare costs and tax-free childcare are 2 different things, OP.

Are you still paying a student loan? If so, there can be real advantages to working p/t so your income stays below the threshold where you start repaying it.

A colleague of mine was much better off initially returning to work p/t than f/t, as not only was she saving on childcare, her student loan repayments stopped too. She went back to f/t work once her child was at school.

I can drive but I've never owned a car.
I've always got anywhere I need to be on time.
We had days out on the train.
Shopping is delivered.
Walk into town.
Both kids must of hated it though as they got cars ASAP and drive everywhere 😂

Completely agree with mischance, nobody these days seems to put enough value on the one to one care that benefits a very young child. It's all about career, money, pension. I'm talking from the point of view of a 'waspi' woman who is losing out now on pension I was expecting at 60 and lost out on the ability to earn much money when my three were little or to pay into a private pension. I don't regret for a minute that I stayed with my children until they started school and brought up three tax paying members of society even if I could be richer now! Op do what is best for your family, even if that is to have more children now and restart career progression when they are in school. As already stated what is the difference between people accepting money from taxpayers to supply free nursery hours, mat pay ect none of which was available to us older mums.🤷

I’ve always tried to ignore the ‘would I be better off or not’ issue when it’s come to benefits and it’s stood me in pretty good stead. I went back to uni and then work even thought I knew I wouldn’t be any better off than on benefits (due to very high commuting, childcare costs and the way the housing benefit taper worked) but at other times I’ve relied on benefits when I’ve felt it’s been better for my family.
Now we don’t have rely on benefits at all but I still just take a balanced look at everything. I took on my current job recently assuming my entire salary would be going on childcare until the youngest started school but it seemed like a good opportunity and my little one enjoyed the couple of sessions they were doing at nursery so I thought why not. A few months later new flexible working rules have meant that I’ve been able to reduce my childcare costs massively so we’re actually a lot better off than ever expected to be. Likewise, when I was on benefits I never imagined too I’d now be with a partner and not entitled to benefits and so it would actually be such an advantage being able to earn a higher salary. However I’ve never regretted either, taking time out of the workplace when it’s felt the right for me or my family either, even if we have taken a financial hit or previously had to rely on benefits during those times.