Not worth getting part time job

[Noteworthworking]

I was looking at getting a part time job a few days a week. Most of them only offer 8 or 12 hours a week on minimum wage.
But when I worked out the wage I would get after universal credit taper and then travel, it works out at just over £26 per week for 8 hours done over 2 days.
I have 2 kids and no one to help with child care so can realistically only do hours that fit around school and my husbands shifts.
Am I being ridiculous to think it's just not worth it , or should I be glad of any extra money?
We are coping at the moment so I don't need to work.

Is it retail? A lot of places can only offer a small amount of contracted hours but you would do lots of overtime. I have an 8 hour contract but i rarely work less than 16 hours a week.

It’s still over £100 a month extra, you could save that each month for a holiday or Christmas etc. definitely not to be sniffed at, especially with the cost of living crisis.

If you are working around your dh and not paying childcare then you will lose 55p of Uc for each pound you earn. I can't see how you would only be £26 a week better off? Travel must be pricey?

How old are the kids? I am just upping my hours in a new role which is a lot more responsibility for no more money once childcare is deducted but I will only be paying childcare for less than 3 years for my youngest, oldest already doesn't need it. Its relatively easy to find work at the moment, that isn't always the case if you have been out of work for a long time.

£26 per week is more than you'd have if you didn't work. And there might be the potential to do more hours. Or work your way up to a better paid role.

What would you be doing with those 8 hours a week otherwise?

I'm in Ireland not the UK but I was only thinking the other day how getting a part time job is worth it because of credits for your pension. Do you only have the one type of pension in the UK? If so that is a disincentive.

I'd see it as an investment in your future. Long periods of no work aren't great for your CV. And it might be nice to have more variety in your life?

Nah I wouldn't do it.

Retail jobs are often advertised with no hours but the full time work is there. DH is contracted to 16 hours but works full time.

In addition there is wraparound care which loads of children use. That widens your available hours.

I work part time. The extra is nice but my mental health is better for it as well as I have friends and feel like I'm contributing to the world even in a small way. Also will help me move on should I want to and minimum wage just gone up too.

There's always overtime going and if you work a Sunday or hours after the shop closes you often get paid extra. I'd do it. But also because I would hate not working.

Yes you should do it. If you’re on UC then you need the money, over £100 per month is a good start and you will be less reliant on the state.

One of the major factors that contributed to me going back to work after my last baby was concern about my pension. My DH has a decent one, but mine was tiny. What's the situation with yours currently?

If you were working those hours would you be eligible for the company pension? Even if you aren't, I would take that £100/125 a month and put it into a private pension, especially as you say you're managing fine financially at the moment, so the money you earn doesn't seem to be earmarked for anything.

I can see that most of you think it's worth doing. I think I will just wait to find something with longer daily hours but less days.
This would reduce travel costs of £4 a day. Or I could find something more local that I could walk to or drive to without ridiculous parking charges.

£76 a week for 8 hrs work

55p taper
So £41.88 goes to UC taper

Leave £34.20

so travelling costs of £6.20 per week

id get an evening pub job close to home or housekeeping with holiday inn- they’re paying 20% over NMW

Noteworthworking

my locals are crying out for staff at the pub in the evenings and during the daytime. Check out your nearest places. It’s nice sociable work, which is good for becoming you again rather than mum of

£3.25 an hour? No way would I be working for that. Keep looking for other work instead.

If your DH's earnings are low enough that you can claim UC I'd definitely get a job for the future earning potential. You might soon out-earn him.

I wouldn't bother, unless it was a rewarding job I really wanted to do and it might lead to more hours. I cleaned a school 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, term time only and that paid about £300 p/m. The benefit was I could walk to it. No travel costs. It was ok until I got an office job, 16 hours p/w, then I had to stop.