Help me get off benefits

[Zoommeout]

Please help. I’m not the smartest person, (anymore) but I am trying. I don’t want to be reliant on the state any longer.I need help on how to do this successfully. I don’t know where to start. I have tried to by studying but I don’t think I’m getting anywhere fast.

A bit of background - I have children and am on UC. I work in admin and term time only so low income. (I fully intend to increase my working hours as the children become more independent and have increased hours year on year since I’ve re entered the world of paid work) I have tried to study whilst working and family commitments but almost killed myself returning to study (only a level 2 course in finance) was so hard - my brain is not what it used to be! so i have parked study after only a year. I was going through very difficult time whilst throwing myself in the deep end by studying so this can’t have helped, but has put me off for the time being.

I want to work up the career ladder but I don’t know how to/ what work path to take to earn my end goal ((£50k a year by time I am 50) without a degree, at the starting age of 40. My background is admin.

I’m the only one of my siblings on benefits and I hate it. My house is cashed but is in a cheap area so around £200k value. I’ve cashed it by being very frugal and so the house is in need of tlc and we don’t “live”. No fun days out , no eating out, no holidays etc

life is passing me by and I’ve been stuck in a rut for a long time and I try to change things to better our lives , but fail each time.

I want to change our lives and become completely independent.
I can’t think HOW to accomplish this.

With my limited knowledge I thought I could use the equity in my home to buy another house to rent out and then THIS income could replace my benefits? Is that even doable/ practical? Is there a better way? have I missed something?

how could I reach my earning goal of £50,000 within 10 years without a degree and starting at my age with my limited experience? I have the drive and willing but, as last year showed me - I need to pick the right path. I was studying last year and I just can’t retain information anymore like I used to. I did pass, but what I remember is another thing!

AIBU to want these things? How can I achieve or come near to achieving what I want and in what time frame? I need a clear path to follow (what career etc) and I think I get so lost in detail I can’t see the wood for the trees anymore. My brain has been stuck in freeze mode. I can’t think.

i know what I want but I don’t know how to achieve it or if it’s even possible. Or AIBU.

positive posts or constructive criticism only please .Sorry for long post and thanks for listening 💐

Ohyousillydilly, thanks, I had noticed a few Uni admin roles around the 40k and was on my list of possible goals, but posted on mumsnet tto see what other options there were. I had made a few applications to unis to get my foot in door but no joy. It would be useful to know what skills etc I would need to achieve this. Thank you . I can’t afford to do a degree and doubt my capacity to complete with everything I have going on. (I’ve given a tiny snapshot on mumsnet but there are some other complicating factors and I’m getting worn out) I will ask my local job shop about business admin qualifications - thanks for that’s I’m currently doing data analysis and reporting in my current job

Babyroobs I didn’t say benefits are low, I’m saying I don’t want my income to be made up , even in part, by benefits IF I can help it. I want all my income to be my own and in my mind it shoikd be doable so seeing how to go about it with ideas .

How practical are you, fitness level? Cleaning plus odd jobs pays really well if self employed, £15-20 an hours is the norm if you can do a good job, being able to charge extra for odd jobs increases income and makes you stand out. It's flexible and your older ones could watch the younger ones in holidays if needed.

Other possible industries/role types to look at besides University admin would be:

• Facilities management/procurement - these are getting more and more in demand as ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) requirements increase for larger organisations. The supplier due diligence, audit and evidence collection is becoming more stringent.

• Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) analyst - these are the entry level roles but salary is usually decent at entry level and progression can be quick. you'll need to tailor your CV to demonstrate the admin checks you do, how do you make sure that the work you're doing/colleagues are doing is accurate, what checks and balances are there, what processes have you written/helped to refine, training/mentoring you've done. Also read up on standards like ISO9001

• Business Analyst - focus here is being able to build relationships and translate the wants and needs of the end user into something that can be understood by the person delivering it. So Sales Director has a load of clients who want the product to be more useable, Software developer has to make it more useable. You collect the requirements, document them, work them through to make sure that they will actually be useful, confirm your understanding with sales director, take them to software developers, make sure they can understand them, collect information about anything that won't work and communicate that back until an agreed set of requirements, understanding and timeline/cost/priority has been agreed between the different stakeholders.

There are qualifications for all of these, but there is also lots of information available free online, books you could read and case studies you could work through. You could then take your existing experience and extrapolate that into a CV that shows how your skills and experience are transferable.

Don't touch your house. It's your anchor and security for you all.
Consider your hours. Can you do more? Can the teens chip in with the younger ones to allow that?
Will the teens be able to chip in to household finances with part time jobs so you can fix the house up?
What's your passion? Taking an accounting course as a 'sensible' choice without any passion for it will make doing (and retaining) it hard work. Find a course related to your current role - business management for schools? might give you more practical application and opportunity to progress?

That is super helpful thank you ❤️

fatagainitslettuce..
Other possible industries/role types to look at besides University admin would be:

this was super helpful thank you 💐

@Zoommeout why are you giving your brothers comments so much head room?
You sound like you've had a challenging time of it and are doing your best, what challenges has your brother faced - is he a resident single parent trying to juggle everything?

You are a single parent with an auto immune disease, you work part time with Primary aged children, plus you mention that you have other things going on that you haven't mentioned here, that is a lot. Benefits are there as a safety net, to allow people to get back on their feet when hit by unfortunate events. It doesn't sound like you are taking them for granted at all.

It is a fantastic feeling to get yourself of of government help and to be independent but instead of fixating on a future salary, focus in the short term say next 5 years on your physical and mental health that is limiting you at the minute. Then, look at increasing your earning potential whether this be through a course, retraining, networking or moving industries.

I just wanted to say you're fully entitled to the benefits you're getting to top up your income to a liveable amount and shouldn't feel any shame about it at all. Many families get a bit.

It's admirable you want to come off them and I hope you get some advice that works out. Don't remortgage your house. Feel grateful to have no rent or mortgage, it's fully deserved, you've scripted to get there.

I am not sure that £50k by 50 is realistic from your starting position, but if you are willing to throw your all at your job, can manage a little flexibility (probably in both directions - you give a little they give a little), then what I would do at your age and with admin skills is whatever is takes to get into ANY entry level job with your local council. Working patterns are generally flexible, given your children are now older (I think you said the youngest is 7?) and potential to work from home some days etc., you could look at upping your hours and working some school holidays (use leave for some if you need to). Why, because pretty much every council in the country has apprenticeship opportunities coming out of their ears. My council can't get enough employees to volunteer for apprenticeships we have so many of them, from basic levels up to post-graduate levels, and in every subject under the sun - for you, admin / management and leadership would be a possibility, but equally if you fancied training to work in social work we'd bite your hand off!!! It paid for training AND paid time off for learning - where I am you get up to 25% of the working week study time (most people say there is still some study in personal time required, but nothing like that much). You can start at the lower levels and work your way up - and people who succeed at their role and gain the apprenticeships are shoe-ins for promotion! You could easily, with application, be at £30-35k (at todays money) in 10 years; top £30k's - £45k is very achievable. Alongside that you have what is still one of the best pension schemes around, relatively good holidays, and generally other good terms and benefits - where I am we have discounts with a range of shops including Curry's and John Lewis, gym memberships, and very flexible working terms. Plus all councils are associated employers - you can move from one to another (plus a few other employers) without losing your continuous service or main benefits.

I mentioned doing a higher degree apprenticeship where you train on the job while earning money.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-and-degree-apprenticeships

Have a look at the job spec for the industries/ roles you're interested in to find out what is required. You have to match your experience and skills with their role specifications.

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/succeed-the-workplace/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab free course

I agree. Something doesn’t add up here.

If you have zero housing costs then you get zero housing benefits. If the OP has low earnings then they get UC top up. Herself and four children to support with everything that goes with a home and a family to support. What doesn't add up is troll hunting people on benefits. Have you any idea at all what a "fun day out" for five people costs these days? I don't have a young family but I know plenty who do, and I often cough up for the "fun days out" because just one day can cost a lot. Try pricing up Alton Towers for one day a year - currently on sale at £175 for one adult and four children. Chester Zoo, £133. Flamingo Land, £190.

I didn’t say I didn’t have money for fun days out? Where did I say that? I said I cleared my mortgage by not having fun days out being frugal . I have spare money now but I still have to be careful as I owe other debts and my home needs a lot of repairs. We still can’t afford a holiday. I’ve never ever claimed housing benefit I’m only on UC which is a topping up my earned income atm.

Single and proud- I have been struggling and my health is suffering. I got upset this week as a colleague was short with me as we had had a conversation more than once about working hours and I couldn’t remember at all. I think I’ve also asked her more than once about what she wants me to do and I hate myself for it. It’s like I’ve become thick and idk why. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I am seeing the doctor but I’m trying not to dwell on it too much as I am an over thinker . I can’t retain information atm and It is getting me down. I’m not sure long term if the job is for me (been in new role for couple months now) and I thought I can’t keep job hopping so need a new focus. Im trying so hard to change things and I feel I’m not doing anything very well anymore . I used to be really bright and now I feel very incompetent. My brain doesn’t want to play most of the time snd I thought if I can find a focus and end point it would give me the will to keep going. I’m frustrated that I’ve just recently cleared my biggest debt - the house and well what’s changed? Not much.

I know £50k at 50 was ambitious . aiming high but I would be happy with £40,000. Just wanted ideas and a bit of direction and some of these posts have been really helpful . I really appreciate it.

My brother has never been on benefits and is a work horse - get up and get on with it sort of person.

My brain got like that with perimenopause. I'd never heard of it, so I assumed my inability to focus and constant confusion were due to continuing sleep disruption five years after having a baby. Depression and stress, too. I still managed to study and change career, but it was slow. Better now with hrt, but nowhere near what my brain used to be.

@Zoommeout do you use One Note at work? It's fab, and easy to use, make two, one thats personal and one to be shared.
Send the shared one out with an editable link so that people can add instructions to your todo list and share relevant files, so that you have written evidence for what you've been asked to do, or if they are email requests you can add them to it. I have one page set up for each person I work for so that I know where I'm at.

Use the personal one to record notes from the important conversations like the one you forgot. I also password protect one page and input all of the passwords I use for the myriad of work related programmes I use.

Congratulations on paying off your house! That's a massive achievement.

Hmm, if you take out a BTL mortgage you are likely to need a hefty deposit and will have a higher mortgage interest rate. This could affect your potential profit from rental earnings. But as the kids get older, can you look at renting out your current home (which is owned outright) and buying another, smaller, place? The latter wouldn't need to be BTL. In the meantime, save like crazy so that you have a good deposit.

When looking at your income goals, why not factor in the increasing value of your house? I know that house prices aren't rising/are falling back now, but when they are back on an upwards track, you could include this. Also, are you taking advantage of your pension, and possibly overpaying into it? This can be a good way of saving. Again, you could count their rising value of your pension as income.

Do you have an ISA or investment fund?

There are some good resources online, like extreme early retirement, or JL Collins. They are aimed at aggressively saving enough so you can retire early, but there are some good ideas in there.

Hope this helps!

Single and proud no I don’t use one note. I did google it and it looks brilliant for organisation .I have only used the tasks function on office 365 atm. I will be checking one note out in the next few days. Much appreciated ♥️

Indigo tree. Yes I feel I could reach my goals, but I’m going at a very slow pace. I hate that at work i feel I’m taking so long to do things - I worry I’m coming across incompetent. I’ve only been in the job couple of months. Now I’ve got an bit of an idea what the job requires, I will be looking at ways to improve efficiency Over the next few weeks