Job advice for single parent

[CandyCaneKitten]

posted in lone parents but thought I would try here as well. Im finding life really hard at the moment. I’m a single paren all of my children are autistic, the oldest more support needs. She isn’t in school and has a tutor 2 hours a day every week day. For this reason I cannot work as she can’t be left alone at all. I am struggling not being able to work as I honestly can’t afford to live at the moment! People don’t understand and tell me I can work even though I only have 2 and a half hours a day “free” (not actually free as my daughter is with me) but 2 hours at the tutor, then 2 hours at home then need to collect my other kids from school so from 3pm I have them with me full time how on earth am I meant to work?! I tried to have a zoom call the other day during my 2 and a half hours “free” and my daughter was speaking all the way through the call trying to get my attention. Are there jobs available for only 2 and a half hours a day that I could do with my daughter here? Any advice as I’m broken, any jobs or anything at all? Please don’t have a go at me this isn’t how I planned my life to be but things happen and I want to work so need advice on what could be available to me? Is there any jobs I could find to make ends meet?

Is there a SEN section OP? I'm a lone parent but not SEN. It sounds tough for you and you won't be able to work a job 2 hours a day. Are you claiming everything you can? Carers allowance? What about DLA?

Cms from the children's father?

Yes I’m claiming everything I’m entitled to. No maintenance as not entitled to any.

OP why are you not entitled to maintenance from your Ex?

He doesn’t work and is exempt from paying due to debts

Even more reason for him to get back to work to pay you and pay off debts. When did he leave work?

Did you get the property when you split? I would take legal advice as surely he cannot not get away with bad behaviour. You need to sort out this mess before you contemplate work, Also unless you are in a niche area, you would need full-time work to keep yourself and three children. Please follow-up with your ex.

No it’s his property we moved out, he hasn’t worked in a decade so won’t hold my breath on that. We have no contact and he doesn’t see the children so not something I will be following up.

What about working from home? What did you do for work pre-kids? What skills do you have? The work from home hub fb group has lots of remote job adverts.

That would be the ideal but it would need to be something I could do with the kids around. I previously worked as a nanny but I do not want to go back to anything related to childcare.

I’d say it would be very difficult to find a job working 2.5hrs a day from home OP. Sounds incredibly difficult but not sure what solutions there are. Is your DC home schooled long term or are you waiting for a place at a specialised school?

Waiting but not likely to be successful as the school I wanted have said no and there are no other suitable schools in the area so will probably be a tutor from now on which I will have to oversee.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/751159 maybe look at this OP. I do think the government should re-look at the CMS calculations. Just because he has debts and no income doesn't erase his obligations as a father or the bills associated with his children.