F*****g Goverment! Im so upset - I dont know what to do

[MammyShirl]

I just called Inland Revenue and they said we are not entitled to any help with childcare so basically I can't afford to work and I cant afford to not work. I don?t understand this government, they don?t seem to want to help people who want to help themselves. They just waste money on no-hopers!

I might as well chuck my boyfriend out, leave my job and say I'm homeless to get any help, and on the way damage my leg so I can be registered disabled and get a free car - its sad but true!

So what's next for people who don?t get help with childcare - where do us people who want and need to work stand? Is there no government funded nurseries?

What are my options?

We earn what I consider low wages well under 30k, we are in a lot of debt and just about makes ends meet each month, we dont earn enough to pay our bills we just balance it. i work part time and we need the money. my mother looks fter my dd but is now finding it difficult so i need to get my dd into a nursery, ive been looking for a couple of weeks and yesterday, trailed arouns chiswick/acton from 10 - 5pm, i was so tired, they are so expensive and i really stupidly thought we would get some help with the costs - but no! nothing! so what do i do now, we cant live on my dh wages, we cant afford to pay the nursery costs as it costs two thirds of my monthly wage. i am desperate, what the f* is this goverment up to. when i lived in australua they really take care of you, their money is well spent and not wasted on no-hopers like it is here. im sorry but i cant express or say what i really want to say as i will come across arrogant and racist which im not im just saying what is true! the goverment needs to start taking care and putting people first who want to help themselves, they really do have their priorities wrong.

im so anrgy and i feel so low, my debts feel like a ton of bricks on my shoulders, i work hard and always have, i dont spend much, i dont have much. i pay rent, my bills and ive worked since 14, i see people from school living in nicely decorated houses, do they work? - no! they get all because they can, because they choose to cheat the system, but who is they clever one? not me the mug! i should learn a lesson from them that i cant fight this system i should just join it or suffer in silence as no-one wants to hear from me unless im disabled, homless, single or a refugee. sure they need help but what about all the falling people around them, soon we will be in the same boat as homeless people an dthen they will have to help me and it would cost alot more then it would if they just gave me some f help now so i can look afte rmy family.

i just want to screaaaaaaaaaaaaam!

sorry if i offend anyone but we should be allowed to say what we feel, i dont hate anyone just the goverment.

Like others have said I am sure you are entitled to something....As Fairymum said anyone earning jointly less than about 50k and having a child in a recognised nursery/childminder can claim family tax credits. It is means tested so the amount varys, and I think if you are at the upper end you only get a payment in the first year (or something stupid like that...)
I am entitled and my joint income is more than yours...my sil gets money and her joint income is more than yours.....so don't take NO for an answer..! Not being married is irrelevant...

WWW's thread on saving money & Stonybroke's thread about getting out of debt .

Help...not hi-jacking this thread but I don't get the basic 545 towards childcare....Do I have to claim???am I missing a trick!!

You have to claim, but you are not entitled to anything if you earn more than 50K (jointly). You don't get anything if you don't claim. We didn't even get child benefit until a few months ago and my dd is 7....(I found out through MN )

Sonnet - Yes you do! And it'll be back paid!! I didn't claim until ds was nearly 18mths old and then I got a lovely cheque from them for £740.

Is the childcare thing eaten up if your child goes to a state pre-school??

Think it's only back-dated 3 months, hence the on-line calculator on the IR site won't give your annual amount due unless you do it in April...I think.

Not sure what you're asking, Twinkie.... do you pay for any childcare, is the question? At an OfStead inspected venue?

Will do once get residence - at the moment pay for 1 day a week as sometimes need childcare.

The money you get £500 or so quid where does that come from I don't understand??

Mind you I am sure x2b must be getting it!!

hang on a minute!! I just put our income into the IR calculator and it told me I was entitled to £114 child tax credit and NO working tax credit!
Has it changed now?? Do you NOT get £545 per year anymore if you earn less than £58k per annum?? There used to be a table that showed earnings verses amount due if you have 1, 2 or 3 children in childcare, but I can't find it!

M2T - read my last post

The way I understand it there are two elements to tax credit. One is paid on family income and not related to childcare which is the £545 that everyone is talking about. This is NOT for childcare - ie a SAHM would still receive it. Then there is another element which is based on family income and childcare cost. We get the £545 but do not get any help with childcare (currently £350 a month).

Mammyshirl the age of your DD is very important. Because the nursery vouchers are worth quite a bit. Not really 2.5 days as Twiglett posted but 2.5 hours x 5 for 3 11 week terms. We will be getting this funding from Easter (DS will be 3 in Feb). Basically its £416 a term (3 terms). So our current annual bill of £4200 will be reduced by £1248.

Sowhere do I get the £545 from??? And do I have to use it for anything in particular???

Ooops - Thanks Tinker.... so that 114 is onlt from now until April? Is that over and above the £545 though? Like Bozza said that shouldn't be means tested.

M2T: the Inland Revenue site also only calculates what you are due between now and end of March 2004 -- not surprised it's reduced to nothing! Stupid flaw on their part...

Twinkie: I think everybody with household income under £50k and at least 1 child gets 'something' -- the £545. But whether you get additional help, for childcare, depends if your income is under a certain threshold (I can find a link, if you want). And also, your child must be in OfStead-inspected childcare to qualify, friend babysitting doesn't count. Whether X2B is claiming something is irrelevant to your entitlement; he's not in your houshold anymore, is he? HTH.

Twinkie - It gets paid into the bank monthly or weekly. But you do have to claim for it.

Well said Aloha, re disability. Mammyshirl, I was just thinking about this as I washed up and I'm sorry, but I decided that I didn't particularly want to help you while you're making offensive comments and sweeping generalisations. Fine to be pissed off with this government (I'm not particularly impressed with them either but for different reasons) but you don't need to have a go at 'disabled, homless, single or refugees.' to do it. It's no picnic being any of these things and they're hardly living the life of riley while you wonder how to pay off your credit card debt.

Rough guide to entitlements (thanks to GillW!), and the last good thread on CTC .

The money would be yours to spend as you saw fit, Twinkie.

Quite www.

Thanks Zebra!! Thats what I was looking at. And judging by this Mammyshirl, you are definitely entitled!

I agree with Zebra but what annoys me is people who use and cheat the system. It exists to assist people who are in need. we would be better off if didn't work but i personally would rather bring my own money in.

You guys! I really don't think Mammyshirl was saying they get an easy time of it or she would rather be homeless or disabled!!!

I think she was just illustrating how difficult it is to get financial help from the government before your situation gets to the point where you become homeless. And she was aiming it at people who screw the system by saying they have a back injury etc etc and claim when there is nothing much wrong with them. I know someone who has been doing this for 2 years and she would be way worse off if she worked.

The system is flawed..... Mammyshirl was saying this, but perhaps came across as a bit harsh.

Slightly off the subject but one answer we are considering is emigrating to Srilanka where dh is from. We would have a lovely house, lots of servants and much better schooling, health care etc. Don't want to leave family here though.

We me and DP earn over the amount that you say is the cut off - quite a bit althugh wouldn'tbe that much if I went part time - do you still get the £545 - I know it sounds silly as once I paid solicitor and everyone I have borrowed from to pay for my case I'll be ok but I don't want not to be getting something that I am entitled to - yes I am selfish bt I've bloody paid in for all of my life (well with 2 years off) so I am gonna get something back if I can. (Watch the cannons roll in!!)

I know people say things they don't mean when they are angry and upset, but I still think using the phrase 'no-hopers' is inflammatory. Esp when it is used in context of single parents, disabled people, refugees, or the homeless. This government has been criticised a lot for focussing its benefit strategy very much on working families as it happens. It's certainly no picnic being a single mother on benefits, for example. I think when you think of people with disabilities, bringing up children alone and being homeless, frankly, I really think it's time to count your blessings, not feel resentful. I think a few people on this board fighting for rights for their disabled children might find the bit about getting a free car for a 'damaged' leg just a tad inaccurate. Having said that, I think Mammyshirl's getting a lot of helpful advice here so I won't comment again.