Has anyone gone from part time to full time and has been better off?

[MissSJM]

I am currently on maternity leave and am due back to work at the beginning of May - I am taking 9 months off.

This is my second child, my first being 2 years old. When I returned to work after my first child my hours were full time but then dropped my hours to part time.

I have been very unhappy working where I am and was suffering from anxiety due to work, to the point where I burst into tears as soon as I walked through the door (I was signed off leading up to my maternity leave due to anxiety attacks). My work collegue who I job share with has said that things have gotten even worse since I have been gone, and has stated the firm does not like the fact the we are working part time as it doesn't work for the business. I am currently looking for a new job and I know working part time would be best for me but I've hardly come across any part time jobs but have come across plenty full time jobs.

When working full time childcare costs where extremely high, nearly £1000 a month. So with 2 kids that would be nearly £1900/£2000. Obviously working part time, my childcare costs have dropped down dramatically and my son is currently getting '15 free hours childcare' as my salary is below the threshold (If I work full time this will stop as he would not be entitled to it until he's 3). My partner is also working but does not earn much at all so I know he would also struggle with the cost of childcare as he did before.

I am wondering whether anyone has gone back to work full time and has been better off? Or shall I just stick at my job and continue to look for part time work (The thought of it makes me want to cry )? I just feel so confused, any advice would be greatly appreciated x

Also does anyone recommend childcare vouchers if working full time?

It depends on a lot of factors - including how much you earn full time, whether your partner is in a position to pick up some of the childcare responsibility, your cost of working (travel/car/lunches, etc) and whether you're entitled to any benefits at all.

I would say that the childcare vouchers are definitely worth taking - they come from your pretax salary so you get 30% free, essentially.

I'd take the vouchers part time too, by the way, if you're spending more than £243pcm on childcare. Your partner can as well...

Re childcare vouchers - if you are receiving child tax credits you need to check carefully how taking the vouchers affects your entitlement to tax credits. In some circumstances you can end up worse off. Get advice from the voucher provider.

Sorry don't know too much about the detail as our household income has always been too high to claim tax credits

I work part time 2.5 days a week but I still use childcare vouchers. It I sure I stay below the threshold for tax.

We just get £50 per month of the vouchers as we only use after school/holiday occasionally.
I think you will have missed boat on the vouchers as think you had to be signed up before April last year to remain on the old system. If you signed up now you would have to be on the new voucher system which I think is only good if you are using a lot of childcare.

I thought it was April this year?

I work ft and am better off than part time as dc is 3 so we 'only' pay for 30 hours rather than 45 & term time only as dp teaches.

Vouchers make a huge difference, our bill is around the same as the voucher limit of £243 each but it only costs us around £300 in our pocket.

You have to be as savvy as possible - can your dp condense his hours so if ft is 35 hours can lunch be reduce to 30 minutes and starting earlier to make up the 5 hours to full time over 4 days and save on fees.