Childcare so expensive. Is it worth me working?

[thirtyseven37]

I currently work 26 hours per week on minimum wage. So I get about £297 a week.

After school club is £17.60 per day for my two children, so £70 a week as they are there 4 days.

I end up taking home about £227 per week (£909 a month).

I can work more hours as I have to take my children to school.

Would you work Monday-Thur plus Friday mornings for £227 a week? It seems so little.

For context, my DH earns too much for me to apply for benefits. We have however just separated (living in same house at the moment) so now I'm wondering if I would be able to apply for any financial help.

Does anyone have any advice or experience?

The answer shouldn't be working less, if I were just separating and knowing I'll be on my own at some point I'd be looking at working more and supporting myself so your not relying on his money (other than Child maintenance etc)

Keep working, even if it's part time. You'll have more options once they're at school.

My children are in after school club. Breakfast club is not available so I can't start work until 9:15am

They are at school.... Christ!!

You could apply for better paid jobs, what are you qualified in? And you have the right to request flexible working from day one now. Plenty of people in my work do school runs etc

@thirtyseven37 Flexi working to start later and finish later to accommodate drop off? Childminder to drop children at school in morning?

Your problem is not that after school club is too expensive, it's that you work few hours and earn very little. You say that you cannot get a better job because of lack of childcare, but you are already using after school clubs.

This is exactly why I carried on. It was hardly worth it when paying for nursery but I'm glad I kept my foot in the door as now the kids are at school I have increased my hours and am earning more to take home. I also needed to do it for my own mental health (and eventual pension).

OP if you can earn ~£50k if working full time, I suggest you get a job paying that.

You can insist your (now ex) partner does alternate mornings with you.

Many jobs now do some WFH which would help with the lack of breakfast club.

You will then have financial freedom from your partner and be able to look at living separately.

Given you have broken up, you need to be thinking about yourself and your future.

Jobs are much more flexible nowadays, I know lots of people who drop off, go home and login to work till pick up time. You sound very negative tbh, which possibly comes from living in the same house as your x. I wouldn’t change anything for now, wait till the dust settles and you have your divorce and financial settlement. You may regret giving up your current job.

I do start later. Can't finish any later as work not available. No childminders in the area have availability. Waiting list.

I have no morning childcare.

Childminder before school? Share before school care with another parent? athough, tbh, these days professional jobs (if you were doing the job you're actually qualified for) quite often offer a large degree of flexibility and there woul be no issue with you starting later. Or wfh either for whole day, or prior to taking DC to school.

@thirtyseven37 If you could get a 47k a year job, then why not do that and negotiate 9:30am to 5:30pm or something to accommodate the lack of breakfast club? You already use the after-school club so that wouldn't be an issue.
Think outside the box. Nothing is impossible. You don't know until you try.

THIS

This doesn’t make any sense. You are about to separate but won’t take a 47k job? Why not take it and organise morning childcare or negotiate a later start, and pay for after school clubs and holiday clubs.

why do you want to apply for benefits when you can earn nearly 50k?

Yes, it is worth continuing to work - especially if you have separated.

As well as your wage, you are building up pension.

Everything has changed as you have separated. Your ex needs to share the childcare with you. I hope you have your name on the mortgage? You really need to get some good legal advice here. Who’s to say he will still pay for cars etc? This all needs to become a lot more formal to protect you

I really would advise keeping things the same for now. Lots of people seem to be jumping on the fact you could earn decent money, but get a better job now and you will get a smaller divorce settlement. Give up your job and you will find it harder to support yourself in future. Looking at what benefits you could get is a very negative short term attitude. It doesn’t take into account the future career and earnings potential you have. Once dc are at high school they won’t need childcare out of school hours. I know this feels like a long way off but it will be here before you know it.

I can't get employment as a teacher on those hours. Teachers start about 8:15am

@thirtyseven37 OMG seriously! Get a childminder, a babysitter, a nanny, pay a student for an hour!
you would rather be on benefits than try and find childcare for ONE hour per day? I don’t think you are interested in working FT.

@thirtyseven37 you find a solution to kids morning drop off and you go and earn the wage you are capable of.

Your skills won't be sharp or up to date the longer you are out the work force.

I wish any of these things were available or suitable.

Even working full time, when I was paying for 2 at nursery I was only taking less than£200 per month, but it was only for a couple of years before the older one was at school and then the child care reduced

@thirtyseven37 Most schools start at 8:15am but until you apply and ask for flexible working or explain your situation, you'll never know! It's better to try, than just sit back with a defeatist attitude.
It's the same with they are not available or not suitable ... How could a childminder or nanny not be available or suitable?! Thousands of parents do it all the time.
Nobody is saying it will be easy, but surely to god it's better to do it now and set yourself some money aside for starting up on your own, as you are separating.