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?

£909 is a hell of a lot more than £0 and you obviously need to start thinking ahead if you are going to be a single parent in the future.

Why are people finding it difficult to understand the lack of childcare provision for school aged children? It really is very bad in many areas. Even the breakfast club at school has a waiting list.

Make sure all
yoir bills are separated. They will want proof your not bill sharing. This was my situation. I work and on UC I get around 900/1000 wages every month and UC tops me up with £1200 this includes a disabled element and carer element though. When me and my husband separated he decided to continue to pay the mortgage instead of child maintenance for our 3 children which was great as mortgage is actually more then what this works out. You will be better off as UC pay for after school car and breakfast club only thing is you have to wait a month for them to pay it