My youngest will be starting Reception this coming September. I also have another child age 5.5 at school.
I haven't worked since eldest was born.
I currently claim Income Support, Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit.
In October this year, the government is scrapping all the back to work benefits for lone parents, with only one remaining, where they give you £40 a week for a year. I don't know if this is offset against anything else, ie tax etc.
Because of my lack of recent experience and the area I live, I know I'll only be able to find minimum wage shopwork, but because I have children, this means I can only work part-time else how will I drop and collect from school on time? Shopwork is unlikely between the hours of 9.30 and 3, isn't it?
Can someone pleasebe brave enough to share with me either in post or private message, exactly how much take home they have after tax? I have been to entitled.com and had the usual calculations back to work thing from the lone parent advisor, but neither take into account travel fares, etc and to be honest I just need a simple figure.
So if you have two infant school children like me, work part-time around those house mentioned above, please could you tell me how much benefits you still receive, especially housing bbenefit, and if you had any back to work benefits assistance etc. If I can know in advance exactly how much is going into my bank from a part time wage and benefits next September, it will make the transition so much easier. I don't have any savings fund to fall back on, and I'm worried that first month of working before my wages are paid I'll have nothing to live on!
I don't smoke, drink, have holidays, sky tele, drive or socialise and I have a lot of debt that's auto deducted from my income support at present, all utility bills and paying back social fund loans that I took out to afford the rent advance and deposit on rented housing over the years. I don't receive any child maintenance from their father.
Would you be prepared to share your budget? Ie how much you set aside for food shop, bills, school uniform costs, etc? I've never been able to budget hence the utility bills debt I've accrued that just seems to be one step forward two steps back all the time, it won't be paid off for at least another 8 years at this rate :(
It feels like I'm supposed to just dive in blindfold, my benefits stop, I get paid a wage, but I won't know exactly how much wage I get in my bank each month. I'm terrified.
Because my children are still so young and they are very much 'continuum' style reared, I know I couldn't cope mentally with sending them off to breakfast club and after school clubs just yet, although that would enable me to get full time hours, I would also then lose out on housing benefit, and I couldn't afford this rent on a full time wage anyway. It's a tiny 2 bed house, I'm not being greedy.
I suppose to be really reassured, I'm hoping someone in almost identical circs can reply, ie twoinfantschool children under 6' part time job, who has none of the expenses I listed above, who is willing to share their budgeting with me, and exactly how much after tax and everything else, is paid into their bank each month from their wages.
I know it's a lot to ask, but the relief it would offer me is huge.
Thank you in advance
Can't get rid of that 'bill' word down there flamin keypad glitch, I'm not called bill!
bill
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Back to work - would you be willing to tell me your take home wage and budgeting?
11 replies
pylonic · 06/01/2013 16:07
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