Better off after baby

[EmmBee123]

I'm keen to go back to work part time after having baby (need some time around grown ups), can't believe that we'll be better off financially if I only go back 16 hours a week. If I do, we'd qualify for Child and Working Tax Credits, alongside that, we'd be entitled to Housing and Council Tax Benefit.

It's ridiculous that after having a baby and working fewer hours, we can live in a nicer house than if both of us work full time.

 

[xshauna_bazx]

Exactly, OH's mam is always twining at him to get a full time job, while i explain we would be worse off...he only works 14 and needs an extra 2 to get working tax and we will be better off than him working full time and him not seeing the baby as much as he would want. Its quite wrong...wheres the motivation for getting people working when were better off doing what were doing. xxx

 

[Sarah13]

It's silly really, where is the incentive for people to work? I was worse off to start off with when I had my daughter but eventually she went to school full time so needed less childcare and I got promoted, so I was then much better off, guess promotion is the only incentive for a lot of people to go back knowing one day they will be better off. It's good to spend time with our children for as long as we can anyway, plus childcare costs a fortune!

 

[LouLou1986]

Aprently its all changing soon and you will be better off working least 30 hours not sure how though tbh so just gota wait and see wat this crazy goverment does!!

 

[Sarah13]

Just noticed, I think you have the same surname as me Loulou!

 

[EmmBee123]

is it both parents that have to work 30? oh works 30 and all the sites say it goes on the one working most hours?

 

[roxane 1985]

lucky you i only work 21 hrs and im only entitled to working tax and child tax get no other help financially, chuck some of your money my way haha

 

[Rachey]

I always think it's daft the way it works too. Like yous have said, there's not really any motivation for people to work fulltime when they're better off not.. OH works 38 hours and I work 22, I'm going back to my 22 hours after maternity leave but I would probably be better off to drop some hours or not work atall xxx

 

[EmmBee123]

Don't get me wrong, not moaning about it, I get to cut my hours down, spend time with baby and we won't have to financially struggle. It is strange though, do you think it is done to encourage us to stay home to look after our children?

 

[Sarah13]

You could be right, childcare is so expensive, and at the end of the day the best person is to look after our kids is us, although this often isn't an option. I plan to have a year off before going back to uni and then back to work full time once I've finished my masters (I'm a mature student just now!) I'm one of the lucky ones though and don't need to work as my hubbys wages cover our outgoings, we just plan to swap later on and then I can earn the money and he can look after kids when I'm fully qualified (funny cos he seems to think this will be easy lol!)