Soaring heating costs, what's your plan.

Thanks Bob, you explained that excellently

Conversely, if a person can find better paid work or do longer hours or a second job/ weekend job, rather than claiming benefits why in the world is that considered an inappropriate thing to vocalise?

No one should be paid so little that they have to work all the hours God sends. There has to be quality of life. Children need to spend time with parents. Did we not change employment laws for those reasons?
I'm sure my single parent daughter would love to find better paid work, if only. (in Civil service job !! )
Explain how she can work weekends GSM
Cuts in UC will help I'm sure. And she's far from the only one in this situation.
Exasperated!

Right Norah let’s just get into the real world, not the world you imagine.. Low paid job, single mum, 2 young children at primary school, living in rented accommodation and working say 35 hours a week. So they would probably receive some help with their rent and and a small top up from u/c which would give them free school meals and free prescription. If she took on extra hours, paid more tax. Paid a child minder, paid travel costs to work so take that out of her earnings THEN on the bit of help she gets would lose the help with her rent, u/c credit, free school meals and prescription charges. Summer holidays arrive, at least 6 weeks so take 2 or maybe if she’s lucky 3 weeks paid holiday, for the next 4 weeks what does she do Or say she loses her extra hours she then has to go through all the stress of claiming again and waiting at least 6 weeks if she is lucky for it to come through, would you if you were working age, and I will say people do work at 70 plus because they have to it_

Norah

Blondiescot

So Norah, tell me this - would you work full time for £20 a week?

No longer, at 77 years old we're beyond that now.

However my husband worked at least 2 jobs, very low pay, for years, to put food on the table.

I'm in favour of doing for yourself with little government involvement.

So am I, wherever possible - but I also recognise that, especially in the current political climate, that that isn't always possible for everyone. I was fortunate enough to be able to afford childcare while I was working and my children were very small, but childcare costs have soared out of all proportion since then, making my friend's scenario not all that unusual.
I also don't get the mentality that just because our generation suffered, we should expect our children and grandchildren to do likewise. Should we not want better for them?

Norah of course ‘child minder comes to mind’
But have you not considered that the person whose child/ren is being minded may be out of pocket because of this?

Tbh I’m a bit cheesed off now (to say the least) with this thread, and the posters who have absolutely no idea of, or indeed interest in, ‘how the other half live’, but they can’t help but pontificate on how they ought to organise their lives

Norah

Casdon

Okay Norah, let’s put your daughter in that position. Working 32 hours a week as a carer, on shifts which include nights. You help look after her two children during the day on an ad hoc basis because she doesn’t work exactly the same hours every week, her husband works as a clerk 9-5. How exactly do you think they will juggle this to accommodate one or both of them doing more hours - are you going to step into the gaps on an unpaid basis to make it possible?

I've not been childminder to my 4 daughters, other than impromptu, nor was my mum or mil.

I said I advocate for paid childminding.

Other people may use their partner or who they wish.

Earning money to help support ones family is a good thing.

Paid childminders don’t have the flexibility to cope with ad hoc shift patterns. That’s why nurses for example so often work part time hours. It’s easy to say, it’s much harder to achieve.

Germanshepherdsmum

Thanks Sarah. When someone chooses to stay at home and claim benefits and sniggers about it, the person who’s paid the tax which funds the benefits doesn’t find it funny. How many on here paid the top rate of tax I wonder?

I did. But don't look to me for comradeship in your bullying of those that don't.

Casdon

Okay Norah, let’s put your daughter in that position. Working 32 hours a week as a carer, on shifts which include nights. You help look after her two children during the day on an ad hoc basis because she doesn’t work exactly the same hours every week, her husband works as a clerk 9-5. How exactly do you think they will juggle this to accommodate one or both of them doing more hours - are you going to step into the gaps on an unpaid basis to make it possible?

I've not been childminder to my 4 daughters, other than impromptu, nor was my mum or mil.

I said I advocate for paid childminding.

Other people may use their partner or who they wish.

Earning money to help support ones family is a good thing.

All out of stock in Argos (the £60 ) one's. Hopefully willbe back in stock soon.

Barmeyoldbat

Because they think you can or should pay for child care despite the fact you would probably be paying 80% of any extra earned in child care costs and then when tax was taken away you would be left with very little. But hey ho in the Tory world that’s ok, surprised they haven’t mentioned bringing back the workhouses

You said it right Barmeyoldbat

Attack anyone who isn't rich and blame them for not being rich. Typical Tory.

Yet, not all tories are rich and not all rich people are tories. The tory mentality lacks a certain philanthropic element . I do not think they care about people being cold because they think they deserve it. Unfortunately prejudice and discrimination is very harmful.

Okay Norah, let’s put your daughter in that position. Working 32 hours a week as a carer, on shifts which include nights. You help look after her two children during the day on an ad hoc basis because she doesn’t work exactly the same hours every week, her husband works as a clerk 9-5. How exactly do you think they will juggle this to accommodate one or both of them doing more hours - are you going to step into the gaps on an unpaid basis to make it possible?

Norah and GSM should start their own generalised thread instead of targeting me personally on a thread that is not about me.

I might even join it to point out how pensions cost the tax payer more than working families and I'm very happy to contribute to that because I believe in a society that works and cares for each other

Did you work while your husband did his two jobs, Norah?

FannyCornforth

MissAdventure

Who would be looking after their children while they do all these extra hours?

One of those lazy teachers and TAs on their 32 hours
Who’d look after their kids though? ?

Childminder or partner on another shift - come to mind.

To add, not that it's anyone's business but I'm currently doing coursework as well to advance my careers earning potential.

And it is a career I am proud of

Blondiescot

So Norah, tell me this - would you work full time for £20 a week?

No longer, at 77 years old we're beyond that now.

However my husband worked at least 2 jobs, very low pay, for years, to put food on the table.

I'm in favour of doing for yourself with little government involvement.

MissAdventure

Who would be looking after their children while they do all these extra hours?

One of those lazy teachers and TAs on their 32 hours
Who’d look after their kids though? ?

GSM

Why are you still discussing me when I have been at work all day?

I'm not a scapegoat for your issues with society.

Unless you are offering me a second job that pays enough for me to afford childcare that specialises in autism ( my youngest child is now being picked up at school with issues too) with enough left over so that I can heat my home more and also that I can physically do with Graves disease and arthritis on top of physically pushing my body to its limit every day.

Respectfully

Keep my personal life out of your comments

So Norah, tell me this - would you work full time for £20 a week?

Norah

Barmeyoldbat

Because they think you can or should pay for child care despite the fact you would probably be paying 80% of any extra earned in child care costs and then when tax was taken away you would be left with very little. But hey ho in the Tory world that’s ok, surprised they haven’t mentioned bringing back the workhouses

No.

Because I think working extra hours and earning extra, no matter the total, is extra in the pocket. In Blondiscot's example the extra is over £1000 a year.

So either way, she'd still be forking out a fortune for childcare, and out of the £20 a week she'd be left with, she'd have to factor in the cost of travelling to and from her work, etc - that really doesn't leave a lot, does it? Don't get me wrong, she loved her job and she really wanted to continue working, but it just wasn't financially viable once she had factored in the cost of childcare. She would literally have been working for nothing.

Barmeyoldbat

Because they think you can or should pay for child care despite the fact you would probably be paying 80% of any extra earned in child care costs and then when tax was taken away you would be left with very little. But hey ho in the Tory world that’s ok, surprised they haven’t mentioned bringing back the workhouses

No.

Because I think working extra hours and earning extra, no matter the total, is extra in the pocket. In Blondiscot's example the extra is over £1000 a year.

Because they think you can or should pay for child care despite the fact you would probably be paying 80% of any extra earned in child care costs and then when tax was taken away you would be left with very little. But hey ho in the Tory world that’s ok, surprised they haven’t mentioned bringing back the workhouses

MissAdventure

Who would be looking after their children while they do all these extra hours?

Blondiscot One girl I used to work beside did all the maths and would have been left with about £20 a week from her wages by the time she'd paid for full time childcare. What was she supposed to do?

Pay a childminder.

Unless I'm mistaken, she'd still qualify for benefits.

I said it !
(In response to a train of thought that I have heard echoed here and off screen that seems to go with a certain political persuasion. I'm sure that doesn't need explanation)

Good point Miss Adventure.

Who would be looking after their children while they do all these extra hours?