Hello everyone!

I am a mum on a mission!

I have created a petition asking for the tax credits system to be reviewed in order to enable parents to work without being at a financial detriment as a result of the rising costs of childcare and tax credit not taking outgoings into account.

Soon, new processes for parents on Income Support will be enforced meaning if you have a child over the age of 12 by October 2008, or over the age of 7 by the year 2010 (only 2 years away now!), your right to Income support will cease and you will be expected to find employment. This is all well and good - except for one thing. Most employers will not fully support term time working, therefore childcare will need to be paid for. Childcare needs paying in advance, tax credits will not pay you until your child commences childcare, therefore parents will struggle with the cost, and payments are not always instant either.

The current system in place leaves a lot to be desired. I work full time and after I pay childcare (As tax credit do NOT pay it all, contrary to popular belief) I would be better off on benefits.

The petition is calling for the system to be reviewed so that all parents who work can do so without suffering financially.

I would be ever so grateful if you were to post the petition for your members to have a voice.

This seems a great site, so I have joined as a member too!

Here is the link:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Parentemploymees/


Thank you for your time.

Member emailed asking to post this.

Feel free to discuss (keep it nice).

i signed darn right im penalised for working!!!

Madness! I signed.

Thank you very much for signing!

If anyone wishes to ask any questions, feel free and I will answer them as best as I can.

Ive signed it as well. Having recently become pregnant i worry about this stuff already.

Good on you for starting this petition!

I've signed too

Im stung with chilcare every month but believe that when kids are at school age women should work if they cannot afford to be SAHM's

However I believe outgoings should be taken into account as ours is £1200 every months and the tax credits is measley.

Im off to hide but its just my opinion

Thank you, and thank you for your welcome in the introductions board, Doctordeesmrs!

I did have this up on another couple of forums but unfortunately some people took it the wrong way and thought I was encouraging people to stay on benefit....that's not the case - it's about helping people both in employment and helping people when the new income support rules come into force and parents are forced off benefit into jobs which won't accomodate their childcare costs.

The governments plans may sound good on paper but in theory - madness. An example; if a parent has been out of work for 12 years as they were a SAHM or a SAHD, it is very hard for them to secure employment. Many will not have qualifications and those who do will require upskilling/refresher before they can undertake a post. We all know the employers who sign off an applicant because he or she has been out of work for a length of time. It's not meant to happen but it does.

And we also know that if we secure employment, we then have to apply to have our tax credits increased. But as tax credit is based on the previous years finances, it does not make any sense. Once a person applies for childcare costs, they then have to contact your childcare provider to ensure you really have children being looked after there, then they work out how much to pay. Some people are lucky and get paid no bother, but the majority wait and wait and wait.

I waited 3 months for a payment due to an error in their "system" (always the computers, isn't it?!) by which time I owed my childminder thousands. I was lucky enough to have a childminder who was willing to wait for the money but she would have been quite within her rights to say "Right, I've not been paid - not having the children back till their fees are paid" - if she had done that I would have had to give up my job, then would begin the struggle, because it would be viewed by the government as "voluntarily leaving employment"

Furthermore, tax credit will not allow you to report a change in your circumstances until the day the change happens. So basically they are saying "Go find a childminder/nursery, start your child there, phone us the day they begin then we'll assess your entitlement" - if a parent has been claiming benefit until this time, where exactly are they expected to get the cash to pay the chhildminder's fees, which are normally asked for in advance? It does not make any sense. We can't seriously go to a childminder and say "Ok, I want my child(ren) to commence on such and such a date but I won't be able to pay you just yet" - Some childminders are understanding as they know the tax credit system and know they will eventually get their fees. However, some know that the system is messed up and that they may never get paid, or only get half the fees they are due and refuse to accept a child until a deposit secures their place, and I can't blame them. The tax credit system badly needs looking at, and it needs all us mums and dads to bind together to make a stand for it to happen.

Ooh dear, I am ranting, aren't I?! I'll shut up - for now

Don't be daft, you are entitled to your opinion just as much as the next person! Would make for a very boring world if we all agreed! And I do agree, as it happens.

As I said above, it is not about encouraging people to stay on benefit but about ensuring they can afford to work by assisting more with childcare costs and perhaps paying a childminder directly for the initial payment while the entitlement is calculated so that parents are not placed in a cross-roads junction situation. And also about like you say, taking outgoings as well as incomings into account. The only outgoing they consider at the moment is childcare costs.

Some people cannot work once their child is school age, for example if the child has special needs and mum/dad regualrly have to drop everything because their child needs them (few employers will allow for this if it is consistent).

But for those who can work, I also believe they should. Sort of. I am at a bit of a cross roads on that one, to be honest, as there is the age old argument of "why have children and pay someone else to raise them?" - which is compounded by the argument "Why have children if you cannot support them
financially?"

I see your point. Mine is that yes, by all means encourage parents to secure employment once their children are settled in school, but ensure that they are not at a financial detriment in doing so.