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Confessions of a Single Mum

The ups, the downs and sideways views of life as a single parent

Living Wage Are You Better Off

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As you may have seen plastered all over the news and papers the Government is rather chuffed with itself for giving us lesser mortals and 'step up'. From 1st April ( and no its no April Fool joke) all workers aged 25 and over now legally entitled to at east £7.20 per hour. Apparently its an extra 50p in our pockets. Well it will be if your not on benefits of any sort as the increase ( dont forget you have to notify them of your wage increase) would be taken off any benefits you get. So not ... VIEW POST

Moving To Universal Credit?

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The Government promised that when you are moved onto Universal Credit from the current system that no one will be worse off. Indeed if you use the calculator on Turn2Us it can give you a Universal Credit calculation if your not on the new system and move onto Universal Credit. It also shows if you will be worse off and how much of a 'top up' you could be entitled to, making it the same as your current benefits...follow that? Good. But because George Osborne reversed his plans for tax credit ... VIEW POST

Free Childcare New Criteria Will Effect 20,000 Single Parents

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Last year the Conservative Party pledged in its General Election manifesto that 30 hours of free childcare would be available to all working parents of 3 and 4 year olds. Having myself worked since my youngest was 3 I know what a help this would be as childcare is expensive no matter how they snazz it up. But the eligibility criteria have been tightened in the recent months. First parents had to work a minimum of 8 hours or more to qualify. Now the governments Childcare Bill is reaching the ... VIEW POST

Government Loses Case on Bedroom Tax

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Back in April 2013 the Government introduced changes to housing benefit. Labour call it the bedroom tax and its basically where they work out how many bedrooms they think you need and if you have more they reduce your housing benefit accordingly. I rent privately and this has been in place for housing benefit claims on privately rented properties since 2008 and is called LHA . There are a few differences between LHA and the 'bedroom tax' now being applied to social housing claimants but I wont ... VIEW POST

Tax Credits Change- Will You Be Worse Off?

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Next April Tax Credits are changing. Despite my question last week on which should I reduce, electric or food, the PM hasnt let me know his thoughts ( funny that ). So the changes are happening and you may be wondering if it will effect you. [bctt tweet="In short anyone receiving tax credits with a household income above the new threshold of £3,850 will receive less in tax credits from April than they do now. "] Mr Osborne says that with the introduction of the National Living Wage, tax ... VIEW POST

Tax Credits Cuts to Go Ahead

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Despite even his own party telling the Prime Minister to rethink, he has decided in his ultimate 'wisdom' to go ahead and make the drastic cuts to Tax Credits. He reckons that it will leave people better off. Yes true but not the low paid that your taking the money off that actually need it. Need it not for holidays or designer labels but for those little daily things like heat, electricity and the really not important one food. What he is not jabbering on about is that for every £4 he ... VIEW POST