Top

Confessions of a Single Mum

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

Council Tax Changes 2013

By

You can imagine my absolute delight at opening my council tax bill this morning for the coming year to read I now have to pay more.  Yippeee – not . Now don’t get me wrong I am all for paying my way and all that and I understand that the government is trying to sort the finances out so we all have to jolly well pitch in and smile while we empty out our purses but what has annoyed me is how my council have gone about it and the amount they have decided on. ... VIEW POST

Will Universal Credit Single out Single Parents?

By

A new analysis by Gingerbread and The Children’s Society says that more than a quarter of a million young or disabled parents will have support dramatically cut under Universal Credit.  The report reveals that young and disabled parents could lose hundreds if not thousands of pounds each year under Universal Credit. In total 900,000 single parent families will lose out when Universal Credit is in place. ... VIEW POST

Earn as you Shop

By

Earn as you shop, sounds a bit too good to be true. But wait, actually it exists. Kinds of ideal in a world were its just so much easier to shop online than wrestling children in and out of car seats and buggys. Not to mention umbrellas, wellies and all the stuff that goes with it. My two are way past the car seat and buggy stage but even I find it easier to switch the computer on instead of donning all weather gear. So what sort of deals are these internet cashback sites giving away? ... VIEW POST

How to teach your kids the value of money

By

One of the most important lessons we all have to learn in life is how to manage money properly - and the earlier, the better. Be honest: when was the first time you truly realised the value of money? Some of us have our parents to thank for a great financial education - but for others, it takes a few personal stumbles to get the hang of it. And some of us are still learning! ... VIEW POST

Benefit Cap

By

From April 2013 a limit will be put on the total amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to 64 can get. This is called a benefit cap. If you’re affected, your Housing Benefit will go down to make sure that the total amount of benefit you get isn’t more than the cap level. If you’re already getting benefits and could be affected by the cap you’ll be contacted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). They’ll let you know what will happen to your benefits. ... VIEW POST

What I Am Doing

By

In the back of Confessions of a Single Mum I am rather busy updating the benefit section. It’s well over due and New Year, new start and all that. There have been a few benefit changes and I learnt of two other benefits that parents with children might not be aware of, Care to Learn and Parents Learning Allowance. The new benefit section will be up shortly. But in the meantime here are the two benefits that I have learnt about. ... VIEW POST