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Confessions of a Single Mum

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

Save Money via Your Fridge

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Had the following sent to my from E.On and thought it useful so passing it on. The UK could save £95.8 million every year by adjusting fridge and freezer temperatures by just two degrees, according to leading energy supplier, E.ON.  Many people mistakenly keep fridges and freezers as cold as possible assuming that it is better for their food, especially in the summer months.  However it means that households could be missing out on energy savings and it can spoil food. ... VIEW POST

Going Self Employed as a Single Mum

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It used to be the argument should a mum go back to work. Now it seems the argument is how can a mum return to work. In the current work and economic climate, it's not that easy. Add into the mix being a single parent and it can be a nightmare so could go self-employed be the answer for a single mum? I worked full time for many years and just the process of getting out the house in the morning was nearly a full day's work. Having two children they were at one point at different schools, at ... VIEW POST

Benefit Changes that will affect New Parents

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The government are making cuts to a several key grants and other welfare entitlements for new parents. Including Health in Pregnancy Grant Sure Start Maternity Grant Baby element of Child Tax Credits Toddler element of Child Tax Credit Child Trust Fund For some this can be a worth up to £1735 over a pregnancy and the child's first year. These loses aren't being offset by other benefits so there loss of money will be felt. ... VIEW POST

Tax Credit Changes from April 2011

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The emergency budget on 22 June set out several substantial changes to the tax credit system. Some are straightforward; others less so. Below, are those changes coming in from April 2011 under the following headings, explaining what each means and who might be affected: Increases in rates and thresholds Withdrawal rates Family element withdrawal rate The baby element Older workers Disregards ... VIEW POST

Proposed Changes to CSA

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[box type="info"] There has been an update to the proposed changes to the CSA, basically they are going ahead. To find out more try the interactive post on Gingerbread. [/box]   Letters are being sent out to single parents in Britain telling them about the changes. Talking about the csa is never a fun conversation piece and especially now it's causing a storm with new change proposals. Over at 2starsandaswirl there is a post about her campaign to stop the proposed changes. Please ... VIEW POST

Job Centres – Lone Parent Advisor Error

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Being on income support as I was working under 16 hours and my youngest now ten, I was called into the Job Centre to update my details. The recent changes mean I can no longer be on income support, but this was no hardship as my work is getting busier and can now switch to being over 16hours a week. ... VIEW POST