...sorry if this is in the wrong section dont know where to put it lol
i am not going to go back to work, but i have been on mat leave since 29 wks...do i HAVE to go back to work, and if i didnt would i have to pay back mat pay?
i really cant face going back, i didnt like the job before i went on mat leave, and always thought id go back, but as the time is getting nearer i really dont want to go back!!
i dont get on with a lot of ppl there just a few of the men (i get on better with men then women most of the time lol) as im a receptionist i work closely with the women and i dont have anything in common with them!! im a young mum and most of them are older with older teenagers etc.
the younger lasses are off out partying all the time and i just cant see myself fitting in anymore!!
ive tried calling work loads, but theres never any bosses in!!
my old boss now works at a diff place, and the new boos is someone ive never met!! the duty manager i was pretty close to, but his gf has just had a baby so hes on pat leave til end of month!! i know i am meant to be going back soon, but cant get in contact with anyone!! GRRR
any ideas on what i could do? and what i should say etc!!
also, i am worried about going on housing benefits...my rent is 495 pcm and i pay for that fully with no hb, all of my pay goes on to that now...but after my mat pay runs out i will be left with nothing, my OH gets about 600/700 pcm and we spend that on other bills and food each month...dont go on nights out v often at all either! we dont do much at all really lol so how do i go about getting hb without then being late for paying my rent :/ i am confused lol
could you tell lol

you would only pay back anything your employer paid you over the SMP rate? So did you get more than 6 weeks at 90% and then 39 (I think but check) at £123?

If you are worried about not being able to afford the bills/rent though maybe go back til you can make sure you are ok, and apply for HB etc?

could you not do what i did and just do 2 days , that way you'll probably get working tax credits as well and it might do you good to mix with people again. I don't know a lot about housing benefit, have you looked on entitledto.co.uk, that'll let you know what you'll get. x

I think it's just the extra pay that your employer pays you (if they paid extra) that you may have to pay back! Some employers don't ask for it back though.

I don't know much about benefits but I'm certain your oh and you would be entitled to wtc and some housing benefits.

I hope you get it sorted!

Pinky has a good point about going back a couple of days per week. Some of ladies I work with just work enough hours so that they're entitled to wtc plus they do enjoy the social aspect of working. I really enjoy my 3 days at work and I like the thought that I'm earning a bit towards our bills.

i am only contracted to casual shifts so would work holidays/sick...but i live about 30-45mins away on the bus and if they rang me to cover a sick day it would have to be on a day when my OH is off or my mum is off...both of them work diff shifts each wk...no certain shifts, so wouldnt be able to say "oh, i could work a tues" etc.
i could do holiday shifts, but the same stands for that too...i could only work 1/2n days at the most each week, as again, mum and OH work diff shifts each wk.

hmmm i think i got 6 wks at 90% then the rest smp...but im not certain :/ couldnt afford to pay back money that we couldnt afford.
we get wtc...of 43p a week!! whoop lol
we've applied for hb before but they turned us down...even though all my pay is taken up by rent :/ strange :/
i s'pose i could go back or be kept on their books, but i think i would have to go back for a few days solid to do training etc...cant remember how to do anything, and theres new classes etc.
eurgh! im so scared its unbelieveable! fair enough if we'd kept in touch, but i havent heard off anybody since benjamin was 4 weeks old
what should i do about contacting them? i have even txt my friend and asked him to ask the other duty manager to contact me on saturday...lucky me, its the one who is grumpy and doesnt like me lol

OMG hun I'm so shocked that you don't get any help with your rent! Do you get any with your council tax?

I've had to look into housing benifit recently and my income is just about what you and OH have combined and they would give me about £500 a month!!!!!! That has really shocked me

Dont know where you work, could you not contact he payroll or personnel direct. I used to work in goldsmiths and anything money hours wise you went straight over the head of your local management and went to head office, esp if no ones ever there

yeah lisag... it shocked us all too, but apparently with OH wages we wouldnt get any other help. nope my OH pays 130 a month council tax with no help whatsoever either!!! this is why we're always skint lol sometimes i save up my child tax credits over a few weeks so i can buy benjamin something new i always thought id atleast get a hand with my rent :/ im gonna go up next week and have a good ol complain to them lol

i work at a leisure centre, i used to work 21.25 hrs a week (5 days a week, working 4. (odd hrs) a day...i would much prefer not to go back, but if i have to i have to.

i dont know if i will ever want another child or not, and if i dont have another child, i dont want to regret going back to work and missing out on his first word/steps etc...i know its silly, but thats just me lol im a softy lol i cried the other day when we put benjamin in a stroller and he sat there like a big boy lol

such a plonker haha

On that combined wages here you'd get help with council tax and get some hb...we had a leaflet through when we moved in 2 years ago and the limit for here was £16k...which was a no no for us as me alone was on £18k...but for sure you should get something!

hmmm it might be different depending on pay rates etc. i got paid 7.93 an hr and that is a very good pay p/h for up here!! my OH just got a payrise to 6.11 before xmas!! it sucks!!
yeah i deffo think we're owed some help!!! i dont like to complain, because i like to think im paying for my way etc...but...theres a point when it gets too much and you NEED help!

just worried about how long it'll take to sort out as i literally only have this month pay left and then no money in my bank account to pay rent...and then, when the rent tries to be paid it'll be returned and the bank will charge us £20 eurgh! i hate money! it does nothing but make me mad!

Are you Sefton Council?

Ive just quickly put the figures in that you mentioned and it says you arent entitled to Housing benefit

I dont get it - why would it be so different to to other places!

LisaGandAmelia wrote:

OMG hun I'm so shocked that you don't get any help with your rent! Do you get any with your council tax?

I've had to look into housing benifit recently and my income is just about what you and OH have combined and they would give me about £500 a month!!!!!! That has really shocked me

really lisa iv been into my local council office to speak to a financial assistance person, they did an estimate of what wtc and hb i should get ect with a wage of £550pcm...im not entitled to any help with rent or council tax whatso ever aparentley im still sending off the forms to double check, dut aparentley im not x

sorry didnt mean to post hijack lol. hope you get something sorted to suit you all hun xx

its ok i dont mind gemz
i totally think its to do with where u r in the country, no im with derwentside council (load of *$%£ crap! lol sorry for the language-but they are!!)

just have to get what i can...and i WILL have to have rent paid for, for a while, as i wont be going back to work fulltime again for a long time, if ever! so i cant pay rent with something i havent got :/

bloody money

i may be wrong but i don't think its got to do with which council you're with. CBA do free drop in sessions at surestart, pop along and they'll help you work out what you're entitled to.

gemzandboys wrote:

LisaGandAmelia wrote:

OMG hun I'm so shocked that you don't get any help with your rent! Do you get any with your council tax?

I've had to look into housing benifit recently and my income is just about what you and OH have combined and they would give me about £500 a month!!!!!! That has really shocked me

really lisa iv been into my local council office to speak to a financial assistance person, they did an estimate of what wtc and hb i should get ect with a wage of £550pcm...im not entitled to any help with rent or council tax whatso ever aparentley im still sending off the forms to double check, dut aparentley im not x

sorry didnt mean to post hijack lol. hope you get something sorted to suit you all hun xx

OMG hun, that's madness!!!!! It must be due to the rules set by different councils. My figures were slightly out as I wasn't working from accurate figures but they won't have been far wrong. I work 19 hrs a week, get free private medical insurance (taxable benefit) and pay £42/week for childcare. How many hours a week do you work?

17.5, but i dont pay any child care, maybe that has a lot to do with it then x

But still hun that's awful! Have you looked at councils nearby to where you live to see if they are any better? Could you rent somewhere in an area with better housing benefit?

Same question to Loulou too!

tbh hun, i wouldnt want to move away, i like leo's school and im near family. i could look into getting a mutual exchange into the village where my dad lives...but im sure that village will be swallowed up by the ground one day not a nice place...if you fart the neighbours know befor you do.
i cant believe the difference in councils, id have thought it would be a national set amount x

yeah same gemsz ...its terrible that it isnt a set amount :/ strange!!

i wouldnt want to move...ive moved 3 times in the last 3 yrs, and tbh i love this home...its got a huge living room, a garage, 3 bedrooms, with a nursery room joint onto our bedroom its lovely

just have to see what they say when i apply again after im not working...then they'll HAVE to pay some of my rent atleast!!

if not, i'll be out within a few months :'(

just see what happens...

xxxx