Returning to Work

After the excitement of bringing home their new baby, parents often find the prospect of returning to work or study daunting. As with the toddler-to-be,  those first tentative steps you make can also seem the most important. Perhaps the thought of going back seems overwhelming in an already time-precious lifestyle. Compare it to a giant step into the unknown.

You know hard work and effort will be required and are wary about how this will affect your life. But, there is a huge reservoir of support to help encourage mums and dads to re-educate or learn new skills. A good starting point is to get free, personalised advice from a government careers advisor, who will be able to assist you whether you’re trying to get a new job, a promotion or change your career completely. You can ring them on 0800 100 900. All calls are free, and lines are open seven days a week.

Type of work to consider - as a parent, there are many options available to you such as job-sharing, working term time, on a voluntary basis or part time work. Not only can this soften the transition back to business; it can also be  flexible, adapted to suit your lifestyle and that of the little newcomer. Self employment and working from home are other desirable options offering freedom and flexibility.

For more information you can contact Jobseeker Direct – a Jobcentre Plus service where you can search for and apply for jobs by telephone. The number to call is 0845 606 0234. Lone Parent New Deal—New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP) is a voluntary programme available to all lone parents who are not working, or who are working fewer than 16 hours per week. A personal adviser will help you and a suitable job and can calculate how much better off  you could be in a job. For more details go to www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk and follow the links to New Deal for Lone.

Parents

Seeking Childcare - searching for suitable childcare can be the most important factor for parents to consider when they return to work. Find out what’s available by calling the Childcare Information Service on 0800 2346346 or by visiting the Childcarelink website: www.childcarelink.gov.uk. This can point you towards local services and provide information on registered childcare.

Financial Help -  you may discover that, as you return to work,
you are entitled to  financial help towards childcare costs. Tax credits
are designed to provide payments of extra money to people who are
bringing up children. There are two types – Working Tax Credit (WTC)
and Child Tax Credit (CTC). You might be eligible for one or both.

What You Get - the amount you get is based on your circumstances at the time you make the claim, and on your previous year’s income. Tax credit claims run for a tax year (from 6th April to the following 5th April), and can only normally be backdated up to three months.

Working Tax Credit - working Tax Credit (WTC) is a payment designed to top up the earnings of working people on moderate or low incomes. There’s also a childcare element – an extra allowance for working families who spend money on approved childcare. This includes the use of a registered child minder, nursery or play scheme, an out-of-hours club on school premises run by a school or local authority or a childcare scheme run by an approved provider. You can claim up to 80 per cent of childcare costs up to £175 a week for one child and £300 a week for two or more children.

Child Tax Credit - Child Tax Credit (CTC) is a payment to support families with children. To claim this, you don’t have to be working and any payment made is in addition to child benefit payments. To be eligible, you must have at least one dependent child and a joint income of less than £58,000 a year (£66,000 if the child is below the age of one). You can find out more on tax  credits by visiting: www.direct.gov.uk/tax credits.

A RETURN TO STUDY

Learn for free - did you know many courses are free and there are lots of opportunities to learn online? To find out more go to www.dfes.gov.uk/get-on. Anyone can learn for free on the internet.

Learndirect also offers taster courses in literacy, numeracy and computer skills and the BBC website has free courses in computers and the internet,literacy, numeracy and languages. Go to www.learndirect.co.uk and www.bbc.co.uk/learning. Also, remember if you claim a benefit or rely on somebody else who claims one, you may get your fees for other courses paid, either in full or in part.

‘Aimhigher’ - taking time out from work to have a baby can provide you with the opportunity to re-think your career direction. You may wish to progress in your existing line of work or retrain in a new profession. Higher education can improve your career prospects and help you achieve your dream job. ‘Aimhigher’ is a national programme run by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in conjunction with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and exists to encourage people to consider higher education. Visit www.aimhigher.ac.uk for more information.

Written by Kirsty Woodgate