Working on DBP

And it is only temporary, most people want to get ahead financially and job wise, which means going to work.
Once children are kindy/school age there isn't really any excuse not to do something to bring in some extra $$s. I expect Dh to support his children but not me as well.

oops meant to say , if money is too tight then once bub number two is in school (or kindy even ) i'll go back , even just part time , i dont like the work side of work (would prefer it if it was called Lie on sun lounger listening to music and working on tan ) but i DO enjoy making money
Even more than that , i enjoy SPENDING money , im really good at that

Ok, so I've read the first two pages and the last two pages - I knew I should have opened this thread earlier!

Nikki, I really enjoyed that article you linked to at the start and agree with it - if this policy results in such a massive change to workplaces, making them more family friendly in general then that is awesome and everyone will benefit from it.

I also agree with what Rach said before, except I would amend that to make FAMILIES more valued (in whatever form each family takes), because there are a lot of grandparents and dads and aunts and uncles out there doing amazing jobs with kids too.

Now for the DPB/student loan/govt. assistance issue. I'm of two minds on this. My mum was on the DPB in the eighties when things were made a lot harder for single parents due to government policy (can't remember exactly what happened, just remember my mum being really stressed). She had two kids and no support and was also working part time in an orchard and cleaning to make ends meet. Then she went back to study full time and got her nursing degree when I was 12 and my brother was 10. While studying full time, she also took a night job at a rest home because we were still struggling with whatever benefits she recieved at the time. For the life of me, I have no idea how she did it - working all night, looking after us kids and studying during the day and very rarely getting a break. She wouldn't have made it without the financial help from the government. And she sure as hell didn't slack off before she started studying.
As soon as she graduated she had a job and hasn't stopped working since. However, during those early years there was no way she could have put any savings away and now I realise she's going to struggle a bit when she stops working because she's way behind in any type of retirement savings...so the ramifications of that time keep coming back to affect her life. We will help her as much as possible, of course.

On the flip side, DH earns a good salary and we are lucky that I can stay home with the girls at this stage and we can live without having to worry too much about groceries, bills etc. We definitely won't be 'getting ahead' any time soon, but I figure that goes with the territory when you have young kids, it's a sacrifice we chose to make. It will be hard when I go back to work and if I wanted to do some further study there isn't any assistance available for us, which I guess does seem a bit unfair, but I'm not sure that is really relevant to the DPB - seems more like an issue of how the student loan/allowance scheme is set up.

I don't like how much we are taxed at the moment, I'd like to see some tax breaks for families with one parent at home - Ginger's early post about splitting the income for evaluation purposes is something I really agree with. But I'm also happy that some of my money is going to help single parents and families that need it. I know first hand how bl**dy tough it is and while I'd like to see some relief for two-parent families who need it for study etc. I don't think it should be at the expense of those on the DPB who need it. There will always be those taking advantage of the system but that doesn't mean we should throw the whole thing in and punish those that need it too.

Whew! Novel! Sorry if this is just rehashing stuff that's been discussed already.



Edited by Mazzy

Well said Rach

i think its more aimed at the ones who are on the DPB and stick their kids in daycare so they can go spend their dpb money on alcohol/ drugs and going out on the weekends!
i have a friend who did this, basicly a job would cut into her social life


also
with working for families tax credits single mums are actually better off working 20hrs a week, STILL getting the childcare subsidy and you can still get a accomodation suppliment & in work tax credits.

Rach I think it requires a complete change in societies way of thinking and being.

As my 65 year old Dad said when PPL was introduced why should women get paid just cause they've had a baby, its that attitude that need to change, he's old school. But there are more like him and they're in govt.

Helen Clark may have her faults, but she's done more for women and families in the last 9 years, than any previous government, and I'm not sure John Key is as sympathetic.

Just cause he was raised by a beneficiary, doesn't mean he gets to make rules for the rest.

I would love to see a universal family allowance / also a student one, why should these sectors of society be left out, when the unemployed and the sick get help.
Raising a family and/or being a student to me is working.

Sorry for the novel.

Just had to add - when the heck did I become so right wing?    DH has obviously been influencing me!

James...

I think it was because there are far more people that stay on the DPB longterm and they figure that stating Mums should go to work/study when the child is at school .. is not too harsh (as they arent saying abandon your child before the child is school aged), but shows the voting public that National will "address" the issue.

We have the lowest unemployment in the history of our lil country so the "numbers" dont cause enough sensationalism in the media to warrant going after them.

I believe benefits are there to help people get back on their feet, after the youngest child turns 6 what excuse is there not to get a job there are lots of people to manage to work and have children.

With student loans I read someone mentioned, this is just a temp help because it is paid back, benefits arent.