What pisses me off is that Katie is good at art and crafts but that she is unlikely to ever be able to work in that field over here. She'll probably get pushed into some sheltered workshop to do "therapeutic" work for peanuts. No matter how they talk about equality of oportunity and employment for disabled people over here it only exists for a very few. Having a disabled member effectively disables the whole family.... it shouldn't be so.
They go on about all these child care initiatives that they are creating but although they are supposed to be for disabled kids as well, they just aren't suitable for kids like Katie i.e. a one to eight adult:child ratio and if a older child were to walk out of the building they won't stop them. I can get assistance with child care costs until shes 16 but what then? She's always going to need a carer if I'm not there, plus the few child minders available around here that I've approached have been unwilling to take her. BTW they charge the minimum wage rate/hr.
Most jobs around here that you can do part-time during school hours (agency) only pay the minimum wage rate £4.75/ hr and at 4.75 x 25hrs = £118.75 before tax and NI - I wouldn't earn enough to get off benefit but would earn enough to lose my Carer Allowance of £43.75/wk (if you take home more than £76/wk you lose it)which would mean we'd also lose the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit credits which reduces the rent and CT I would pay every week. Which is one of the reasons I have chosen to teach as the pay is much better, which means I could work fewer hours and be able to get out of the benefits trap. But actually I've always enjoyed teaching other people anyway and wanted to be a clinical nurse tutor before my nursing career ended.
But I still have to take the second part of the certificate which will be harder as I have to be teaching 20 hrs/wk - it doesn't say I have to be paid for that though so if I can find more voluntary work where I'm teaching that should be good enough. I'm considering teaching basic skills as well - English, Maths - anything to get me enough teaching time to do the course. There is also a PGCE through the Open University which I am investigating at the moment. They also recently brought in laws to allow parents more flexible working hours but I don't know how that will effect carers - if at all.
Until my marriage broke down I didn't have this problem, my ex and I shared the childcare between us. Up till the end of my degree in 2000 it wasn't so bad either because I didn't claim any income related benefits because I had a student loan and dependants grant besides Katie's disability benefits. But since then It's been one big pain in the ass. It's really frustrating being in this situation. The most frustrating part is that even other single mothers don't understand the barriers that I face.
I'm hoping that the situation will improve when Katie leaves school and goes into Adult Services - if the hours are longer then I will have more opportunity to work and support us myself. In the meantime if I can get a job teaching just a few hours a week for less that £76 take home pay I will still be getting the work experience and practicing my teaching skills until I can. The system seems to be designed to keep me at home caring for Katie, but I have a mind and I want more than that. I had a career before I had her and I want it back, I don't like being dependent!