Working full time
Witchmand,
it was your second post that I was replying to where you stated you "wanted" to work part time that annoyed me, not the first. Also, your comment that working full time is easier than looking after a child. Working full time, many women have the stress of a full time job along with the stress of the child at evenings and weekends, and during the day whilst at work you are still fretting over the child, and watching the clock to make sure you do not get a fine picking the child up, so it is certainly not any easier working than being at home and it is unfair when women who do not work make these kind of comments.
Financially, my wages cover the creche €800 and the mortgage €600 and car repayments €144 and leaves me with €450 which is not a lot, although I appreciate it is better than your situation. but it is still tough going and difficult just to make ends meet after a month of very hard slog.
The problem seems to be the price of childcare and there is absolutely no tax relief available at all.
Also, there is little difference for some people between the basic wage and the social welfare which is another problem in itself.
It really would have been easier for me to "declare" myself an unmarried mother and get the benefits, etc, while still having my partner living there, but I would not go down that route and I feel the way the system is structured at the moment, it is too easy to take advantage of.
I am not saying for one moment that this is the case in your situation, but I know of many people who do this and it makes my blood boil
I hope it works out for you.