Thread: Role Reversal Pitfalls

Hi All,

Am looking for some sound advice and, having read these boards, figure this is the place to get it. Will try to be brief.....

My husband and I have two children (aged 3 & 5), he works at Heathrow as a full time senior supervisor and it's a well paid role but leaves little family time. I work part-time for a major supermarket and, between the two of us, we never have a day off together. When he comes in, I go out, and it's been like this since the children were born. This, naturally, causes considerable strain on both of us and probably isn't doing the children much good either, since we can be pretty snappy with them too as we're just not happy. In fact, I don't think it's an overstatement to say that we're both a little depressed.

The crux of the matter is, I have an opportunity to transfer to a store in Devon (our long held dream) and move to full time (spread over 4 nights which will still give me 3 days off each week), this will naturally involve DH becoming the main carer for the children and finding a part-time job which will fit around mine. He's worked long and hard since their birth and really wants to be able to spend some time with them, instead of being out before they're up and back after they've gone to bed.

In theory all of this is great, however, we would be earning considerably less. So I'm wondering if we'd be penalised for reversing our roles by DWP / HMRC? At present, we receive £500 per year child tax credit and no working tax as we don't use childminders and, I suspect, there would be an issue about JSA for DH as he would be leaving his job.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

I guess what I'm asking is, to go from gross £36K per annum, to £20K (with negotiations with creditors) are we going to be hammered as it's voluntary? Any heads up would be great.