Confusion over ‘part-timers’

I half-listened to an episode of Money Box yesterday, on part-timers.  What a total guddle.  Even if I had given it my full attention as the very experienced and articulate panel explained points of tax and benefit to people who work in all kinds of untidy formats - several contracts with the same employer, repeated contracts, zero hours etc - I would have been a long long way from grasping how the system works. The relief and gratitude from some of those who had phoned and got answers to their specific problems were palpable.  They had clearly experienced frustration  in the face of an overwhelmingly complex set of 'rules'.  Just one…
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Sandwiched

Another good report from the ippr, this time on older women and their caring responsibilities - the Sandwich Generation. The report is full of useful information, some of it quite eye-popping even to someone like me who thought they had look at demographic trends.  A notable example is that in less than 5 years the number of elderly people needing care will exceed the numbers of working-age people in families.  The proportion of grandparents with some kind of caring role is 70% - many of them still working, but some who have given up work to care. Not surprisingly, it is mainly less-qualified older women in lower-paid occupations who give up…
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Confusion over ‘part-timers’

I half-listened to an episode of Money Box yesterday, on part-timers.  What a total guddle.  Even if I had given it my full attention as the very experienced and articulate panel explained points of tax and benefit to people who work in all kinds of untidy formats - several contracts with the same employer, repeated contracts, zero hours etc - I would have been a long long way from grasping how the system works. The relief and gratitude from some of those who had phoned and got answers to their specific problems were palpable.  They had clearly experienced frustration  in the face of an overwhelmingly complex set of 'rules'.  Just one…
Read More

Sandwiched

Another good report from the ippr, this time on older women and their caring responsibilities - the Sandwich Generation. The report is full of useful information, some of it quite eye-popping even to someone like me who thought they had look at demographic trends.  A notable example is that in less than 5 years the number of elderly people needing care will exceed the numbers of working-age people in families.  The proportion of grandparents with some kind of caring role is 70% - many of them still working, but some who have given up work to care. Not surprisingly, it is mainly less-qualified older women in lower-paid occupations who give up…
Read More