the value of stay-at-home parents
Here's an interesting Family Court case. A married couple split up and a judge orders a 50/50 split of the assets. Fair enough. They`re rich, they get $4.5 million each. But the wife is not happy, she's a stay at home mum, apparently by choice because her kids were at school, and wants 70 percent of the assets on the basis that her potential earnings have been halted because she stayed at home. Judge says she gets just 50 percent as she could have gone to work once the kids went to school.
Decisions over future earnings of the non-earning partner are made to compensate for loss of future earnings, so they won't be out of pocket after a relationship split. One wonders if this decision would have been any different had the partner been earning $40,000 and the assets were less than $300,000? Would it have been a 50/50 split, if the stay-at-home mum had the potential to earn as much as her partner?
The judge's ruling indicates that the value of a stay-at -home parenting diminishes once the kids start school. When the kids go to school, staying at home becomes a lifestyle option, rather than a career choice.
Yet this woman will be eligible for the Domestic Purposes Benefit if she does not go to work, and a training incentive allowance worth thousands if she wants to study on the DPB.
She can't be compensated by her former partner for loss of future earnings because the courts say so, but she can be compensated for her loss of future income in some small way by the taxpayer.
If partners can't be compensated for future earnings because their kids are at school, why doesn't the entitlement to the DPB stop when a beneficiary's kids are at school, as the reason a benefit is collected is because the beneficiary is unemployed, not because the person is staying home to look after the kids. It then becomes a lifestyle option.
THan's because a mum on the DPB whose kids are at school can choose to go to work just as much as a woman who has a rich partner. They are just as unemployed as each other and are both choosing not to work.The difference is that one is choosing to stay home on her partners income, and not work, the other is choosing to stay on the DPB, rather than work. The latter should be on the unemployment benefit, not the higher DPB, and be made to look for work, and worktested if they are not doing so.
1 comment:
Having been in full time mamagement, and a solo mum all at once..something has got to give..it is an impossible task to run a household, raise children and hold down a full time job alone.
Imagine for one moment trying to organise five children to get to school, showered, teeth brushed with lunches and clean clothes and homework done, and having to be at work at 8am when the kids start school at nine. Then working a full day to arrive home exhausted from work at five to do washing, ironing, prepare dinner, vacuum, tidy rooms, attend to homework, take children to sports activites, get wood in for the fire, arrange baths, tend to the garden,etc etc and try and have some fun and quality time.. and doing this under huge stress and pressure, on a minimum of sleep- cos there is so much to fit into a day.
Solo mums have a hell of a job raising kids alone and unsupported. There is no time out. And who suffers??
My children suffered hugely whilst I was a working Mum. I was constantly tired and stressed and just simply could not do everything.
But society put me under huge pressure to work.. when I already had a full time job caring for house and home and my children, irrespective of them being at school.
I survived, unfortunately my family didn't. My older son hates me because of the pressure he was put under through me having to go to work. My family criticised me because my house was not always tidy- without helping me at all, and society jumped on me because one of my sons behaviour deteriorated with me not being at home.
I wish society would stop bashing solo Mums and get behind them with love and support, because for every solo Mum sent out to work, there is a child missing out on parental love (when already deprived of the other parent) and also missing out on quality of life at home.
And where does society demand that the fathers take responsibility?No, instead all is put on the mothers shoulders. Give solo Mums a break.
Post a Comment