Yes, when I first returned to work after DD2, it was a temp role. I had a massive spreadsheet set out to see if it was worth it, comparing income FTB, childcare fees etc. Basically I had to save most of what I earnt, as I needed it to top up the reduce the FTB for the rest of the year. I work in the area of finance, so I was able to work out the figures, but it would be a struggle for many other parents. How many do some work, advise of the increase annual income and then have to handle a drop in FTB, who have not prepped for it? Probably too many.

There is so much interplay, one thing goes does, but another goes up, then something else goes down. I suppose it could be argued that a family should not rely on these benefits, but the reality is that families do.
I agree - I could have probably worked it out but really the going back to work was more about needing to go back at some point and if I left it much longer I would need to change career, if I didn't have them in childcare at all I had worked out we could just about afford it (with some family monetary backup if required) - but I couldn't see how that would work long term once the kids were in school. Maybe I should have worked it out anyway because then it would have been less of a shock to me - but who knows really. I certainly might have set myself different deadlines about when I needed to find a job by, because if it had taken longer it wouldn't have been as expensive as thought due to way benefits work for tax year.

Anyway is by the by now - hopefully this contract will get me something more permanent which was the point of it really and I won't be faced with trying to balance between a period of not working then working again next tax year.

I am so surprised about how little people are concerned by cost of childcare - the figures cookiedoctor put up are the same as what the rates are round here too, but as have asked a few people what they think the annual cost of 5 days a week childcare is and they have all said around the $15000 for two kids (without any deductions) which is quite different from the reality - maybe that is why people are so ambivalent about it. It is a vicious circle though, because the more women who are working the more employers will provide flexibility and it become common in the workplace, the easier it will be to find the right type of job - so I think the cost of childcare also impacts on the availability of the types of jobs people want also.