in home care

I know this has been done before but the search function isn't working for me.

 

I am thinking possibly of taking up in home care, partly as an income for me and to help us out.

 

Anyone that is doing in home care through any company can you please tell me the benefits, I remember reading on here that you get benefits such as phone line etc.

 

Can you start the training before working? Or do you have to sign up with them first?

 

Reason I am thinking of doing it is if we do buy a house (probably a long shot) I am wondering if it will benefit us at all. Would it bring in much of an income and affect what we can get through winz, and working for family or would it actually be worthwhile and give us a leg up?

 

TIA for any information people can give.

I did it years ago and it was considered a reimbursement for expenses rather than a wage which is how they can get around minimum wage and how you can avoid paying tax. Its also good for single parents on the DPB because it is considered a reimbursement not an income so doesn't reduce your benefit. This means you can't then claim your power, phone, mileage etc as you are already claiming for expenses. It may have changed though. If this is still the case then it shouldn't affect working for families and other entitlements. But you may not be able to use it as income when applying for a mortgage. It will come down to the bank though.

I loved it. I had other children for DD to play with, got lots of ideas and resources as well as training paid for by the company that I worked through. I could head off to the beach for the day with a bunch of kids and get paid for it, much more 'freedom' than having a part time job. And no childcare costs either. If DD was sick I alerted the parents and let it be their call whether they still sent their child. I was straight up that we would not be going to playgroup and would be having a lazy day watching TV.

There are drawbacks, like parents not being reliable with their times or not providing food so you end up feeding their child. Sometimes you get a child you just don't gel with or that doesn't settle into your household, I terminated those arrangements to be fair to everyone. You also end up with more wear and tear on your home so it isn't ideal if you have just invested in white carpet or an expensive new lounge suite.

You need to do stuff with the kids, you can't plonk them in front of TV everyday and watch the soaps. So it is a bit more hassle getting out the door to places with a bunch of kids in tow. A lot of caregivers just set things up at home though.

Edited by jaz