TLDR - I like my boss and feel major guilt about handing in my notice, despite knowing deep down that I'm being taken advantage of.

I job share a care/PA role with my Mum. I'm good at my job, and I really enjoy it. I get on very well with my client, the nature of care work means I learnt alot of the more rather private and intimate aspects of her life very quickly, and so I naturally find myself sharing too. We chat, we giggle, have a friendly bond....it's lovely.

I'll try not to make this too long...in a nutshell, my client gets rather limited funding. I've said many, many times she could apply for (and would most definitely get) more hours for care. This isn't the first care role I've had, I know how it works. I was promised for the last 9 months or so that the hours would increase by xmas at the latest, and so I would be able to afford to live - happy days! Unfortunately, this hasn't happened as she hasn't applied for more hours. My Mum can afford to work for 50/50 paid/free so isn't too worried, but I can't. I'm a single parent with 2 kids, have pets, a car...I need to look for work elsewhere. I could easily do that, were it not my being expected to work unpaid. I'm paid to do 3 & a half hours a day, but usually end up working closer to 6.

I had a rather nasty falling out with my Mum xmas day just gone, it ended in a physical fight. My Mum has BPD, lost her shit, and got in my face shouting, calling me an ungrateful retarded bitch etc. I had a meltdown, and tried to walk away, but she wouldn't leave me alone and it escalated very quickly. I haven't seen her since. That was the last straw, and I don't feel comfortable job sharing/communicating via text anymore.

I know my mum can't do the job alone, and that it will cause our client alot of upset and stress when I hand in my notice. I know I shouldn't feel guilty, I'm losing sleep over the stress of trying to just keep a roof over our head, feed my kids etc. And yet.....I can't find the strength to do what's right for me. I'm so overwhelmed, I have had professional help in the past but can't afford to go private again, and have had a very difficult, unhelpful time with the NHS before now.

I don't even know if anyone will have any advice.....I guess I'm mostly just getting it all off my chest and trying to process my thoughts.