Self Employed and receiving Tax credit nursery help!

Nick1969

Hi Im currently working as a self employed gardener.
I work over 16 hours so I can claim for childcare help.
This worked out great over the summer as the money was rolling in BUT now the gardening is coming to an end Im struggling to find enough hours to make 16.
BUT if you give up your nursery place they are hard to come by.

Ive started to do other odd jobs,but what happens with the Nursery Fees if its school holidays and I cant work because of my other children? or if the children are off school ill and I cant work? do I need to declare that I didnt work that week? as I still have to pay nursery fees whether my child is in or not.

PLUS I would like one more baby but being self employed I dont know if Im entitled to any help,I dont currently earn enough to pay any stamp or tax, Im earning £96 per week.

I hope this makes sense as Im currently in a dilemma,
Many thanks
Nicky

fairylights_2

Nicky

I can't answer all your questions, but as far as help with more babies goes, you should start paying your NI contributions. It's not a vast amount each week but it entitles you to maternity allowance, which is a fair whack when you claim it. Also if you're getting above a certain amount of tax credit you might also be entitled to the sure start maternity grant too ... not sure what the sums are on that though.

Good luck with the rest of it, though!

Becles

I'm self employed and my work hours vary. I'm full time during the school term but work less or no hours when my children are on school holidays or off sick.

Every week I jot down how many hours I've worked, then I work out the average weekly hours for the tax credits. They're happy with that figure.

If also pay Class 2 NI stamps towards my furture pension and any benefits I may claim. It works out around £2 a week.

Spendless

I would get this checked out somewhere like CAB or Maternity Alliance. I don't know if these rules apply to self-employed but you can get MA if you have worked 26 weeks out of the 66 weeks before baby is due and earned at least £30 a week for those weeks (don't have to be consecutive weeks). This is what I was entitled to with my youngest and I didn't earn enough to pay NI. However I was an employee. Re the 16 hours work for your tax credits. Again get it checked out but I am under the impression that you can count anything towards your work eg you spend a few hours designing leaflets this can count and so on.

Becles

Definitely count anything work related for "hours worked".

As well as actually doing the job, I include time spent keeping my accounts up to date, time spent walking to the Post Office and back, time spent route planning etc.

Nick1969

How much is Maternity Allowance if you pay Class 2 contributions? I have been sent a form to fill in.

What would happen though if I was pregnant I couldnt work doing my gardening. So would I have to close the business? as I wouldnt be able to work for 9 months?

I also work for my husbands business the odd hour and like you all say I do find paperwork,phonecalls jobs etc to do,but its only a small business.(Landscape Gardener)

Its a hard balance to keep your nursery place open so you can work. I sometimes wonder how to work out the best option to work? and have nursery fees or to claim JSA? or similar.Although then I wouldnt be able to claim nursery fees and all employers presume you have childcare set up!
Its a big circle isnt it?

Becles

Details on Maternity Allowance here:
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/cms.asp?Page=/Home/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/498

I'm not sure how it works if you can't work at all in your business during the pregnancy. I understand you won't be able to do heavy gardening work, but you keep it ticking over by taking on jobs with only light duties? Or employ someone casual to do the heavy work? Just a suggestion!

fairylights_2

I think you can't work at all (which is fine so long as you're not going to lose business as a result) whilst you're claiming mat allowance. I think also you get six months worth, although you'd have to check - I claimed four months worth. I thought I'd have to send in lots of paperwork to claim, but because I'd been paying my class 2s I just got it automatically. I think it was just over £100 a week, which was a real relief.

CIS

You can find the rules on maternity allowance here:

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/cms.asp?Page=/Home/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/498

Maximum is £106 or 90% of average wages, whichever is lower

Nick1969

You are all being so helpful,I wanted to go self employed after I was made redundant at work.My ex boss was so cruel to you if your child was ill. I still dread that feeling of what if one of my children is ill? at least if I work on a casual basis I I dont have that feeling of letting anyone down.
I want to work so I do gardening,but I have an 18 months old ,I knew this point would come when things starting slowing down.I can earn £10 ph.I am also a nursery nurse those wages are alot lower for a much more demanding job.£6ph
To say Im rather anxious now is an understatement.
I have my daughter in nursery 2.5 days it costs £75 per week.I get £107 tax credits towards it.
Any wages I get are extra.But Im not finding it easy to get when I restricted with the set days I am free to work.
If I didnt work at all Id get £50 tax credits.
I just dont know if I should take her out of nursery until next spring?or put her in nursery for 1 day and pay out of my own money.So maybe I can get some agency work.Meanwhile I have no work.Its killing me,my brains going to explode.

Please help me work out this mess,my husband is earning £9700 per year and I have an 11 year old child.
What do I do??? Could I get JSA if my husbands income is this much? there again Im not really available due to childcare am i?

love Nick

Sarahsaver

You would only get 50 tax credits if you didnt work but then you would not be paying out for childcare.
Get a BIG sheet of paper and work out you income and outgoings as you are (employed) and then do a 'virtual' one as a stop at home mum and see how it works out. I have to keep redoing mine because things keep changing so much.
Have you seen an advisor at the benefits agency, they will tell you whether you ar ebetter off working or not.
Above all you need to feel happy in whatever you do x