childcare help

carlos700

I was paying £100 per week childcare then when my son turned 3 i then got the free hours so my childcare reduced to approx £50 per week i rang tax credits to tell them ,so now my tax credits have reduced .

I have just found out that the funding (12hrs free childcare )stops for approx 3 weeks over christmas so in these 3 weeks i will have to pay £100 which i will struggle to pay .

What should i do ? should i ring tax credits just before the childcare goes up but then i will have to phone them again 3 weeks later and say its reduced again will they think i am messing them around (i got a 4 week run just before it reduced im not sure whether i will get this again i dont want them to think im only ringing them for this ) but i know its only 3 weeks but that month will be december i will be really short of money .

Maybe i should have worked childcare out as an average but how do i do that OR should i do what i have mentioned above ?

[Deleted User]

You should work out the average costs you use over a 52 week period including holidays then divide the total amount by 52 to give your average weekly costs.

If the childcare costs change for a period of less than 4 weeks then TCO should not be altering the information held.

Working out the average over the year then providing this figure means that there is a change for 4 weeks or more.

Also note that TCO wont change your childcare costs if they change by less than £10 p/w - increase or decrease (unless they cease).