Childcare nursery fees

alextufnall

Hi there everyone

I have a 2yo daughter (3 in April) who is at nursery. We're paying £670 per month for full time. My partner is in full time training to be a teacher - no income - and I lost my job last year through redundancy. I'm doing bits of temping and also trying to retrain which means I need to be flexible about my availability and can't take her out. And anyway, she's happy there and has been there for nearly two years now and I don't want to take her out.

We were receiving help with the fees through a learning trust grant, (which is already reflected in the cost), and have been told it's going to stop. I know she'll be eligible for the 12.5 hours free childcare per week after she turns three, but does anyone know when that will come into effect?

And apart from tax credits, does anyone know where I can get help with the fees until it does? I tried my local learning trust but they didn't seem to know.

Thanks:hello:

DaisyFlower

The government funding starts the term after your child turns three so not as soon as they turn three. Its also term time only.

Childcare assistance is only paid by tax credits if you work over a certain number of hours per week so if you are both at uni/college most of the time you wont qualify.

Could your hubby not finish his training first and you work and then you return to studies after he obtains employment?

Choosing to both return to studies will obviously impact on your finances greatly.

narabanekeater

its the start of the term after her 3rd birthday im sure for the funding but I know nothing about tax credits

alwaysonthego_2

would he not get a childcare grant through student loans?

alextufnall

We applied for the childcare grant and got it, but now they've written to us to say we should never have got it, and they're going to take it back. Thanks for the response about when the government funding. I guess I'll have to wait til August then.

will probably have to put my retraining on hold until everything gets a bit easier.

Thanks for all advice

pandora205

I think the 12.5 hours is shortly due to increase (at least in this area). I'll see if I can find some more about it.

I've checked and it seems it is to increase to 15 hours by 2010 (over a minimum of 3 days).

KellyWelly

I expect they are taking the childcare grant back because it's intended for people who don't have an income and don't have a partner? You'd probably be better off not working at all and reducing her hours in nursery (if you don't want to take her out altogether) and claiming child tax credits. The other thing you could do is get a permanent part time job that fitted around your OH's hours? Otherwise you could wait until OH has finished and then go back to college yourself? I don't think you could get tax credits to pay for the nursery fees because they are intended for people in work and you are a part time student, part time temp (as I understand it?) afaik tax credits are hard to work out and apply for if you are in temp work?

Also if your daughter is 3 in April you will only get funding for the 12.5 hours a week starting after the May half term - so for approximately 9 weeks or so until the end of the school year.

KellyWelly

another thing I didn't think of - what about the hardship funding at your oh's college/uni?

alwaysonthego_2

KellyWelly wrote: »

I expect they are taking the childcare grant back because it's intended for people who don't have an income and don't have a partner?

.

no anyone can claim the childcare grant but it is means tested depending on the household income,

The op can not claim both the childcare grant and child care element of tax credits, this is why she may not be entitled.

busy_mom_2

Your fees seem very high is there another nursery you could look at? my first daughter who is now 10 went to a privately owned nursery and back then I was paying over £400 for 4 full days, my 4 year old son has been going to a sure start nursery since he was 9 mnths, i now pay £220 for 4 full days with the grant. I can honestly say i have been so much happier with this nursery than my last. The staff are still the same as when he started and they are all level 3 qualified and and all the trainees they have are on top of there normal ratio of staff. The nursey is not out to make a profit all money at the end of the year goes back into buying equipment for the children, not paying for somenone pension or cruise. I will be very sad when he leaves this year as he has been very happy there and I have no faults at all with his care.

Janepig

KellyWelly wrote: »

I expect they are taking the childcare grant back because it's intended for people who don't have an income and don't have a partner? You'd probably be better off not working at all and reducing her hours in nursery (if you don't want to take her out altogether) and claiming child tax credits. The other thing you could do is get a permanent part time job that fitted around your OH's hours? Otherwise you could wait until OH has finished and then go back to college yourself? I don't think you could get tax credits to pay for the nursery fees because they are intended for people in work and you are a part time student, part time temp (as I understand it?) afaik tax credits are hard to work out and apply for if you are in temp work?

Also if your daughter is 3 in April you will only get funding for the 12.5 hours a week starting after the May half term - so for approximately 9 weeks or so until the end of the school year.

Is that correct? I assumed it would be the September as school term starts tend to be September, January and after Easter. Which is probably why my DD never got the funding because she was 3 at the end of April and would have become eligible in the September by which time she was in full-time school anyway.

OP it may be worth checking with your local authority because I read recently that some are offering the 12 hours funding from age 2.

Jxx