Help with child care costs

Teenie_D

Can anyone out there [;ease help me?
After returning to work part time my mum and dad looked after my little girl for us but my dad has taken ill and I have had to put her into a nursery 2 1/2 days a week. I thought we would get help with the cost as my husband and I both work over 16 hrs and our combined wage is less than £40,000, however I have jsut been told that we are not entitled to any help as the cut off point is £30,000, between us we earn just slightly under this. Can anyone explain exactly what the criteria is for receiving help?

thanx

[Deleted User]

You need to be on a much lower income to get help towards your childcare costs & both of you would need to work 16+ hours p/w.

You do realise that you answered your own question within the question itself!?

And do you earn £40,000 between you or just below £30,000? You have stated both.

Krasnoludek

I dont see why you wouldnt get any help, my husband and I have worked over 16 hrs with both our kids and we got help with both nursery costs at the time. In fact I was working 20 hours (just been made redundant) and they were helping with my daughters nursery costs.

We earnt about 27k a year between us and we have always got help so I think the person you spoke to may have misunderstood what you were saying. I know if you work under 16 hours you wont get help

Hope that helps

k x

lukieboy96

There are vouchers you can use to help with childcare costs (not the 3year old voucher) these are done through your company and you pay less tax or NI. Not totally clear but there is something else!!! Busy Bees are one lot. Maybe someone with more information can explain it clearer for me.!!!

I worked in a nursery and we had vouchers from various places!!

Sorry not clearer!!

lukieboy96

Busy Bees Childcare Vouchers are an employee benefit available to all eligible working parents. Childcare Vouchers are non-taxable and exempt from National Insurance contributions (NIC) for employees, whilst offering NIC savings for employers. Childcare Vouchers are the recognised payment method for registered child carers.
All eligible working parents with children aged up to 16, can benefit from Childcare Vouchers, provided their employer offers the Childcare Vouchers scheme. The scheme benefits both basic and higher rate tax-payers and offers savings of up to £2,392* per family, per year. Childcare Vouchers are not just for under 5s - they can be used to pay for all types of registered childcare for children aged up to 16, including childminders, nurseries, nannies, play schemes, crèches, before and after school clubs and even holiday schemes.


Just found this on a site!! There are other companies though

LizzieS_2

Krasnoludek wrote: »

I dont see why you wouldnt get any help, my husband and I have worked over 16 hrs with both our kids and we got help with both nursery costs at the time. In fact I was working 20 hours (just been made redundant) and they were helping with my daughters nursery costs.

We earnt about 27k a year between us and we have always got help so I think the person you spoke to may have misunderstood what you were saying. I know if you work under 16 hours you wont get help

Hope that helps

k x

Your situation is different to the OP's as you have 2 children - you have an extra child entitlement, less income and possibly higher child-care costs.

There is just one magical cut-off point for everyone - there's one for each possible situation.

In the OP's case their award would be around £6935pa (excluding chilcare), but the earnings reduction would be £9196 meaning they would only receive the family element of £545pa. They would only get help with childcare costs over and above £67pw (even then only 80% of those excess costs).

The voucher scheme seems the only possibility.

Teenie_D

subsoniccoyote wrote: »

You need to be on a much lower income to get help towards your childcare costs & both of you would need to work 16+ hours p/w.

You do realise that you answered your own question within the question itself!?

And do you earn £40,000 between you or just below £30,000? You have stated both.

As I have said between us we earn just below £30,000. The reason I mentioned that we earn under £40,000 is because on this website it states that to qualify for help you must, as a couple work 16hrs or over and earn £40,000 or under as a combined wage. That is why I was confused as to why we do not receive any help.

Teenie_D

lukieboy96 wrote: »

There are vouchers you can use to help with childcare costs (not the 3year old voucher) these are done through your company and you pay less tax or NI. Not totally clear but there is something else!!! Busy Bees are one lot. Maybe someone with more information can explain it clearer for me.!!!

I worked in a nursery and we had vouchers from various places!!

Sorry not clearer!!

Thanks for this. My husband and I both looked into the voucher scheme but unfortunately neither of our employers offer it. Will maybe work on my employer though-hey you never know it might work

cfnc

have just set up child care vouchers for a company i do bookkeeping for, it is worth mentioning to your employer as the get a reduction in PAYE too.,

Kirsty