Childcare element.............?

lukemed1

How do you apply for this? is it a case of just ringing them up? how long does it take to process? also, how do I find out if the nursery we've chosen is Local Authority approved?

cheers

Luke

lukemed1

Anyone???????????/

Seashells

You can do it all over the phone, ring the tax credits helpline number and tell them the details.

Ask the childcare provider if they are registered, or you could look them up on the ofsted website and see if they are registered with ofsted and their ofsted number is the number you need to give to tax credits. They also need their address and full postcode.

I found all the details I needed on the internet for mine.

sylv1

Seashells wrote: »

You can do it all over the phone, ring the tax credits helpline number and tell them the details.

Ask the childcare provider if they are registered, or you could look them up on the ofsted website and see if they are registered with ofsted and their ofsted number is the number you need to give to tax credits. They also need their address and full postcode.

I found all the details I needed on the internet for mine.

This is great advice, but having owned a nursery , i think people need to know that the tax credit office send nurserys' a list every year of the people who have claimed childcare tax credits, and we have to sign these to say the amount of money that we charge these families.... Every year I got these forms I always had at least 2 forms for people who had never used our nursery...they had just got the name and address and ofsted registration number from the internet.
So please make sure you put the correct amount you are paying for nursery or childminders down....some nurserys' have extra costs for food, outings etc which cant be claimed as your child tax credit.
If your Nursery Manager is approachable then ask them for a full breakdown of your charges throughout the year....then you are sure you are telling the tax credits office exactly the same as the nursery/childminder will tell them.

Seashells

That's terrible Slyv. Did you let the Tax Credits office know about the list of people that never even sent their children to your nursery? Do you think anything gets done about it, or do they just get away with it?

[Deleted User]

They dont get away with it if they are caught - and it is getting easier to catch them.

The childcare is removed from their claim and they are made to pay it back.

In some cases the claimants are prosecuted due to the amount they have fraudulently received.

sylv1

Yes, always phoned and filled in the form stating that the child/ren had never been to the nursery, and as subsoniccoyote stated they have to repay it but only if they are caught...also had the scam where the child arrives and starts at the nursery for one month only, then never return, and again a form arrives stating that the child has been at your nursery for the last year...Nope it hasnt....but is an easy way for some people to get extra money....I think that the best way would be for the tax credit office to pay the childcare supplement direct to the nursery/childminder...it may be a bit more paperwork for the Nursery Management, and tax credit office, but in the long run would stop some of the scams.