Student Childcare

pink_phantom · 17 June 2006 at 9:51AM

:think: My friend needs needs help. She was worked for 2 years to complete an access course. The problem is that she handed the forms in to the finance company for help with childcare etc for starting university in September. :eek: She was then told that she will get no help with childcare at all because her husbands earnings are £18k pa. She is distraught because they only just get by on that wage at the moment and she will have to travel for 3 hours a day to get to the university which will cost around £70 a week. The childcare costs will be a minimum of £150pw. The student loans will only give her the basic award which works out as £128 pw which won't even cover the childcare alone. SHe has been told that her husbands earnings must make up the shortfall.

They do not live an excessive life and she has worked very hard to complete the access course over 2 years only to be told 3 months before she is due to start that she cannot get her childcare paid for:mad: . This is a huge blow for her as she was lead to believe that she would get some help. She wasn't expecting to get all of it paid but at least some of it.

They do not have a mortgage and so cannot count their rent as " necessary income"!!! If they had a mortgage then this would be taken off her hsbands wages as an outgoing when making the calculations.

Does anybody know the cut off limit to get any help with childcare or is there any other places she could try to get help?

pink_phantom · 17 June 2006 at 3:29PM

anyone? Please?

SamMoffatt28 · 17 June 2006 at 3:47PM

The Uni may be able to pay some of it out of the access to learning fund. I'd get in touch with them and ask what they can do.Speak to someone in student services. Also, if she hasnt already thought of it, make sure she applies for 25% reduction in council tax as students do not have to pay it. Hope this helps.

mad_bad_spender · 18 June 2006 at 7:17PM

Cant she try the childrens tax credit or working families tax credit for help with childcare?

pink_phantom · 18 June 2006 at 7:39PM

UNfortuantely she can't because both parents must be working to claim childcare.xx

SamMoffatt28 · 20 June 2006 at 5:31PM

pink_phantom wrote:

UNfortuantely she can't because both parents must be working to claim childcare.xx

Yeah I had this argument with them, apparently if I went to work its because I need to, but if I go to Uni its because I want to. Figure that out?? They dont realise that if I go to Uni I can get a better job and save them £££'s in tax credits in years to come ??

pink_phantom · 20 June 2006 at 5:43PM

SamMoffatt28 wrote:

Yeah I had this argument with them, apparently if I went to work its because I need to, but if I go to Uni its because I want to. Figure that out?? They dont realise that if I go to Uni I can get a better job and save them £££'s in tax credits in years to come ??

Not to mention contributing loasds more tax and NI.!

SamMoffatt28 · 20 June 2006 at 6:12PM

pink_phantom wrote:

Not to mention contributing loasds more tax and NI.!

True! Its a crazy world we live in ....

[Deleted User] · 20 June 2006 at 7:14PM

Hi
Has she contacted the local education authority? they should be able to organise reduced rate childcare.

My friend and I are on the access course presently I have an extra year to do but she is getting help through LEA also the uni should have a bursary for reduced rates.

Nicci

Spendless · 20 June 2006 at 7:32PM

How old is the child? There is non-means tested, available to all funding for upto 12.5 hours a week so many weeks a year for children term after their 3rd bithday

pink_phantom · 20 June 2006 at 9:09PM

There are 2. One is 3 and would need full time childcare and the other is 9 so would be in an after school club. Could you tell me where I can get more info on this please?x