WTC Childcare Allowances

gardenia101

I was hoping to use a childminder & claim some of the childcare back through WTC as my salary would be not much above NMW. I need before school care for 1 & after school for 2, & full days for holidays/TDDs that my own annual leave wouldn't cover.

One childminder wanted me to pay fof full days for both children for 52 weeks. While I can understand her wanting paid holidays (which I agree she should have) & how having my 2 would prevent her from having 2 kids all day (as she'd be over her numbers) I wonder what WTC would make of it. I don't really like the idea of claiming for hours when my kids arent actually there, being looked after - almost seems like fraud to me. Can I claim WTC childcare for the total amount I'm charged?

Another childminder couldn't pick up from the primary school so suggested I put him in a cab to be dropped off at hers. I'm assuming the cab fare wouldn't be covered, could someone else confirm please?

Apologies if these are stupid questions - I have no recent experience of claiming WTC & their "helpline" is forever engaged....

skibadee

Personally I wouldn't use either...you should only pay for the days your children would be with childminder......I can see where she's coming from in asking for full day payments...but if your children are school age I think she can still take approx 3 more shool age children...it would effect her being able to maybe take a baby as the ratio for those is different.

I certainly wouldn't be putting children in a taxi!!!!!!!!

Does school not offer before/after school club

gardenia101

skibadee wrote: »

Does school not offer before/after school club

Not during the school holidays sadly. I have 16 weeks of cover to find, 5 would have been from my annual leave, leaving 11 weeks (Kids at 2 different schools who couldn't possibly have the same 5 TDDs ).

I tried asking TC helpline who couldn't grasp the fact that I was asking what I "might" be able to get help with "if " I got the job. Was told to ring back when I knew what my childcare would cost... Doesn't matter now as I didn't get the job, but wondering what to do in the future should I ever be lucky enough to be offered one.

Has nobody else had a childminder request to be paid full time?

gardenia101

Bump - anyone any ideas please?

josie.d

Childcare help from tax credits is usually paid over 52 weeks, so if you only need childcare for school holidays, they would add the cost of care for each school holiday period together and then split their portion of help that they give down over 52 weeks instead of you only getting it during school holidays, unless you only needed it for the one school holiday period e.g christmas break, summer holiday etc. and then they will pay it when you need it.

Because they split payments over 52 weeks, then I personally would prefer a childminder who wanted to get paid over the 52 weeks to make it easier for me. I wonder if this is what the childminder meant?

Check with TC whether childminder holiday pay is included in the costs. They know that all childminders have time off through the year and it is agreed in the contract you sign. Shouldn't be a problem, but check anyway.

As a guideline, childminders in my area charge between £4.00 -£5.00 per hour, per child. Maybe you could use these figures as a guide to work out approximately how much it might cost before yo phone them, and explain that it is an estimated cost only as you don't know yet for sure exactly how much it will be.

LL30

Personally I'd find another childminder - that sounds crazy! My lo goes to nursery 2 days a week and I have to pay 51 weeks of the year (which isn't unusual and TCs did not query it). I have a childminder lined up if my SE work takes off (which it is ) and she charges per day (7am - 7pm) for kids that are with her all day, and then a morning cost for before school 'club' and an afternoon cost for after school 'club' - that seems to make more sense to me.

Child in a taxi!!! No thanks!

gardenia101

josie.d wrote: »

Because they split payments over 52 weeks, then I personally would prefer a childminder who wanted to get paid over the 52 weeks to make it easier for me. I wonder if this is what the childminder meant?

That would make life a lot easier, wouldn't it!

Thank you for explaining how it all works - I was thinking along the same lines, but what concerned me about this childminder was that she wanted to be paid for full days during term time (when both kids are at school) not just for the full days she would actually have them for during the holidays.

To me, this seems fradulent as I would be claiming for hours that I'd paid for, but that she'd not actually "earned" by looking after my kids for the hours they were at school.

As I didn't get the job it doesn't matter now, but I'd like to know what TC/people think just in case I ever get a job...

gardenia101

LL30 wrote: »

Personally I'd find another childminder - that sounds crazy! My lo goes to nursery 2 days a week and I have to pay 51 weeks of the year (which isn't unusual and TCs did not query it). I have a childminder lined up if my SE work takes off (which it is ) and she charges per day (7am - 7pm) for kids that are with her all day, and then a morning cost for before school 'club' and an afternoon cost for after school 'club' - that seems to make more sense to me.

Child in a taxi!!! No thanks!

Yes - I think she was trying to pull a fast one! Since checking up how many she is allowed to have (8 kids under 6) I realised she was actually at her maximum allowance.

So having my 2 extras would be OK from a registration POV, but she'd said having them would stop her having 2 younger kids full time, hence charging me for the full time places, which she wouldn't be allowed to do.

Quite a few parents do use taxis at my son's primary to get their kids to childminders - not sure I'd be too happy unless I knew the driver well.

josie.d

Good grief, I would report her! Hope you find another childminder soon who is much more reasonable and honest