Child Care

sdb1

Hi, Wondering if anyone out there could offer any advice on this subject.

I am currently not in work at the moment, I left my night job, working 8-8, 44 hours a week, due to complications and troubles it was having on my partners day job and childcare.
My old job were not willing to help with hours or even give me a shift pattern, some weeks they would have me one on one off one on one off, the next could be two on one off three on, the next completely different. (thats another story but due to the bad working hours it was effecting everything else)
I have been looking after my daughter while my partner goes to work, as usual, but working a little more then before, her job pays more and the overtime pays loads more then mine ever did, so her being the one going to work while i stayed at home made perfect sense.
Our daughter is 2 and a half now and it is time (probably over due) for her to go to nursery.

As im not working and we have a joing claim, we are not able to claim tax credits to help with nursery fees. I would like her to go to nursery so I can go back to work now.

Obviously on one main income we cannot afford to pay out the £340 a month on nursery, as my partner works shifts, we only need our daughter to go nursery certain times of the week, and have worked out times where we both can work and not clash.

Is there any help or schemes I can look into, to help get nursery fees paid?

The lady I spoke to at the tax office said the only thing I can do is work 16+ hours a week or sign on. Now I dont sign on and havent since i left my job, but I need childcare so I can go to work, but cant get childcare help unless I am in work. :mad:

any help, will be appreciated, thank you

brians_daughter

If you aren't both working you will not get nursery assistance. The best plan around this is to research what local nurseries have spaces whilst job searching and put child on (any) waiting list once you have found a job you already have a suitable childcare provider that they can go to. In the meantime if you feel they would benefit from a nursery environment then make use of any parent/toddler groups etc where you attend with them but the child is encouraged to play with the other children who attend.

Once your lo turns 3 s/he will be entitled to 15 hours of nursery provision - this is open to all children, its not means tested etc.

The 15 hours starts the term after the 3rd birthday, ie if your child is 3 before September the 15 hours may start in September, if they are 3 between September and Christmas it will start in January.

It is your responsibility to find a provider who offers the funded 15 hours, you wont be allocated a school/nursery until you apply.

As for the shift patterns you may struggle a little with a nursery but a childminder may be more flexible, however a cm doesn't come into the 15 hours funded education provision..

flutterby_lil

brians_daughter wrote: »

As for the shift patterns you may struggle a little with a nursery but a childminder may be more flexible, however a cm doesn't come into the 15 hours funded education provision..

You are actually incorrect, if a childminder is accredited they can offer the 15 hours free education. If they aren't accredited then they can't.

sdb1

thanks for the reply. My daughter was on a waiting list for the nursery she can go to now, when I first applied, we looked into the new 15 hours early learning scheme which we got told about by the nursery, we were entitled to it then, then when i logged in to look into it again, somehow it says that we are not allowed.
What I am thinking to do now is either pay out the first month out my own pocket, then that gives me the time to sort my working hours and job out, as i am in a position where I am thinking to either be self employed or take on another job, (i have made another post asking on advice on the self employment)
but obviously i wouldn't want to do that then another month passes and i have to pay out the full amount, because obviously i wouldn't be able to afford that.
Our other option is childcare vouchers, my girlfriends work offers the scheme, but I only read about this this morning, so do not know the ins and outs of it. so need to do some research into this.

Paully232000

Not sure if you know this but the 15 hours free per week is only available for 38 weeks of the year, term time and for the other weeks in the year you have to pay the full costs.

Also, definitely get childcare vouchers if you or your partners work offer them. Saves you the tax on the amount you pay out to nursery (well some of it anyway up to (i think) £55/week salary sacrifice.

brians_daughter

flutterby_lil wrote: »

You are actually incorrect, if a childminder is accredited they can offer the 15 hours free education. If they aren't accredited then they can't.

Thanks for this. I rang 8 cm (all council accredited) in my area and all said they couldn't provide the funded hours, that was the main reason we chose a nursery rather than cm from the start of the childcare process.

brians_daughter

Paully232000 wrote: »

Also, definitely get childcare vouchers if you or your partners work offer them. Saves you the tax on the amount you pay out to nursery (well some of it anyway up to (i think) £55/week salary sacrifice.

If they will be eligible for assistance via tax credits towards childcare fees they may be worse off using the childcare voucher scheme. HMRC themselves are warning that from April last year very few 'average income families' will be better off using salary sacrifice ..now they do not say what an 'average income' is in their eyes so its worth doing the sums

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/vouchers-tc-results.htm

Paully232000

brians_daughter wrote: »

If they will be eligible for assistance via tax credits towards childcare fees they may be worse off using the childcare voucher scheme. HMRC themselves are warning that from April last year very few 'average income families' will be better off using salary sacrifice ..now they do not say what an 'average income' is in their eyes so its worth doing the sums

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/vouchers-tc-results.htm

Thanks for the information i didnt realise that. Just going from personal experience.

Icequeen99

brians_daughter wrote: »

If they will be eligible for assistance via tax credits towards childcare fees they may be worse off using the childcare voucher scheme. HMRC themselves are warning that from April last year very few 'average income families' will be better off using salary sacrifice ..now they do not say what an 'average income' is in their eyes so its worth doing the sums

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/vouchers-tc-results.htm

Where on that page does it say that HMRC are warning people? Is it on that page or a different one? Would be useful to see the reference.

IQ