Gran being paid for childcare?

Gingham_Ribbon

Does anyone know what the situation is with claiming childcare costs if it's a relative looking after the child?

Situation is 3 and a half year old currently in preschool 2 and a half hours Mon to Fri and babysat by gran on a fairly regular basis, but childcare will be needed fulltime very shortly. Gran can pick up child from preschool and look after her the rest of the day.

Can mum claim the 5 hours a day if gran is looking after her or does she need to be a qualified childminder? Mum is unlikely to be on much more than minimum wage for the first few months and gran would need to give up her part time job to do this so she will need to be paid so without help this might not be an option. But the alternative may mean having to go on benefits. Or is anyone in a similar position who can offer some advice, please?

This is for a good friend who's going through a seperation and is trying to do what is best for her child. Dad may be able to look after the child one day through the week depending on work. Any info on tax credits or other help she may be entitled to while working would be helpful too. She'll be looking in on the thread but may be too shy to post! :beer:

TheWaltons_3

No, Gran would have to have a Registration number, which you quote to the Tax Credits. And perhaps even then, as it's family, she may not be allowed ? (Not 100% sure on that score)

Gingham_Ribbon

That doesn't make sense as surely granny would usually be the best person to look after a child?

TheWaltons_3

Gingham_Ribbon wrote: »

That doesn't make sense as surely granny would usually be the best person to look after a child?

Of course, would be much better... sad isn't it?

Smashing

You can't claim for the costs of childcare if a relative is caring for your child in your own home, so if your mum is looking after them at her home then she can.

Gingham_Ribbon

It would be in gran's home.

izoomzoom

Phone tax credits, and ask, that way you will know for sure.

TheWaltons_3

Smashing wrote: »

You can't claim for the costs of childcare if a relative is caring for your child in your own home, so if your mum is looking after them at her home then she can.

Wow... are you sure?

Wouldn't Gran have to do some kind of course to get a registration number?

Smashing

Right, the more I look into this, the more the advice seems to differ according to who you go by - no wonder people get confused!
Best call up to get it from the horses mouth in this case I think.

TheWaltons_3

What do you mean by 'registered' or 'approved' childcare?

The childcare must be provided by one of the following:

• Registered childminders, nurseries and playschemes.
• Out-of-hours clubs run by a school on the school premises or by a local authority.
• Childcare schemes run by approved providers, for example, an out-of-school-hours scheme.
• A provider approved under a Ministry of Defence accreditation scheme abroad.
• An approved foster carer. (The care must be for a child who is not a foster carer's foster child.)
• In England only, a childcarer approved under the Childcare Approval Scheme. (If you use a sitter service, then give us the details of the sitter you use most frequently. You do not have to notify us of all the sitters you use, as long as they are approved. However, you should keep details of all the sitters you use for your own records.)
• In England and Wales only, childcare provided in your own home by a domiciliary worker or nurse from a registered agency.
• In Scotland only, childcare provided in your own home by (or introduced through) childcare agencies, including sitter services and nanny agencies, which are required to be registered.
• In Northern Ireland only, childcare provided in the child's own home by a childcarer approved under the Approval of Home Child Care Providers Scheme.

Childcare will not be eligible care for help within the Working Tax Credit childcare element if it is provided by

• a relative of a child caring for that child in the child's home even if the relative is registered or approved, or
• a childcarer approved under the Childcare Approval Scheme in England, who is caring for a child, or children, away from the child's, or children's, home and who is only caring for a child, or children, to whom he or she is related.
• A relative of the child means a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother or sister whether by blood, half-blood, marriage or affinity. If you have any questions about the meaning of 'relative', please telephone the Tax Credits Helpline.

A registered childminder, nursery, childcare scheme or agency is one that is registered

• in England, by Ofsted or the National Care Standards Commission
• in Wales, by the National Assembly for Wales (through the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales)
• in Scotland, by the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care, and
• in Northern Ireland, by a Health and Social Services Trust.

BernadetteN

Gran needs to be a registered childminder / approved childcarer AND look after non relative children at the same time to qualify. It gets around the following :

a childcarer approved under the Childcare Approval Scheme in England, who is caring for a child, or children, away from the child's, or children's, home and who is only caring for a child, or children, to whom he or she is related.

I would guess that these conditions are there so that people don't all claim that "gran" or "aunty" is looking after children when they are not. Otherwise, everyone on WTC/CTC who are eligible for childcare costs would be trying to claim the maximum levels by using their relatives.