People with kids.

jellyhead

i'd say the same as spendless. as far as i'm aware you can't get tax credits towards childcare unless you are both working and at a salary of over 32 (it would be over that if your wife was working too) i doubt you'd get anything anyway even if your childcare bill was enormous. when i worked last year we couldn't get any help towards childcare, our joint salary was 26. you can play around by putting different amounts in on the entitledto website http://www.entitledto.co.uk/

you are entitled to the family element of tax credits, everyone earning less than around 50,000 gets it, it should be around £10 a week. if you're not already claiming it you should, £10 a week might pay for a couple of sessions in nursery for your youngest depending on the type of nursery/playgroup and how expensive it is. i explained tax credits to a woman at work last month, she had no idea that she would be entitled to it because she thought her husbands wages would mean they wouldn't get any help with anything, apart from the child benefit. she's now getting her claim backdated although i don't know how far they backdate.

when your little one is around 3 she'll be entitled to some free sessions in nursery and if you're going to spend £50 a week on childcare costs the nursery vouchers already mentioned might be worth looking into.

Spendless

jellyhead wrote:

I explained tax credits to a woman at work last month, she had no idea that she would be entitled to it because she thought her husbands wages would mean they wouldn't get any help with anything, apart from the child benefit. she's now getting her claim backdated although i don't know how far they backdate.

They will backdate for 3 months, so if the OP isn't claiming tax credits either he could also have his claim backdated for 3 months.

jellyhead

3 months is better than nothing i suppose, the woman at work could have started claiming as soon as her hubby stopped getting the extra bit on his tax code but at least she knows about it now so will have a bit extra in future, her boy is only 8. it's surprising how many people don't realise they're entitled to the family element though.

Turning_into_scrooge

32k, nice I wish :rolleyes: but i'm sure you as all others do work hard for your money

Thats usually the salary of a police officer who is a seargant (sp) and has been serving approx 14 years, useless info. Sorry i cant help but i would go with the church nurserys, far cheaper and just as good

Bun

I agree entirely that benefits should go to the poorer cases first and that the tax allocation between couples needs sorting asap. However, I thought this was a moneysaving site for everybody? Like many of us, the OP pays NI and tax which go towards this benefit system, and was making a polite enquiry to try and do what this site promotes. Unclaimed benefits don't get redistributed to anybody else- the government keeps it (unless I'm mistaken) so why the animosity for trying to find out about the little bit of help you are legitimately entitled to?
Glad somebody was able to help.