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Universal credit-better off working less??

I read on this website that a household income of less than £40k could mean entitled to universal credit and thus 85% off nursery fees. Just looking to see if this is correct.

My partner earns £36k working full time. I earn £14.5k working 3 days/week. We have 2 young children at nursery 3 days/week, costing around £1000 a month after the tax free childcare discount. This leaves us with around £2k after childcare.

I have just used the benefits calculator on this website putting in my partner working just 3 days/week which would be 21.6k salary and me doing my 3 days and it said we would be entitled to universal credit. If we then got 85% off childcare costs we would be better off than if my partner was working full time without the universal credit. Surely this can't be right??

Anyone got any experience with this?

TIA

Comments

  • calcotti
    calcotti Posts: 15,696 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Have you in included the childcare costs in your calculation of UC with your wife working full time? I don’t think it’s a case of being able to claim UC and then being able to claim the childcare element, the childcare element is part of the calculation of UC entitlement.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Some rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 5,550 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Sounds doubtful.

    With your combined income, UC is not appropriate.

    Look into other childcare payment options. Government has a website Childcarechoices.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • airliner
    airliner Posts: 112 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Would your childcare costs not reduce if your partner was working fewer hours?
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