Childminding & Benefits

justanothermuppet_2

Hi everyone, I'm hoping you'll be able to help me out with an upcoming situation.

I am currently on Maternity Leave from work and will be going back full time in a couple of months, so will be needing childcare.

My mum has said she will look after my son, but I will have to pay her what I would pay a childminder, as she is currently on Income Support as a lone parent, but my little brother is reaching that age where the government wants her to go back to work.

I have checked with the NCMA and she doesn't need to be regstered to look after him (as he is a close relative) but I am wondering if she needs to be registered for benefits purposes?

I know that childminders get special allowances when claiming benefits, as 2/3rds of their income is classed as expenses, but I don't know if you need to be a Registered Childminder...

So, I guess my question is: Do you need to be a registered childminder in order to receive the special allowance when claiming benefits like Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit?

TIA

jam

Hapless_2

Will you be claiming tax credits for childcare? If so then you will need to send them to a registered nursery/childminder.

justanothermuppet_2

No, I earn just over the threshold for receiving help with childcare, so she doesn't need to be registered for that...it really is just for when she claims her benefits.

I sure there wouldn't be any problems with her becoming registered, there's just no point if she doesn't need to be.

jam

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi

I think she would need to be registered if she is going to work and be claiming rebates as a child minder. She will also be counted as self-employed and registered with IR and paying NI contributions. If she is earning over the allowed amount for benefits then this money will be counted as income and taken off the applicable benefit.

PP
xx

Scarlett1

justanothermuppet you mum will have to declare the money that you give her for childminding, she wont be able to get out of attending back to work interviews claiming she looks after her grandchild, I think if you are to do this then do it properly and get her to register as a childminder then she can take on other children.

Hapless_2

I have to agree with scarlett over the back to work interviews. OH aunt has to attend them and she is a Foster Carer and only fosters babies. Her youngest daughter is coming up 12, the babies do not count.

lil_me

I think the NMCAs helpline would be a good start to find out what you would like to know, for definate. I believe the allowances are available to registered child minders working in their own home, but you would need to check this is correct.

When your mother declares herself self employed she may be still entitled to some help from Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit but that would depend on hours worked, payment received etc.

Back to work interviews are being recommended for all now, those in Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Carers Allowance etc etc, so I think that regardless of if you employ your mother or not she will most likely in the next year be requested to attend an interview.

justanothermuppet_2

I think a few people might have got the wrong idea about what we are doing. We are not trying to scam the benefits system. We are, in fact, trying to get my mum off the majority of the benefits that she's on.She already works part time and gets most of that deducted from her benefits.

Scarlett1 wrote: »

justanothermuppet you mum will have to declare the money that you give her for childminding, she wont be able to get out of attending back to work interviews claiming she looks after her grandchild, I think if you are to do this then do it properly and get her to register as a childminder then she can take on other children.

She's not trying to 'get out' of attending interviews. She will be working, as a Self-Employed childminder, and will be paying Tax and NI contributions, but as I've said in my previous post, to start off with, she will just be looking after my son and therefore doesn't need to be registered. There's quite a lot involved in becoming registered, so I'm trying to find out if she actually needs to in order to receive the special allowances that are afforded to childminders with regards to benefits.

lil_me wrote:

I believe the allowances are available to registered child minders working in their own home, but you would need to check this is correct.

The allowances are definitely available to registered childminders, but the 'entitled to' website just asks if you 'work as a childminder in your own home' not just if you work as a registered childminder. The NCMA said she didn't have to be a registered childminder (as it's a close relative) and couldn't answer any questions on benefits, as it's nothing to do with them.

lil_me wrote:

When your mother declares herself self employed she may be still entitled to some help from Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit but that would depend on hours worked, payment received etc.

This is what she would be applying for, which is why her lone parent advisor told us to find about the allowances...

lil_me wrote:

Back to work interviews are being recommended for all now, those in Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Carers Allowance etc etc, so I think that regardless of if you employ your mother or not she will most likely in the next year be requested to attend an interview.

Can I ask why she would have to attend a Back to work Interview if she is working as a childminder? The only benefits she would be receiving are Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, and Working Tax Credit

Hapless wrote:

I have to agree with scarlett over the back to work interviews. OH aunt has to attend them and she is a Foster Carer and only fosters babies. Her youngest daughter is coming up 12, the babies do not count.

Hi Hapless, she won't actually be acting as a carer though, she'll be working as a childminder, albeit not registered.

A person can be a non-registered childminder, providing they are only looking after close-relatives and looking after no more than 2 children.

Perhaps it would be easiest if there is a childminder on here who receives Housing or Council Tax benefit...if there is, do you have to give your registration number when you fill in your benefits application forms?

Thanks

jam

Scarlett1

It is actually worth registering and doing it the proper way as where benefits are concerned only one third of the money earned is counted as income for means tested benefits.

Scarlett1

justanothermuppet wrote: »

I think a few people might have got the wrong idea about what we are doing. We are not trying to scam the benefits system. We are, in fact, trying to get my mum off the majority of the benefits that she's on.She already works part time and gets most of that deducted from her benefits.


She's not trying to 'get out' of attending interviews. She will be working, as a Self-Employed childminder, and will be paying Tax and NI contributions, but as I've said in my previous post, to start off with, she will just be looking after my son and therefore doesn't need to be registered. There's quite a lot involved in becoming registered, so I'm trying to find out if she actually needs to in order to receive the special allowances that are afforded to childminders with regards to benefits.


The allowances are definitely available to registered childminders, but the 'entitled to' website just asks if you 'work as a childminder in your own home' not just if you work as a registered childminder. The NCMA said she didn't have to be a registered childminder (as it's a close relative) and couldn't answer any questions on benefits, as it's nothing to do with them.


This is what she would be applying for, which is why her lone parent advisor told us to find about the allowances...


Can I ask why she would have to attend a Back to work Interview if she is working as a childminder? The only benefits she would be receiving are Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, and Working Tax Credit


Hi Hapless, she won't actually be acting as a carer though, she'll be working as a childminder, albeit not registered.

A person can be a non-registered childminder, providing they are only looking after close-relatives and looking after no more than 2 children.

Perhaps it would be easiest if there is a childminder on here who receives Housing or Council Tax benefit...if there is, do you have to give your registration number when you fill in your benefits application forms?

Thanks

jam

she will need to be registered to be able to keep 2/3 of the income without it reducing her benefit, although if she is on IS at £59 and works part time then what you give her will most probably take her over the limit and cancel it out anyways, is there a problem why she cant register ?

justanothermuppet_2

Scarlett1 wrote: »

It is actually worth registering and doing it the proper way as where benefits are concerned only one third of the money earned is counted as income for means tested benefits.

That's the question I was trying to find the answer to!!

Thank you, so she definitely needs to be registered in order to get the special allowances then.

As I said before, there's no problem in becoming a registered childminder, but why bother if she didn't need to?

jam