Childcare help on Tax credits

Shamish

My wife and I are about to start a uni course in September and it's looking like we'll get no help with childcare unfornately. The uni doesn't help because you get a higher than normal bursary and a local charity that we usually get help with for childcare will as from this year only be helping single parents

We've got little choices from friends and family. We were thinking of trying to get working tax credits and then hopfully the childcare element of this. We would be unable to hold down a part time job 16 hours a week while juggling 3 kids, a uni course and home life but were thinking of doing a self employed job like Avon or Betterware. Does anybody know how this works if your self employed? I was going to do some voluntary work for my Dad 16 hours a week but have found out it needs to be paid so thinking of doing Avon or Betterware and then we can work say 20 hours one week if we're not so busy and 5-6 hours the week after if we are busy.

Anybody able to help let me know if they've claimed this for being self employed and is it paid if you work an average of 16 hours a week or does it only get paid if you work 16 and above every week?

Thanks

sjaypink

i believe you can only get help with childcare if you both work (because if only one of you is working the other has the childcare responsibilties). or did you mean you would both work 16 hours each?

barbie_babe

What courses are you both taking.

sjaypink

yep from what i gather you either both need to work over 16hrs each or one of you work more than 16hours if the other is disabled/ incapacitated. i dont know if there are special rules with you being at uni. you would need to ring up tc to find out. i dont think it matters whether you are employed or self employed in order to qualify........
sorry not much help!

barbie_babe

If you are on NHS busary. They pay your childcare. I am a student nurse and all my friends get their childcare payed by the NHS. You will both need to be students and you wont have to work. This also works if one of you dosnt start your course and takes full time work.

Nicifer_noonoo

Are you both at University full time? If so, you should get a childcare grant which pays up to 80% of your childcare costs.

You're in the same situation as I am, except I'm single.

Shamish

sjaypink wrote: »

i believe you can only get help with childcare if you both work (because if only one of you is working the other has the childcare responsibilties). or did you mean you would both work 16 hours each?

Thanks

Yeah i mean both of us working 16 hours doing a betterware job and both of us doing it self employed

Shamish

barbie_babe wrote: »

What courses are you both taking.

I am doing a Mental Health Nursing degree and my wife is doing Adult Nursing Degree

Shamish

sjaypink wrote: »

yep from what i gather you either both need to work over 16hrs each or one of you work more than 16hours if the other is disabled/ incapacitated. i dont know if there are special rules with you being at uni. you would need to ring up tc to find out. i dont think it matters whether you are employed or self employed in order to qualify........
sorry not much help!

Thanks hopfully there is special rules i shall look try and give them a ring on Tuesday

Shamish

barbie_babe wrote: »

If you are on NHS busary. They pay your childcare. I am a student nurse and all my friends get their childcare payed by the NHS. You will both need to be students and you wont have to work. This also works if one of you dosnt start your course and takes full time work.

Unfornately i forgot to mention it's in Scotland and SAAS only give £1050 towards registered childcare for the year and i've been told we'll probably not qualify for this as we're not lone parents

Shamish

Nicifer_noonoo wrote: »

Are you both at University full time? If so, you should get a childcare grant which pays up to 80% of your childcare costs.

You're in the same situation as I am, except I'm single.

Yeah both full time no part time unfornately or one of us would do that option There is a flexible pathway meaning you miss out placements during the holidays but we'd still need childcare anyway

Unfornately SAAS in Scotland dont pay 80% of your childcare