Claiming childcare whilst on Incapacity Benefit

Mips

Asking this for someone else.

She is on IB and struggling with her two children.

She would like to put her eldest into childcare a few mornings a week to enable her to have a rest.

Can she claim the Childcare Element of Working Tax Credits to help her pay this?

She is on full Benefits..

SuziQ

I wouldn't think so,from reading many posts on this subject. How old are they? Could her Health Visitor/social worker/church maybe organise some respite for her?
Hopefully someone 'in the know' will be along shortly!

mitchaa

Isn't there an in-work 16/30hr pw rule to qualify for this?

If not, whats stopping her claiming this and looking after her children herself and just pocketing the 'childcare' money? Open for abuse surely??

glossgal

If your friend's single and has been on Incapacity Benefit for more than 6 months then she isn't in work so obviously won't get help via working tax credit.

mitchaa

glossgal wrote: »

If your friend's single and has been on Incapacity Benefit for more than 6 months then she isn't in work so obviously won't get help via working tax credit.

Is childcare part of WTC or CTC though?

Obviously she would not get WorkingTaxCradit, but not sure if its actually part of the CTC award??

Mips

She just called them and they said that she is entitled to it as she is long term Incapacitated - receiving this Incapacity benefit for over 6 months or something.

So she will receive the Childcare element of Working Tax Credit.

What she didn't ask is - how much they will pay.

Is that different for people who work and people on Benefits? I am wondering if she will receive full Childcare costs.

EDIT: Apparently the Tax Credits said you are entitled even on Income support, and when she phoned the Benefits Agency afterwards, they said she was fine claiming Tax credits on her IB which is currently paid by Income Support.

I am shocked at this!!!

mitchaa

Dippychick wrote: »

She just called them and they said that she is entitled to it as she is long term Incapacitated - receiving this Incapacity benefit for over 6 months or something.

So she will receive the Childcare element of Working Tax Credit.

What she didn't ask is - how much they will pay.

Is that different for people who work and people on Benefits? I am wondering if she will receive full Childcare costs.

EDIT: Apparently the Tax Credits said you are entitled even on Income support, and when she phoned the Benefits Agency afterwards, they said she was fine claiming Tax credits on her IB which is currently paid by Income Support.

I am shocked at this!!!

Unbelievable that someone can claim childcare costs whilst being sat at home all day on IB :rolleyes:

The max you can claim for is 80% so she will still need to fork out that 20% from her own pocket.

Mips

mitchaa wrote: »

Unbelievable that someone can claim childcare costs whilst being sat at home all day on IB :rolleyes:

The max you can claim for is 80% so she will still need to fork out that 20% from her own pocket.

I can understand the Incapacity Benefit bit.

But INCOME SUPPORT????

Lunacy.

alison999

so i work for nothing really (alng with most people)? great. maybe i am better off leaving work

**edit - if you're geniunly (sp?) ill i can understand you not being able to look after your kids properly but just to get it paid for you just b/c you're on income support? i know ppl that are on i/s that do sweet f a all day. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

glossgal

..but she isn't going to get childcare costs if she has been on the sick for more than six months! (unless she has a partner who's still working). Childcare is ONLY through working tax credit and you aren't classed as being in work once a brief period of sickness has passed-she will only get child tax credit unless there's more info we don't know.

Mips

alison999 wrote: »

so i work for nothing really (alng with most people)? great. maybe i am better off leaving work

**edit - if you're geniunly (sp?) ill i can understand you not being able to look after your kids properly but just to get it paid for you just b/c you're on income support? i know ppl that are on i/s that do sweet f a all day. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I thought this to begin with, but then it does also benefit the little ones. It isn't their Mums fault she is on income support (we are talking genuine claimants here).

But then I suppose all children deserve a chance to go to Nursery a few hours a week