Forum home Family life & relationships Childcare & work

Child care costs

How many of u qualify for help with child care costs?? sorry if it seems im being a bit nosey here but im very confused, im due back in March and the nurseries i have looked at average on about 37 a day and i want to go back for three full days. I know i wont be able to afford to go back if i dont recieve any help with the huge costs and i have heard that 9 out of 10 couples in UK recieve help but my OH is self employed so his wages go up and down so we can never give them an exact figure. Its so complicated. Also- what forms of childcare do u use? i have to put LO is a day nursery and she will be 7 an half months. Do ur LO's enjoy it?

Hannah xx

Replies

  • I thought the working tax credits were based on last years earings so even thoguh your oh's salary fluxuated it shoul dbe based on his P60 formt he last financial year. Next year then you submit this years & they will adjust it accordingly.
  • I am getting our accountant to work ours out as we are both self employed so we are yet to find out if we qualify.
    It is based on the last tax year of profit i think. It is a bit unfair as what the business make sis not what we actually take home but so be it, if you are a limited company you are better off as it is then based on your wage (i think thats right but i do get confused about it all).
  • hi hannah, my sons were both about 10 months old when they started at day nursery. my eldest took a few weeks to settle in properly which i was told is completely normal and once he was used to it he absolutley loved it and would get really excited if i said we were going to nursery! back then he was there for 2 afternoons and one full day a week. he stopped going when i went on mat leave for my second child and when he started nursery again at 3yrs and 2 months, he took ages to settle in and cried everytime i dropped him off for about 2 months but my other son who was 10 months was fine from the beginning!! even now, he's 19 months and he's only cried once when i've dropped him off and that was when he was teething badly!! they are there for 2 full days a week now.
    i think it's best to start them at nursery young (maybe 6-12 months) because they are not as aware of what is really happening so they probably won't be as upset as they would if they were older. also, it's good for them to mix with other children and also be a bit independent from you
    i do get help with childcare costs but i am a single mum and don't have any other income but as everyone else said, the tax credits are based on last years earnings but i think they could adjust it month to month if you needed them to and you provided proof of earnings each months, give them a call and see what they can do for you
  • Hi, i'm going back to work in March and i spoke to the inland revenue and they said we qualify for help works out that we will only have to find about ??45 a week instead of ??555 a month. Just give them a ring and see what they said. Don't forgot to say you are on maternity leave at the mo so your wages are different.
  • It is really a shame that childcare has become so expensive. What is really bad is that it is almost as cost effective to stay home with your children than to send them to a daycare center. .

  • i get 17 quid a week from tax credits towards my childcare but that will stop when i stop paying childcare. OH has a really well paid job so I dont think it would be right if they were throwing money at me - we still struggle I guess you live to your means butbyeah I get no help whatsoever even tho am being made redundant in 3 weeks x

  • One of the biggest expenses that a father or mother has to face is for child care. Child care costs are rampantly growing and in some areas, eclipse expenses like rent or a mortgage payment.

Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions