Tax credits/childcare costs nightmare

[MyGhastIsFlabbered]

Can I just have a quick moan...I don't expect solutions or assistance.

Since the summer holidays began I've upped my hours at work but this means my childcare costs have also increased. I'm a single parent and rely heavily on tax credits. I'm also in quite a low paid job (not quite minimum wage but not much higher).

You can only change your tax credits 7 days in advance of any changes so I could only update things last week. But it can take up to 4 weeks for the changes to update.

My childcare provider has always invoiced in arrears but a couple of weeks ago they announced they were changing policy and required payment in advance.

So now I'm in the position where I've got a huge childcare bill to pay and basically until my tax credits change I've no means to pay it. I've messaged my childcare provider to ask if I can pay weekly this month but I've no idea if they'll say yes.

So can I just whinge about how crap the government is with regards to tax credits?

That is a very rubbish system. Totally get the need for a moan, poor you! Did they say yes?

Yes they've said I can either pay weekly (if they can work out how to use their new online system) or they'll let me pay at the end of the month. Trouble with that is that I'll end up having to pay 2 months at once so I'm no better off. But at least they're willing to help sort it.

It gets worse with Universal Credit. Save so you are ready for it.

I was just going to say the same about Universal credit , it could be worse !!

I'm having a similar issue with student finance and the way they support childcare at the moment. They have set up a new portal for childcare payments this year which makes it 'easier' than paying the money (85% of total) to me and then me paying the money in full to my childcare provider (hint: it's easier for them as no paperwork, but not for my childcare or for me). Childcare provider need payment a month in advance to secure the place as it is ad hoc - I pay for all the hours they are open and my son can go whenever then, as my hours can change at short notice. But student finance can only pay in arrears when they are invoiced monthly due to the new portal. Last year, my childcare provider (as they all do) wanted payment in advance, it was a lot for me to get together but I could out of my own money because I knew I would get it back as the portion of it they pay was actually paid to me. Not this year, because I don't get anything paid to me, so I'd be a full month out of pocket 🤦‍♀️ I'm just going to have to hope it's fine (before and after school club so they weren't open in the hols to discuss this) or lose my childcare.