We can't fully afford childcare, what's the best option?

[Fressia123]

I've done all the maths and it looks like if I stay FT we'll accru about £300-400 of monthly debt to be able to afford childcare.

If I go 25hrs with some flexibility from my employer we'd be ok. What's the best first port of call? This is all with UC which as far as I can tell it's very hard to guess how much you'll get until you do. So probably asking our CEO and explaining that the difference between my childcare bill and what he pays me is £100 (maybe not that blunt) and that unfortunately I'll have to go PT. Or is that done via HR? I know they don't have to accept but I think he'll be flexible/reasonable enough about it.

Are you able to use tax free childcare as that could save a bit of money for you?

Yeah tax free child are saves us loads!

How low is your wage that you’d be in so much debt? I’m a childminder and my hourly rate is no where near the minimum wage so all the parents would be in the black after paying me. I’m not in a cheap area either. I’m assuming you have 2+ children?

That's with all the savings taken into account. Unfortunately my DP has very high commuting coats (for his salary) so in paper we make a bit more than we actually get.

Our joint net income (taking into consideration commuting) is £2200 give or take. Our net outgoings are about £2k. We can lower them to £1800.

FT nursery is about £15k per year (for one child). Tax free would only pay £2k leaving a bill of £13k :/

I would be wary about going part-time as it affects your pension etc as well..
I would try and address the commute why is that more important than your future?

Could he go part-time/ change job
all Move closer?

It is always better to look at the whole financial picture...often woman's finances are adversely affected..and it should be equal

You need to put in a flexible working request in the first instance and the business can refuse if it doesn't suit the needs of the business. You can't just go PT. Don't bring your childcare bill into it!

Have you looked at childminders instead?

Childminders tend to cost exactly the same. (5.50ph and have to be in 10hr sessions) I'd need at least 9hrs anyways.

I'm not worried about my pension, I have that sorted. We've looked into him doing something about changing jobs but he's not qualified and at least this job also gives standard working hours. His job is a ticking bomb (it's physical so he can't do it forever). I'm the one with much more earning potential but my current job isn't the place for it. I'm addressing by trying to find a much better job but it isn't that easy when you live where we live.

@AriettyHomily if I can't use childcare costs as a reason then what?

Yes, so far it looks like my DP going PT is the way forward.

You don't really need a reason as such to apply for flexible / part time working. One of my colleagues requested flexible working because he wanted to play golf one afternoon a week.

Your request has to be evaluated on the basis that the business can or cannot support your requested change to working hours. They are not looking at whether you have a good reason or not.

What do you do OP? At the moment plenty of companies are working from home, would that help your case?

How many children? Might you be eligible for universal credit childcare component?

I'm actually WFH at the moment and it DOES help, especially because my boss let's me do my hours whenever I can.

But I know one day we'll go back to the office and we'll need FT childcare.

I'm supposed to.move to a new role which I guess would be similar to an Accounts Manager/Business development manager it should pay more but none of it is clear ATM.

It's only for one @DelilahDingleberry I could old include some of the older children wraparound care costs (if they ever happen again) but with all possible help in the world we're still very short of funds.

It might make more sense for your husband to go PT / do the childcare?

Your flexible working request needs to be presented almost as a business case.
How you will cover your work.
How any surplus could be covered (eg empowering a junior staff member to take on bigger projects?)
How your stakeholders will continue to be supported.
State how flexible you can be (difficult when you've got to get back for childcare, I know!). It may help if you say that with x notice, you can be available for training sessions, team meetings etc.

The flexible working request form will guide you through all of this. Have any of your colleagues gone from FT to PT? If so, have a chat with them and ask what they put on their form.

Your employer won't have an interest in your childcare costs. Just as they don't care about your electricity bills.

I’d check out your entitlement to UC. It could make the difference of those £3/400.

Otherwise I’d go back FT and cross the childcare bridge when it comes to being back in the office.

I'm already working FT so that's why we need some sort of childcare as it has become fairly unmanageable.

Our UC entitlement is £1100 with a maximum of £650 on top for childcare. Our current deductions are £1500-1600. So it's a very thin line between UC and tax free

Have you explored whether there are options for family members to help out with childcare...?

We have nonlocal family (part of the problem).

If you both work ft what are you doing for childcare at the moment?

We have a nanny/babysitter that comes for 10 hrs but it's not enough/not great