A friend of mine seems to have been badly advised, so I'm trying to help her out.
She runs a limited company and didn't make enough to pay her mortgage last month, so she was advised to sign on for Universal Credit. She's adamant that the advisor told her that she'd keep her tax-free childcare for three months and if she was off UC by then, she'd not lose it.
Her first AP ends this week and she's just had notification that her TFC has ended. It also looks like she won't get childcare help from UC, because her company employs her and her husband, and as there is no income at the moment, they'll assess her that one of them should stop working and look after the toddler until there is more work.
She's not arguing any of that, but she can't afford childcare with no income, and nursery waiting lists here are insane, so if she loses his place, she won't get one until after he starts school. She's stressed herself out calling around nurseries today to join waiting lists, and it seems her mortgage company may have more flex than any childcare options we can find.
If she cancels UC now, would TFC start up again immediately once they can meet the income requirements, or is there a waiting period? Her son is almost 3.