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AIBU?

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Original poster

Claiming funding for looking after my son

288 replies

RandomAccessMemory · 11/10/2017 08:08

I'm a Childminder in Essex and as well as looking after other parent's children I also look after my own son, my son turned three a week ago and I was looking forward to being able to claim free entitlement funding for him from the spring term.

However I have just discovered that because I'm looking after my own son the local authority will not allow me to claim the funding for him, they say that there is a blanket ban on childminders claiming funding for children whom they are related to.

I don't want to send him to another childminder so should I kick up a fuss? I don't see why I should miss out just because I happen to be looking after him.

OP posts:
NeedsAsockamnesty · 11/10/2017 08:57

The OP isn't a sahm though, she's a registered childcare setting

Being a registered childcare setting given that the setting is her own home dosent prevent her being at home with her child.

She dosent cease to be his mother because other kids are there.

Havingahorridtime · 11/10/2017 08:57

The other fundamental difference between running a nursery and childMinding is that a childminder could choose to just have her own children in the 'childcare setting' where's you couldn't realistically do that in a nursery without losing a massive amount of £££. There is no loophole for claiming for your own children as a childminder for a good reason.

Tashface · 11/10/2017 08:58

I get it OP. You have a limited number of paying child positions available and if your own child is filling one of them, you cannot then fill that position with another paying child. So you are losing money. I am assuming that your local council limits the number of positions you can offer, and will also take into account any children of your own. If they do, then the number of paid positions you can offer will be adjusted accordingly.

To whoever said upthread that she can have the child at home whilst childminding, that’s easier said than done. I work from home and when my son was a baby, I had to send him to nursery because I just could not work and look after him as well. This was a sharp awakening from when we were planning to conceive, and I just merrily thought that, as a baby, he would happily lie gurgling on the floor whilst I worked. Not a chance - he was a very clingy baby and there was no way he was going to let me work!

OP, sorry I don’t know what the answer is but I saw all these posters piling in top of you and just wanted to try to balance the argument a bit.

Slartybartfast · 11/10/2017 08:58

you could charge his other parent.

ElizabethShaw · 11/10/2017 08:59

The universal 15 hours is for early education.

OP I would find another cm in the same situation and claim for each others children.

Happyemoji · 11/10/2017 08:59

WTF am I reading I homeschool and I don't get no funding, so why should you?

There is no loop hole, the local authority sees it as your child, your responsibility.

PoppyPopcorn · 11/10/2017 08:59

I can see the logic the OP is employing. Should she choose to send her child to any other childminder, she would be helped to fund that. So why can't she claim as she's the childminder. And she is "losing out" financially as her own child is taking up a place which she could potentially sell to someone else.

However. If child was going to Mrs Anderson round the corner, or Sunny Days nursery, OP would be paying for that. She does not invoice herself for looking after her child as that would be simply ludicrous.

Just like it's ludicrous to really think it's unfair that she can't claim payment for doing what millions of parents do.

Havingahorridtime · 11/10/2017 09:00

Hahaha,
Now home edders should also be paid. Funniest thing I've read all week. Home Edding or minding your own children is a choice. You could
Make different choices with different financial benefits.

User843022 · 11/10/2017 09:00

'I would find another compliant childminder friend and arrange to look agfter each others children and claim the funding, whether any children actually swapped hands is a private matter'

Yes op there's always fraud to get around these annoying very obvious rules Grin

Collaborate · 11/10/2017 09:00

It's not unusual. Housing benefit can't be claimed if your landlord is the parent of your child, or your spouse. It's because you have a legal duty to look after your child, and I'm astonished you're surprised you can't claim.

ReasonableLlama · 11/10/2017 09:01

I think you are getting a hard time here. I understand what you are saying - if you send your child to another childminder with the funding you can free up a space for a paying child and receive more money.

However, if you received funding for your own child then it will just open up the flood gates for SAHP to claim the same, or family members to claim the funding etc so there has to be a cut off somewhere.

ReasonableLlama · 11/10/2017 09:01

I think you are getting a hard time here. I understand what you are saying - if you send your child to another childminder with the funding you can free up a space for a paying child and receive more money.

However, if you received funding for your own child then it will just open up the flood gates for SAHP to claim the same, or family members to claim the funding etc so there has to be a cut off somewhere.

SloeSloeQuickQuickGin · 11/10/2017 09:01

Home Edders should get an allowance to cover books, material and educational trips.

NeedsAsockamnesty · 11/10/2017 09:01

Childminding is the OP's business. She claims early years funding for 3 and 4 year olds in her care. The fact that one of them is her son is irrelevant

Hahaha!

Is she paying herself her full rate paying tax on the income she pays herself to look after her own child?

It is not underminding people to say you cannot contrive business relationships and it is a fact of life that if you want to have a job where you keep your children with you then you have to cater towards that whilst doing your job.

yorkshireyummymummy · 11/10/2017 09:02

I can't decide if you are taking the Micky with this post or if you really do genuinely think that you should be paid for being a mother to your own child. Don't have any more children if you just see them as a way to claim money. There's so many women who would give their right arm for a child and would happily look after their own without expecting the government to pay them to do it. Flabbergasted much.

peppapigearworm · 11/10/2017 09:03

Childminding is the OP's business. She claims early years funding for 3 and 4 year olds in her care. The fact that one of them is her son is irrelevant

It clearly isn't since she can't claim funding for him. Thank fuck.
Obviously it couldn't be more relevant.

TanginaBarrons · 11/10/2017 09:04

But the op can send her child to another CM and get funding. So there is nothing remotely unfair about it. Otherwise, as someone upthread said, there would be a whole load of sahm registering as CM.

User843022 · 11/10/2017 09:04

'if you send your child to another childminder with the funding you can free up a space for a paying child and receive more money. '
well that's one of the 'downfalls' of being a childminder surely? when you decide to work form home surely you factor into how many dc you can take on depending on how many you actually have Grin.

LadyLapsang · 11/10/2017 09:05

SloeSloe, if OP followed your advice she would be committing fraud and I would expect she would be prosecuted. I imagine it would be quite easy to pick up by looking at her childminding records, during an Ofsted inspection or as a result of an accident / trip to A & E etc.

SlothMama · 11/10/2017 09:05

You can't be serious you are a childminder for the other children but a mother to your own child. Why should you be paid to look after him?

Original poster
RandomAccessMemory · 11/10/2017 09:05

I can't decide if you are taking the Micky with this post or if you really do genuinely think that you should be paid for being a mother to your own child. Don't have any more children if you just see them as a way to claim money. There's so many women who would give their right arm for a child and would happily look after their own without expecting the government to pay them to do it. Flabbergasted much.

Of course I didn't have my son as a way to claim money.

OP posts:
ReasonableLlama · 11/10/2017 09:08

Very true Myrtle I suppose it’s like going part time after having children but being expected to be paid full time salary

LadyinCement · 11/10/2017 09:08

But presumably you chose childminding as a job because it allowed you to stay at home with your son?

NeedsAsockamnesty · 11/10/2017 09:09

But the op can send her child to another CM and get funding. So there is nothing remotely unfair about it. Otherwise, as someone upthread said, there would be a whole load of sahm registering as CM

She has made a choice to not use paid for childcare for her child as is her right to do. That choice means he is is at home with her whilst she works.
If she wishes to use paid for childcare then she can, she will never be paid for childcare for her own child

peppapigearworm · 11/10/2017 09:10

One of the reasons people childmind is so they don't have to pay for childcare. You want the government to pay your for staying at home with your son.
Will you pay yourself for the extras? What about the unfunded hours, do you pay yourself for those? Do you get a discount? Do you pay tax on it?

You are ridiculous.