No more 30 hours free childcare

[tipiipit]

Not an AIBU but I'm in a right state and just needed somewhere to come to cry basically

I'm a single mum to a 3 year old, expecting a baby in April too.

Won't be getting maternity pay as haven't been in my current job long enough, so saved up lots of money and I also get a student loan.

Have just found out my 3 YO will no longer be eligible for 30 hours free childcare once I finish at work.

I'm absolutely heartbroken cannot stop crying. I just presumed he'd continue to get 30 hours free I had no idea that you had to be in employment. Feeling like an idiot. A very poor idiot. No idea what to do. (Was planning on staying at uni after baby was born, taking baby in with me when I could and 3YO going to nursery. But now I can't afford for him to go to nursery, but if I can't go to uni I won't get a student loan which means I have no money. I know a few people who take babies into classes but I couldn't take my 3YO that wouldn't be fair on anyone.)

What am I going to do

I have to be honest, I'm quite confused

I thought the point of 30 hours childcare was to cover those in employment so now I'm also thinking...

if you were on maternity leave, wouldn't you expect to lose the entitlement anyway - because you're on mat leave and not at work? Confused. Though the entitlement thingy was quite confusing to me in the first place - but it never occurred to me that if on mat leave with a second child, anyone would still be entitled to the hours for the first...because you're on mat leave?!

Op..you really cant take a baby into class its not fair on the other students. A friend fell pregnant whilst at uni and took a gap year then rejoined the year below with childcare sorted.

I'm glad that the 15hours childcare will be enough but have you checked with the university that you will be able to take the baby into lectures? I don't think you can make assumptions regarding this..

I'm at university, my youngest is at school now so not an issue but last year he went to Nursery full-time and I was given a grant by Student Finance to pay for it. Student Finance also do a parent learning allowance which gives you extra money that doesn't need to be repaid. Your university may have their own scheme too. I get £3k of non repayable grants from Uni every year on top of Student Finance.

Could you register as self employed and start up a very small 'business' from home alongside your studies. For example selling greetings cards on eBay or Etsy? As I believe you qualify for 30 hours free childcare if you are self employed and it doesn't specify a minimum amount

That's called "fraud"

That’s not fraud, that’s allowable under the rules. You are quite the —uniformed— legal expert today aren’t you?

Read it again . "Could you start a small business that you have no intention of running as a business and no intention of making money from, in order to pretend you are self employed when you are not to get free childcare you would not be entitled to"...clearly fraud.

Quite the rude one today, aren't you? And supporting both fraud AND theft.

That’s funny. That’s not even what you’ve quoted above. Not sure where I can read it again from

Yeah it is though. I just explained the meaning for you because you don't seem to understand it on your own.

You don’t need to explain the meaning, the original poster is here. I’m sure they would be more than happy to.

You could have an argument in an empty room

Are you not entitled to the childcare grant?

Student Finance will give you a grant for childcare which covers up to 80% of your costs. I have an 18mo in nursery and my grant covers a large chunk of it.

You don’t need to explain the meaning, the original poster is here. I’m sure they would be more than happy to

The poster who said it knows well that my interpretation is the correct one. Once you put quote around the word "business" everyone (but you it seems) knows what you mean.

There is a minimum amount even for SE people so that wouldn’t work anyway, regardless of the fraud aspect!

You will deffo get 15 hours at least! I get that and I havent worked for years nor am I on benefits. Its not effected by anything, every mother is entitled to it!

Well quite honestly, if loopholes are there then they're available for everybody. Take it up with Starbucks, cantucc and actually win, get those taxes back for the UK... and then come back and harangue the OP whose life is upside down and she's already having to put up with imbeciles telling her she "should have thought of all this before getting pregnant".

What an odd place this is sometimes.

It is fraud if the op has no intention of running a business. But as a pp suggested, the op could set up with Avon or something and actually do it then it would be fine

If you qualify for student fiance you can claim child care costs through them

At the risk of supporting the phenomenal derail of the thread, 'intent' is a legal term and if the loophole exists then I'd much rather a parent in need finds it then these huge corporations.

OP... can you find out for definite what you would be entitled to - and what your best options are given your situation?

Surely you can't be planning on taking your baby to class???

In all honesty I'd complain my arse off if people brought their children into class, having paid a pretty penny to be there to learn.

Who's haranging anyone? I didn't say a word to the OP, I said that what another poster was advising was fraud. Which it is. Not a word said to the OP.

If you're a Uni student entitled to student finance you can get your child care paid via student finance. Or at least a significant proportion of it paid. Contact student finance and talk to them.

if you were on maternity leave, wouldn't you expect to lose the entitlement anyway - because you're on mat leave and not at work? Confused. Though the entitlement thingy was quite confusing to me in the first place - but it never occurred to me that if on mat leave with a second child, anyone would still be entitled to the hours for the first...because you're on mat leave?!

Well you still get childcare tax credits while you're on mat leave snowdrop (first 9 months of it anyway, not the unpaid 3 months). So this is the same principle. I presume it's because people would lose the places otherwise, and thus face a barrier to returning to work which obviously would defeat part of the point of the whole thing.

Yes you're right, cantucc, it was to another poster, I'm sorry.

I feel very sorry for the OP because of the twats that descended like dementors. I really hope there's a solution somewhere for her.

Yes pp is right the 3 months grace will take you past the end of summer term for this year. Also the uni will give you a childcare allowance to top up the free 15 hours.