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

Twattish post greenhighlighter but then you know that. What a sad, sad excuse for a human you must be if this is how you get your kicks.

OP not returned?

Perhaps she's studying? or shopping? Or busy? Do you need to ask or can you not just scroll through this quite short thread, Frosty?

I would first check the practicalities of taking a newborn to uni. I cannot imagine a course or lecturer that would find that appropriate. Then speak to student services regarding any funding/childcare bursaries/loans you may be eligible for.

I’ve just gone back to work after maternity leave. My elder DD remained eligible for the free 30 hours as I confirmed that I intended to return to work after my ML was up.

I had a few issues with the website auto-registration but when I spoke to someone on the phone they confirmed we were eligible and duly over-ruled the “computer says no” response.

'I was left by my DP, planned pregnancy, finances were in order and this wouldn't be an issue if I was single. '

What burns me up is how NRPs are able to completely abandon financial responsibility to their children. Is this man paying for his two children?

Check that you are able to bring a baby to classes because, as pointed out, a lot of people would complain and the lecturer may not find it acceptable.

I have read (and posted) on the thread. What’s got your knickers in a twist?

What was the plan for your childcare if your DP had still been in the picture OP?

You’re saying that finances were sorted with him in the picture, so were you planning to pay for childcare for e.g. the baby and the three year old rather than rely on the 30 ours free? But since you split the finance is no longer there to pay for this (since he isn’t in the picture) and as such you were hoping to rely on the 30 free hours for your three year old while you went to uni?

Either way, the baby was never going to be entitled to free childcare, so the baby’s care would have needed to be sorted regardless when you went into uni. You wouldn’t be permitted to take a baby into classes and neither should you.

It sounds as if uni became a non starter when your DP left tbh, because regardless of the three year old you don’t have childcare in place for the baby now or the financial means to afford it.

I believe you would be entitled to certain benefits until your youngest is a certain age, so if you’re not in a position to go back to work now you should look at your financial entitlements and perhaps look at whether you could study online or via distance learning which would make things more flexible with regard to having a baby at home.

It goes without saying that your ex should be paying maintenance for and having some responsibility for the care of his children, but as we don’t know the circumstances there it’s impossible to comment on that really.

But what you need to do is to look at this from the mother of a baby’s point of view rather than a three year old, because the baby is the constraint here really rather than the older DC.

Good luck.

Not that you would do this OP, but you can't pretend to have your own business. You have to prove you are earning at least 16 hours of minimum pay per week.

I feel for you. I was made redundant just as my 30 free hours was starting and losing that was what I panicked most about! Luckily I did get a job quite quick. Hopefully you will be okay.

0300 123 4097 is the helpline for 30 free hours. Call and check the mat leave eligibility criteria. If not then as pp have said you should be entitled to a proportion of childcare back as a student

www.gov.uk/childcare-grant

You need to look into this, they will cover 80% of costs for two children and the rest you pay out of your maintenance loans. Good luck

You do have to have a job but you don't have to work 16 hours. There's no minimum limit, you just have to earn more than the equivalent of 16 hours at minimum wage per week ( so £120 a week). If you can get a job that pays you more than that, maybe in the evenings, then you qualify ( as long as when you combine your wage with your dp's you don't earn more than 100k a year).

It was a stupid question, Frosty. But then it wasn't so much a question as a point.

Twattish post greenhighlighter but then you know that. What a sad, sad excuse for a human you must be if this is how you get your kicks.

Yup. Likewise.

I'll get over it. :)

Could you apply for childcare grant from student finance AND the 15 hours free childcare? Your 3yo would be in fulltime

It’s not realistic to plan on taking a baby to all your university activities. Even if it worked (kind-of) with a newborn it won’t work once the baby is a bit older.

It would be unfair both on the baby and on other students.

You’ll need a different plan eg negotiate to suspend studies and return once the baby can go to a childminder or other childcare.

I couldn't get past the taking the baby into class either!

Bloody he'll my D'S is paying £9250 a year tuition. I didn't dream he might have to put up with babies on his course!

I'm in Scotland and on maternity leave. DS turned 3 last year and has got his 15 hours. No one seemed to even ask if I was employed or not. So I think you're incorrect...

Allthebestnamesareused

Your son won’t have to put up with it, as the university will not allow it.

I hate the way women always get blamed for men deserting them and leaving them in a financial/childcare hole. It raises all my feminist hackles.

Op, if you're still reading this, don't go down the self-employment or childminding routes suggested earlier. They won't work when universal credit comes in - there's a minimum income floor. Universal credit has finished my childminding business.

(Ironically, it will now cost the government far more to support my family, because I'll have to sell my house, and they'll be paying for childcare for my kids and housing benefit top ups too. Before anyone criticises me for not thinking of all this before I had the kids, it was domestic violence which finished my marriage. Please don't blame me for that. It started when I was already pregnant with my second.)

OP, have you checked that you're eligible for Maternity Allowance. I may be out of date, but the criteria was being employed for 26 out of the previous 66 weeks before baby's EDD. I qualified on agency work despite not working through much of my pregnancies.