Universal cred- jumping through hoops for childcare expenses

[TheLittlePicker]

Is it just me or do they make you jump through impossible hoops to get your childcare expenses? I’ve spent £3.3k on childcare since last Easter and have not been able to successfully claim any of it back. When I ask, there is a litany of issues and hoops for the childcare places to jump through. The childcare places are not interested in delivering a load of demands and I’m hammered with childcare. With tax credits they contacted the childcare places directly. With UC they seem o find any reason not to help you. Then there is a time limit on claiming back the support. I feel like I’m screwed come summer as I’m expected to stump up £1.3k each summer out of a month’s pay cheque and then wait several months to hope and pray that UC will pay some back. I’m still down on last year’s as they didn’t pay that money, because the childcare place hasn’t met with a bunch of stipulations such as providing a letterhead, showing the words “invoiced” and “paid” and showing what kind of childcare it is. I could go on... any document I sent was not good enough for some reason.

I’m sorry it’s rubbish.. I’d like to adjust my childcare but I’m too scared of it potentially moving me onto universal credit

It is a nightmare. I moved home and then discovered that you are not allowed to move home in an assessment period - I got no money as I had moved back in with my parents temporarily. I couldn’t move at any other time. But I was told rules are rules.

Adjusting childcare doesn’t move you onto UC .

My understanding was if anything on your current claim changes it’s seen as a new claim which will then be transfers to
UC

That’s completely wrong it’s only things that would cause a new claim ie partner moving out, earning too much to qualify for any tax credits .

Have you tried giving them print outs of the money coming out of your bank?
When I was claiming child care I had to go in multiple times because nothing was accepted until I suggested logging into my online banking to show the direct debit.

After that I emailed screen shots and it was paid. I ended up leaving and I'm unemployed now because I was worse off on universal credit.

@jemihap I take exception to that! I was a high earner before I had children and intend to return to running my own business. I am a taxpayer. And your comment is stupid. The government is attempting to get parents to stay in work and boost the economy. Parents need the support of society to stay in work. Anyway life changing circumstances happen, jemihap.

Oh yes I’ve tried screenshots. They cannot do screenshots apparently :-)

@Cranky17 thought you might find this link useful. There is a lot of myths re being transferred to UC.
www.entitledto.co.uk/help/changes_that_trigger_Universal_Credit