Not paying for childcare this autumn as bills go up

[Essenceandvibes]

I've just had an epiphany.....I absolutely won't be paying a penny for childcare this autumn as bills increase and I won't be made to feel guilty about it either. I can work from home and watch my baby and pick up my 10 year old from school without the assistance of anyone else and if my employer has an issue with it, he can pay an extra £2000 per month post tax to cover the cost of full time help.

Our bills are going to be about £800 a month just electricity and gas alone for our detached 4 bed house, this isn't even thinking about the increase of petrol or groceries.

The mortgage has also gone up a few hundred quid too....childcare and commuting is now a luxury not necessity and I really hope every parent joins me in asking for employers like it or lump it

Shameful the government have let everything get this far, the knock on effects will be huge

The 2 year funding is based on a child's needs and not the bank balance of the parent / carer.

Sadly it isn’t. Not in London anyway. Can’t speak for outside it.

Millionaires claim the funding for two year olds?

This sounds like madness. I can’t say I’ve known any of this, am in London

Yeah they might tax childless people more, or they might just ban abortion

I mean when Roe vs Wade was overturned one of the arguments that was discussed was around the need for more babies being born domestically (as opposed to, for example, international adoption)

I;m pro choice by the way so would campaign very hard against this. But its not really a coincidence that Roe vs Wade was overturned when countries are waking up to the realities of the birth rate dropping and the impact that will have

Taxing the childless might be a short term solution, but its not going to wipe our old age butts in the long term

Here’s list

Your 2-year-old can get free childcare if you live in England and get one of the following benefits:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
child tax credits, and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
2-year-olds can also get free childcare if they:

are looked after by a local authority
have a statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan
get Disability Living Allowance
have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

More or less everyone claims the 2 year funding. There’s the odd exception, but most people manage to find a way of getting it.

Your employer isn't responsible for the cost of living, nor are your co-workers. Where I'm employed, doing childcare at home during working hours is forbidden.

Doing this won't exactly help the larger cause of women in the workforce; it's just giving ammunition to people who don't want to hire mothers.

I really don’t see this. The nursery takes two year olds if they are funded, they are few and far between

Majority are three

Once you have your code, they don’t check again that you’re eligible. So people get the code before they start work, don’t declare their partner’s income, etc. It can also be granted at the discretion of the LA.

There’s a massive recession coming, well done for volunteering for redundancy OP! Your colleagues will be grateful.

Again there are circumstances whereby the 2yr funding may be given without the need for the parent / carer to be in employment.

£800 a month gas and electric? I have a six bed detached and it costs nowhere near that!

Yes, absolutely. And with the numbers of eligible 2 year olds, plus the funding available from UC, plus the 3 and 4 year funding, it’s a bit much to claim that the government does not provide childcare support for parents.

Granted, they are bleeding the nurseries dry to do it, but the support for parents is there.

You are going to get sacked. Your employer is running a business. Not hand holding you

Oh your child free colleagues are going to love you! Why do they have to pay for petrol and work associated costs while you don’t? Becoming a parent was a choice, nobody made you do it. Plus you will be paying extra for utilities because you will be at home or do you expect your employer to pay for your heating as well. Entitled much!

Babies are useless though, I'm sure we could import actual adults instead that could then work? Not sure what's wrong with a baby shortage given the overpopulation of the planet.

Nope I’ve not...got my three year old

Yep. Are you in a highly skilled role OP, difficult to replace? If not, be careful.

@EYProvider But the support that's currently on offer isn't helping the parents enough nor is it helping the provider. Childcare costs don't just start at age 2 and end at age 4/5. I currently have a family who are really struggling child doesn't qualify for funding yet and they are just over the bracket for UC help whilst they use the tax free scheme which isn't a great help let's not forget that not all providers accept the scheme.
Even with the funding whilst a child may qualify for 30hrs this is often stretched meaning parents still have to cover unfunded hours which can cripple families.
As a provider I too am being stifled by the underfunding and the cost of living crisis but I'm always mindful that my families are struggling too.

@EYProvider you're talking out your arse.

Will you still expect to be paid while not working and looking after your children ?

"just because things were rubbish for you raising children you cant see beyond the end of your nose and think everyone should suffer the same fate."

Erm..at what point did I say I had children or that things were rubbish for me raising them?

You seem to have issue with your employer for the fact you have to work for a living and pay for childcare...if you want to take issue with anyone, it should be the government (lack of free childcare places and proper support for working families) and the childcare providers charging you a fortune to look after your kids, your employer has nothing to do with it.

Think this must be a fake question looking to see what sort of response they get.

I can wfh a bit but wouldn't expect to care for baby at same time. I know gas and electric are going up but seems excessive even for a 4 bed unless there's a swimming pool or something.
Commuting costs are not employers responsibility, move closer, car share or get a new job. .

Mad as a box of frogs this one...

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