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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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59 replies

ObamaLlamas · 07/03/2023 13:39

So I've namechanged and this is my 2nd thread this afternoon, penis beaker, cancel the cheque etc before someone says im goading. This is a genuine query.

I bumped into a friend at softplay she has two under 2.5 years old. She was a teacher and husband in the army and her kids were in nursery 1 day a week and she worked part time. It was difficult with her husband needing to be away at time and travelling etc so she decided to quit work. She now puts her kids for 3 days a week in nursery and 85% is paid for by the government (how she phrased it - no idea what that really means) and they are also better off financially by 'hundreds of pounds' a month.

I'm soon to be made redundant from my work at home flexible job and I'm looking for something else. I have a 4 year old at school and 1 year old at nursery and a mortgage.

My husband takes home £1900 a month, so similar to my friends husband, working full time. We have savings of less than 6k and get no other benefits, our nursery bill is £700 per month.

'Entitled to' says we are only eligible for child benefit if I stop work and nothing else. It would be impossible to live on that and I'm just confused as to how the system seems to work for one family than the other. Can anyone explain it? I am confused if i put something wrong on the forms. Thanks.

OP posts:
pjmasksitsthepjmasks · 07/03/2023 18:26

Unless as @NigelDidIt mentioned and it's specific to military families and she doesn't have to work?

Umbrio · 07/03/2023 18:27

This. She could only be getting childcare help through UC if she's either working, a carer or disabled. If she's none of those things then she's telling you porkies or she's committing benefit fraud.

Umbrio · 07/03/2023 18:27

There are no special rules for military families enabling them to claim childcare costs without the usual requirements.

Pubesofsoberness · 07/03/2023 18:29

The childcare is probably to do with her husband being in the military . I remember they helped towards my friends childcare costs years ago and she wasn't working

Airupnonsense · 07/03/2023 18:34

There is definitely new rules that came in for armed forces. My friend gets 30 hours funded for her school age child due to this. They are both very high earners and wouldn’t otherwise be entitled to any benefits. It’s to help the parent at home while the partner in the armed forces is away all week. So there might be something similar for under school age.

GoodChat · 07/03/2023 18:35

Airupnonsense · 07/03/2023 18:34

There is definitely new rules that came in for armed forces. My friend gets 30 hours funded for her school age child due to this. They are both very high earners and wouldn’t otherwise be entitled to any benefits. It’s to help the parent at home while the partner in the armed forces is away all week. So there might be something similar for under school age.

I just had a look and the 30 free hours does exist but is only for wraparound care for children aged 4-12

GoodChat · 07/03/2023 18:35

11 not 12

SuffolkUnicorn · 07/03/2023 18:38

Maybe she claims pip for herself

Cleo29 · 07/03/2023 18:49

The armed forces scheme came in last Summer but it is only wrap around care but it requires the non- military spouse to be working just like the other childcare schemes

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