To be fucked off about nursery fees

[Ladyrantalot]

So, here we are, DH and I slaving away full time, paying a grand a month for nursery until our ‘free’ hours kicked in after 2 years. Put off having DC2 because we didn’t have the money to have 2 in nursery at once.

By comparison, my sis who doesn’t work and hasn’t since she quit her job on her first maternity leave 4 years ago, also has 30 free hours despite the fact she’s at home, has no intention of working in the next few years and doesn’t need it 🤷🏼‍♀️

AIBU to find the way us full-time-but-just-over-the-threshold workers are treated fucking maddening? We’re mugs aren’t we? And other people have the nerve to tell us we’re ‘lucky to be working’, yeah right.

So you both get free hours?

The same

Well that's a lie. She won't be eligible for 30 hours. 2 year olds of very low income families get 15 hours for their benefit, not the parents.

Yep. Even though I work FT and she doesn’t work at all 🤷🏼‍♀️ why can’t she look after her own kid and make it a bit cheaper for people who are paying her UC? She’s not job hunting or imminently about to start working. No reason why she needs it.

Her son is 3. He gets 30 free hours same as any other.

Yeah but one gets to sit around doing nothing probably also getting universal credit and the other is slaving away juggling work, kids and everything else. I agree op, it should be a sliding scale. The more you work the more free hours you get.

How does she get 30 free hours
if she isn’t working? It’s 15 for everyone and 30 if both parents are working or one if a single parent.

She presumably only got them from aged 2/3. You should have access to other childcare funding schemes which she won't.

Surely she's only entitled to the 15 hours if she's not working? From age 3 I mean!

For 30 free hours ime you need a childcare code based on income

You both get the same "free" hours. Granted you pay more into the system to help fund the "free" hours... But your complaint is basically that you want other people to fund more free hours for you... Which is your complaint about her... So YABU

The dad works. She doesn’t. Why can’t she look after her own kid at home?

Er no, she won’t be ‘funding’ anything either way as she does not work and has not for years

@SalmonKnicks

what?

Then they're claiming wrong as you only get 15 hours if one of you doesn't work.

The dad works. She doesn’t. Why can’t she look after her own kid at home?

Then she isn't eligible for 30 hours, presuming they're together. She'll be getting the (universal) 15.

Not true in Scotland

But then the child from the lower income family would miss out. Why should the child be punished for having a lazy parent?

You only get 30 hours at 3 if you work a minimum of 16 hours.

I thought both parents have to be working for the 30 free hrs unless exempt due to disablity benefits etc

Why are you so judgemental??

And childcare isn't just about looking after children while parents work.

Good childcare enhances a child's learning and social opportunities. Making friends, experiencing new things.

You sound extremely bitter. I get childcare is ridiculously expensive and how hard it is, but that isn't your sister's fault.

Try having twins or triplets.

@Ladyrantalot as someone has said further up thread I think it's for the child's benefit rather than to give her childcare - that's why it's universally offered. But I still think she should only get 15 hours if she doesn't work?!

You are missing the point - she shouldn’t get 30 free hours if she isn’t working.

So you’re either lying or… well… you’re lying.

I think the 3 year old 15 free hours is meant to be nursery education to prepare the child for school and so to benefit the child rather than the parents.

She won't get the extended 15 hours as that is only for working parents.

I understand it's annoying though. We waited until DD was old enough to get the 3 year old 15 hours before we had DS. I think that's just good planning though.

I mean, if you want to be judgy and snide about who deserves what, why should anyone get free childcare? If you choose to have children it should come as no surprise you need to pay for childcare or look after them yourself.