15 free hours (punished for not having a partner?)

[glossypeach]

Title is a bit weird but let me continue. I’m disabled and unable to work at the moment, I’m also a single parent to a three year old. He is eligible for the 15 hours free childcare because I’m currently not working. But if my circumstances changed and I got a partner who worked, I would be eligible for him to have the 30 hours free childcare. But the only thing that would change would be having a partner. I’d still be disabled, id still be unable to work but because I’d have a partner my child would be allowed to have that extra time in nursery. It feels like I’m being punished for choosing to remain single, and a bit discriminating that I’m unable to work at the moment but because I cannot do that, my child is missing out. My child is very active and although I have a good support network to help him get out when my disability disabled me to, he thrives at nursery - so I cannot see how single disabled people don’t get that 30 free hour funding also??

That was my point. I don’t agree OP is being punished in respect of this one aspect of state support, which was the question posed in the OP.

What about the needs of working people? How much more do you want them to fund while going into the red themselves? Is it just a case of, if you’re on benefits you should get anything you ask for and if any working person disagrees they need to ‘check their privilege’ and work harder to raise the shortfall?

Is that the case? Honestly! 🤦‍♀️

Keep trying, love, you won't get a rise out of me. Go find something else to do before your blood pressure raises too high.

Love

Single income household, working full time.

If you had a partner then you would both need to work 30 hours in order to qualify. However if you are in the enhanced level of level of PIP then you should qualify for 30 hours. It’s not the system re being single that’s wrong but the fact that you may not be deemed disabled enough to qualify despite the fact that you are living in constant pain.

You can make me out to be a rage-a-holic all you like. The votes on here show my opinion is pretty mainstream.

As stated above, it's to help with childcare when people are at work, not so they can have a break

@Coffeeandbourbons you're making me laugh. 🤣 Honestly, there's no point trying to draw me into an argument. I really can't be arsed. I just don't get as invested in a thread as you do.

Yes, I think most do share your opinion. Surely OP can do the same as the rest of us and pay for any extra hours?

You’re coming backing and commenting, being disparaging about another poster. You’ve already risen - who you trying to kid?

I think this gets overlooked a lot - the funded hours scheme is underfunded by the Treasury so most nurseries recoup the loss they make on funded hours by hiking up the fees for non-funded hours (paid by people who work). So we’re paying for it both through taxes and through fees.

I don’t begrudge people in OP’s situation accessing free childcare - that’s what a society is - but I do resent the SAHMs dropping little Tarquin off for his ‘free’ 15 hours before heading to David Lloyd for the morning. Because it isn’t free, working parents are shelling out a vast percentage of their income to pay for it.

It would be interesting for OP to come back to see if she has gained any further understanding from the posts on here or whether she still feels she is being ‘punished’ for not getting the additional hours free childcare.

How patronising.
She is at a disadvantage to disabled people with a partner who can access 30 hours funded childcare. It's as simple as that. It isn't opinion. It is fact. Disabled people on certain benefits can access 30 hours childcare, only if they have a partner. Plenty of others have said this. It is a fact. Here are a few screen shots showing you. If you want the links, just shout. But if you Google 30 hours funding disabled parent, you can see for yourself.
OP, the other thing to do is highlight the issue to your MP.

No their partner is the one that can access 15 hours childcare in order for them to work. That is in addition to the 15 hours of education all parents of 3 year olds are entitled too.

My question to OP is not
what the options are
Nor am I asking for an explanation
Nor am I asking for other MN to give their insite.

I am asking OP
whether she has gained any further understanding from the post.

Yes, what is your point? The partner can access it because they work, and it is assumed the disabled partner can not provide the care. If the disabled person has no partner, why is it assumed they can provide the care?

Cracking level of pedant there.

It is still entirely relevant to the OPs point that if she had a partner her child would benefit from a further 15 hours.

Something lots of those lambasting the Op have missed (or ignored) - her point was about feeling like her DC is missing out on something beneficial because she doesn’t have a partner.

Not they she was on the rinse for everything and anything for her own benefit.

I assume her understanding is that a load of MNers are disablist, unable to read, and quite frankly awful people who would rather watch them and their child suffer and struggle when in reality this is a simple fix by government. It won't affect huge amounts of people - but enough that it should certainly be highlighted. OP is right and should challenge it.

It’s not about the care.
Its about offering free childcare if you work.
To encourage people back to work.
Because only 20% of the working population pay more tax than they get back.
Its a slow burn to get the country moving

The care needs to be reliable in order so the partner can work it's so they aren't called home regulary. I don't you understand the childcare exists to improve employment only. Do I agree no but that's the situation there is no disadvantage as the op does not work.

I was asking OP not what you assume her understanding is.
I was hoping OP could come back to the discussion for a one off summary.

There is at least one poster on this thread who has, in the past when my disabled DD came up on a thread, previously sent pretty cruel PMs so I’d be highly surprised if the OP came anywhere near the thread ever again.

You can speak to your health visitor about how you feel re him being able to access more hours as a benefit to your child and his development, I think it’s good you have recognised you have limitations and that you/your child might need more support as a consequence and if that’s more nursery hours or sometimes children’s centres or council run nurseries have specific spaces for children in these circumstances. So it’s worth asking if your child would be eligible for extra time to support his learning and development.

Often the hv have support staff who can also help. Some of the teams I work with have a childcare educator within the team to do sessions with children. Sadly I think this is area dependant but always worth asking what is available and hv can try to access further support for you.

Erm, no!