Loss of 30 free hours will cost me £37,000 of pre-tax income

[ChildcareCost]

9 month olds are eligible for 30 free hours from September. If you earn over the threshold, you do not get this 30 free hours plus the £2,000 of tax-free childcare.

My nursery typically charges £2,150 a month for an under-3. This works out at c. £10 an hour assuming a 50 hour week (open 8-6).

They have circulated the free hours schedule this week, and the monthly cost with 30 free hours is £1,100 hours for an under-3 (noting funded hours only cover 38 weeks).

This means the loss of the 30 free hours will cost me £12,600 a year. Plus of course the loss of tax-free childcare at £2,000.

So, I need to earn an extra £14,600 net just to cover the cost of not being eligible for this scheme.

To earn that £14,600 over £100,000 – I need to earn a gross figure of £137,000.

Surely this is not fair on the parents excluded from the scheme? It doesn't seem proportional that I need to earn an extra £37,000 just to recoup the loss as a result of not being eligible!

Sure, Jan. Or you're just ridiculously entitled.

Likewise, if you want to use nursery services, pay for your own child(ren). Everyone.

You say you know many people in your position. I think you may have lost touch with people earning average salaries. A lot of us are just scraping by so there's not much sympathy for someone on 160k.

Another one who thinks that earning a high salary is just wishing on a magic high salary tree

As someone actually working for the NHS, for barely more than minimum wage, I really struggle to feel sorry for the OP earning £160k a year.

If home circumstances permit, it might be worth looking at getting an au pair who might give more flexible cover anyway or a daily nanny if accomodation will not flex to an au pair - its what I did .

Maybe you think you should be eligible for UC to top up your low salary? Sorry love, you’re living in cloud cuckoo land.

Chils care vouchers were kinda phased out and replaced by the tax free scheme.

Work place nurseries still do exist and the company can get some benefit out of it. Just many don't do it

Why are your tax paying friends and family only earning £16k per year? Why aren’t they working full time? And you’re accusing the OP of being entitled! The OP is not being subsidised by anyone. She pays in more than she takes out…unlike your friends and family.

You are on 160k
While dc are very young your payment for childcare means you will "only" be earning after the childcare payment closer to100k.
No one is going to cry for you.

Are you planning to pay out for private school ? If no, then once kids in state school you will be winning back your salary and after school childcare costs will be less. Plus you will be able to afford kids camps in school holidays more easily than someone on 80k half your salary

Life is so tough for you OP. Let's all collectively get our tiny violins out for her. 🎻

Also sorry excuse typos. Looking after my 3 year old today as he only goes to nursery 4 days because we can't afford 5 days... and I do compressed hours to do so.

Maybe look into doing something like thst OP...

I’m not entitled- I am the one paying actually for me, and many other people. Which is fine but I certainly earned my way. Entitlement for me is those who demand access to good public services without their way (and bashing those who pay for them)

This can’t be real. If you earn £160k, you should not be eligible for help with child care payments. The support is there for lower paid workers, not for wealthy people

Why do you think on that salary, the taxpayer should pay childcare for you? Childcare for a child you chose to have?

FFS, woe is she who earns £160,000+ (you poor impoverished woman) 🙄

It’s great you work for the NHS but you do realise that NHS is only possible because people from PRIVATE industries like OP are paying a lot of taxes?

she’s pretty much paying your salary (and at least one more)
that’s the reality

Entitlement to me is expecting freebies you don't need.

OP, you earn £160k. Pay for your own childcare - obviously splitting the cost with DC's father.

Free childcare is for people who need to earn money in order to pay for the basics, but their salary would be swallowed whole by childcare costs.

Do you feel better after spewing that up?
Go and have a lie down now.

Then maybe have a look around you at the real world. You might be surprised at what you see out there.

You earn more than enough to not need extra support with childcare costs. 🫣

The support is there for everyone who individually earns just under 100k.
is a household with 2 earners of 99K low paid worker household now?
£198K?
but OP with £160K is not?
make it make sense

I’m happy for anyone to pay for whatever they can afford. It’s no odds whether someone pays for private childcare, I did for long enough and wasn’t on anywhere near the salary the OP is on.

I think childcare should be a universal benefit. I pay plenty of tax, participating in the support that funds for everyone else would be nice.

If the cost was a few thousand pounds its wouldn’t matter, but the fact is I need to want £37,000 over £100k just to recoup the loss of benefits I would otherwise be able to claim.

That is still a huge sum of money at this level of income, feels disproportionally punitive and creates huge incentives to work less and pay less tax to be able to claim - as it seems people do.

You shouldn’t be able to take home less pay for earning more - and in this scenario you now can and it’s on a large % of gross earnings.

Interestingly you chose not to answer the question 🤣
what a surprise