Grandma registering as childminder?

[BettyBoo246]

I am returning to work in a couple of weeks :( and my dm is going to be looking after my ds who is 7mo for 3 days a week.
This is helping us out greatly as my salary is not great and therefore I cannot afford nursery fees. I would however like my dm to receive some money (even though she's adamant she won't take it from us) So I've tried looking in to her becoming a registered cm so I can get tax credits to give to her, however it looks a minefield, is it a really long complicated process or is there a simpler route at all?

She has to be registered and have non related children in her care if you want to be able to claim tax credits.

HMRC have rules to stop people abusing tax credits.

I'm a nanny not a childminder.

It would be easier for her to register as a carer in your home. She would need to do a common core skills course (4-8 hours approx £120) a paediatric first aid course (6-8 hours approx £80) apply for nanny insurance (£72 although once OFSTED registered it drops to £60) and a DBS which OFSTED do as part of the registration.
You would have to do all the above to care for your child in her house but she would also need to adapt her house so that it is suitable for childcare and she would have a LOT of paper work to do.

As a nanny there is little paper work and you do not have to let OFSTED inspect your home for suitability. She would still need to meet up with an OFSTED inspector at some point but as I haven't had to meet up with one yet, I don't know what they will ask!

Look info gift allowance... think it is something like 3000 per adult per year. So as a family member you could gift her money.

Do not go down line of getting her to register as a childminder. If you have to, have her come to your home and employ her as your nanny - easier for you to register as an employer than it is for her to register as a childminder.

As she is happy not to have anything in return, just take her out for a nice meal occasionally, trip to somewhere she wants to go.

Giving money, or money worth (so something to the value of what the money would be) can create issues. She may not want or need income, any that she gets may affect taxes she pays on income (such as pension).

I would just be grateful for the help, be aware that there will be times they won't want to do it, treat them lovely - bunch of flowers, bottle of wine, other thank you gift every now and then.

You are lucky to have a relative who is prepared to help.

If you live in NI Grandparents can (or until recently could) be used legitimately as childcare due to the lack of childcare places here. Worth a ring to GingerbreadNI Advice line to check if this still applies

there is a world of difference between caring for a family member (which anyone can do) and being a registered childminders (which requires meeting certain legal obligations)

And it can take months to register, not to mention some degree of expense and hassle.

If you want to use tax credits she must be registered. Which also means she has to mind non family members. Be inspected by ofsted and follow the EYFS

Confirms my thoughts then it's far to long winded and complicated, someone mentioned grandparents can register on the ofsted voluntary register which is a lot simpler but I can't find anything in the net about it?
Will look into the gifting money option though but don't really fancy going down the employer/nanny route, think she will still have to be registered for that

She doesn't have to be registered if you are not trying to claim tax credits - as she won't take formal payment anyway then this wouldn't be appropriate. Claiming tax credits and not paying it over to a childcare provider is fraud.

She does not want paying. Just be very grateful for the help. Don't get involved with tax credits, Ofsted registration or any of that kind of thing.

The voluntary register is for non EYFS children isn't it?

I would bother going to all the hassle of her registering, its much more work than you might think.

Why not work out what the 30% you would have to pay for a registered childminder (tax credits only cover a maximum of 70%) would be and give her that.

Hmmmmm pretty sure you aren't allowed to claim if a relative is the cm and claiming tax credits for childcare when you aren't actually paying for childcare in the first place I'm sure is abusing the system and classed as benefit fraud?!

You're going to be thousands of pounds better off over the next 5 years and beyond than those of us who have to pay the full costs for childcare. If you want to give her some money from that saving then just give it to her, either in cash or kind - otherwise you'll be committing fraud.