cm club: tax credits

[Ineedaholiday]

Hi
as a registered childminder Im possibly going to start minding my 2 nieces soon. This is the problem, when I phoned the tax credits up to find if she would still be entitled to claim childcare I got different answers. One said possibly, another said no as soon as I mentioned she was related.
Ive checked all the guidelines and according to the written guidelines she is entitled to claim as long as the childen are not watched in her own home.
Ive written to them to try and find out the actual position.
Does anyone have actual experience of this eg watching grandchildren, nephews, neices etc.who claim tax credits
She cant afford to pay me what I normally charge owithout childcare help and I cant afford to give the places to her for next to nothing although I would really love to watch them.

Don't get me started on tax credit people - they are RUBBISH and everyone always says something different!!! (bit like Ofsted!)

Anyway, all I can tell you is that I don't believe for one minute she wouldn't get paid just because it's family, just if you weren't registered. Another childminder in my area looks after her grandchildren and only registered so that her dd could use tax credits to contribute towards the care.

HTH

Agree totally with looneytune, I knoiw of minders around here who registered to look after G/C and their families claim tax credits.

Looney- totally agree with the comment about Ofsted, I'm getting really wound up about a notice of intent that should have arrived by now- have already had to cancel one child last week because I was given the wrong info

Sorry aboout the hijack.

thanx.
I done well not rantingabout the tax credits people. Im busy trying not to repay a 2000 pound overpayment cos they fXXXXd up. Thanks for the advice

Tax credits should be allowed if the minder minds at least 1 other child than the children he/she is related to.If that makes sense. They do check up, sometimes by phoning to see if you have a space, sneaky eh!

just let your sil apply like your normal mindees mums do
deff should get it
dont mention your related you prob have diff surnames anyway