Can anyone explain how the 70% childcare costs work?

[SlimmingMumOf1]

I have found out that my husband and I are entitled to 70% of our childcare costs.

Does that include term time too? Like during the 6 week summer holidays? there's no way I can get childcare during that time and I won't be able to afford the full childcare rate either if they don't fund it.

I am looking for Childminder's as I work weekends so I need to find a nursery during the week, and childminders at the weekend. My work will not be flexible with my hours as my contract clearly states I have to work weekends.

So does this mean the government will pay 70% of whatever the cost of childcare is? Just wondering if anyone can help me here? My son is 2 in 3 months!

Thank you in advance.

They do pay it for holidays as well. I have a two year old at a childminders. Basically my tax credits increased when I told them about the childminding. You can tell them up to a week in advance

@BirthdayKake thank you! So will they cover me as soon as I let them know? As my husband will be starting his new job soon and I can't afford the childcare whilst I am waiting :( sad I know but I honestly can't!

It's a maximum of 70% of something like £175 per week for one child, if you are on a very low income. As income increases the % drops.

It pays up to 70% of childcare costs throughout the year, but it is capped at a maximum of £122.50 a week (unless it changed recently?) for one child. But that amount will be reduced for anything you earn over about £16k IIRC. You may not be eligible for very much, depending on what you earn, but it's well worth checking.

Children aged two can get some of their childcare for free if you're on certain benefits. Otherwise, they get up to 30 hours free once they turn 3 - if the provider accepts the scheme (many don't). This is only during term time.

It can get rather complex if you have multiple children of differing ages in childcare and your earnings vary each month

As long as your childminder and nursery are registered then they will pay it. You ask your CMer for their registration number and send it to tax credits. What I did with summer care was added up the cost of childcare for the whole year and divided it by 52 weeks so I didn’t have to call tax credits at the start of the summer and end of summer to inform them my costs had gone up and then down again. It’s real ball ache to have your tax credits stopped while they work out the new payment and then stop it again in September.

It's hard to work out exactly how much you get depending on income, but if your joint income is £32k (so not actually much more than two full time minimum wage incomes) you might not be entitled to any childcare help.

So when it is capped (I think it is capped at £175 a week now), does that mean if I get childcare that works out around £180 a week, does that mean they will pay £175 of the cost and I just have to pay £5 of it? Sorry I am still looking up on it I just want to make sure I get the gist of it!

Our joint income works out at 25k a year.

No, they will act as if your childcare costs £175 and pay 70% of that.

On that income you won't get the full £122 or whatever that the 70% will be, you'll get less. Try the entitledto website, it'll calculate it for you.

They will pay up to 70% of £175, but with an income of £25k it might not be the full 70%. Have you done an online calculator? They might pay £100 a week and you pay the rest for example.

Why are you looking for 2 settings? you much more likely to find someone wiling to do a shift pattern if they are not just being treated as second best to a nursery and an in fill for the dregs nobody wants? A childminder is registered by Ofsted like a nursery, works to the same standards (EYFS) as a nursery and often has as good if not better qualifications as the nursery manager let alone the untrained apprentices, many now have degrees and some early years teacher status, but the good ones wouldn't consider taking the scraps nurseries cant fill,

You will struggle to find weekend care and if you do it'll cost a fortune. do you both work weekends? If not why can't your husband have the kids when you work?