Childcare reform: what about parents not on benefits?

[justwren]

So universal credit claimants will be entitled to more help with childcare costs as announced by the govt this week.
What about those who aren't on benefits?
We're the ones who have to be finding 14k a year for one child in nursery. I'm not entitled to any benefits because my husband earns £34k a year. That's hardly millions!

Why is there no support being offered to the families who are having to pay for it in its entirety?

Ah. If you’re not on benefits you can apparently afford everything: less help for energy, childcare, grants for home insulation, university financial support.

we’ve got plenty to cover it all. Apparently.

What about us? We’ll get nothing because we fund everyone else, that’s what 🤷🏼‍♀️

But remember we’re lucky, we might get to choose our nursing home one day.

Well, exactly! I'm just amazed that they've announced these childcare cost reforms with such fanfare in the last week or so, but it makes no difference at all to the majority of families. Pregnant then Screwed's examples of families affected by obscene childcare costs are hardly ever on universal credit (because help is provided for claimants of that already!!)- it's working families/mums unable to work because of the childcare costs outweighing any salary it wouldn't make sense. £34k a year is not a lot to feed three people especially if £14k of it goes on nursery fees! Am I missing something here?!

@justwren if your husband is on 34k a year, are you not earning? If not then surely your children will just access childcare at 3?

If only you DH is working why do you need help with childcare?

A single partner or couple with a combined income of £34k would usually be eligible for a bit of UC especially if they were paying high costs costs.

Do you not work?

Because benefits aren't that great and can understand why they need more help than someone who's working

Benefits are very generous here. Far more so than most other countries.

If your family income is less than £40k then your probably are eligible for some universal credit support with childcare fees. That's what Martin Lewis suggests anyway .

Why are all of your childcare costs coming from your husbands salary, it should be a joint expense.

Why do you need childcare if you don’t work? You’re not contributing to the “pot” either, so are no better than the benefits people you’re trying to bash.

I’m a lone parent to 3 earning 40K and get some childcare covered by UC.

But not if one of you isn't working and so you don't actually need the childcare!

You do get help.

You get the 30 free hours and the tax free childcare scheme.

lt might not be as much as you would like, but it’s still help.

Not like. Most only get 300 and something and that's supposed to last a month. My partners lucky he gets a decent amount but there's reasons why he does.

I think the difference between the minimum wage and benefits should be far greater so that there are much more tangible benefits to working. And it's crazy that people who deliberately keep themselves 'under employed' in very part time jobs can get benefit top ups which disincentivise them from working a normal working week.

But I'm confused about why the OP needs childcare unless she's also working as well as her dh

Presumably it's so people on UC can get jobs easier and maybe move off UC if their circumstances allow?

If only your husband is working, then obviously you wouldn’t be getting the childcare element of UC.

A single parent on £34k with FT nursery costs will qualify for some UC because of the childcare. But if only one of you is working, why are you paying £14k in nursery fees?

Or have you just neglected to mention your income?

From age 3 there is help up to £100k I think that's generous anyway. Help has to end at some point and 2 incomes including one on £34k (assume £25k for her) that's a decent family income way above average.

the 30 "free" hours are only the term after they are three and are not "free" - they are funded at a poor rate.

I don't have a problem with that personally though.

Another benefits bashing thread. Don't you work OP? You must do because you would be entitled to some help with childcare costs on DH salary alone.
I earn 40k, renting, single parent, and I get between 300/600 UC per month depending on nursery bill and net income (bonus etc changes monthly).
I'm really grateful for the help because without it, I wouldn't be able to continue in my career. And as a woman why should I be forced out of work due to childcare costs?
Also, if you're not entitled to UC you can use tax free childcare.

If you work you'd spend less on nursery fees once they are 3? So worth looking into

The 30 hours is only when they are 3. What about before then? Also you have to be earning minimum amount to qualify and even then maybe not enough.

On paper my DH and I earn 'good wages' but with COLC and childcare we are really struggling. WITH our 30 hours our childcare bill is still £980 a month for our two children. That's with the 20.% tax free Our mortgage has gone up the electricity and gas bill is crippling us as well as the food bills.

We have £30 left at the end of the month

The childcare bill is killing us

Have you got a link? I haven't seen anything about this.

They are free from the parents’ perspective though.

you still get 15 hours free if you earn over £100k. That’s because it’s DfE early education funding. The point is to support child development and ‘school readiness’ via universal preschool education entitlement. It’s not about childcare for working parents at all. That’s why the 2 year old funding is allocated the way it is.

The fact that providers are paid at far too low a rate is a different issue.