Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

15 free hours

7 replies

purplediscolove · 12/07/2023 19:08

Hi can anyone help me,

I currently work 11.5 hours a week paid and I also do some voluntary not that it matters!

However an opportunity has came up where it would be full time 35.5 hours a week in the job I'm already volunteering to do. Although I can't do one day so I believe it would be 28 hours per week. The salary is £17,316 without the day off and obviously tax and pension contributions.

My question is according to calculations I would be at 15,750 ish after tax ( if I remember) and the 15 free hours limit says £15,404 income or less. I haven't taken the day i won't be doing off it or the pension contributions off yet as I don't know how much I would contribute towards my pension but obviously both should take it way below £15,404 the pension % has not been stated. Does everything get taken into consideration how do they calculate it and look at your income?

My whole point is, I could work 28 hours a week and then have to pay for the childcare all by myself ( her dads useless barely existent) or I can stay what I'm doing now and nothing be effected. I do get 85% of it back but the more you earn the more they take which is rightly so but it's just not worth it if I'm working to just send her somewhere else when I could be home with her for £0 just pure quality time and attention.

I'd love to work full time and be paid to do the job that I already do voluntary but I don't fancy sending my almost 2 year old to my childminder if I'm literally simply just working to pay her whole bill. There's no incentive in it. Apart from knowing in 1/2 years time when she's at school nursery or school it'll become a more attractive thing to do.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
KateyCuckoo · 12/07/2023 19:12

The funded hours is only for 3 and 4 year olds. It starts the term after they turn 3 so your one year old isn't eligible yet.

Kingsparkle · 12/07/2023 19:16

@KateyCuckoo - 2yr olds get 15 hours if the parents are on certain benefits.

I haven’t checked your maths OP but the system is ridiculous and childcare costs extortionate in the UK so you have my sympathies.

purplediscolove · 12/07/2023 19:17

2 year olds get 15 free hours

15 free hours
OP posts:
purplediscolove · 12/07/2023 19:25

@Kingsparkle its a headache, she will be attending 28 hours a week literally so it would be amazing if I get 15 of those hours supported for 38 weeks of the year( I work term time too) . I love the job that I do and want to do it but I could just continue to do it voluntary and not have to work to just send her somewhere else. They literally do not help at all very much and they wonder why nobody wants to do work! I need to for my mental health and I always have worked so it’s just all round better but still!

i know I’ll fall under the threshold If they calculate it with every deduction but I shouldn’t even have to be worrying about this!

OP posts:
MortifiedSeptember · 12/07/2023 19:35

The government is extending the eligibility soon enough. Well not soon enough for me. Would the latest jumble up with childcare help you? Universal credit can also pay up to 85% for childcare I believe. Well that is what they told me. Would that help you?

purplediscolove · 12/07/2023 19:48

@MortifiedSeptember i already get 85% of it paid back which is great however and it would continue but with my earnings going up and £575 of my rent being paid etc I literally will end up paying for it myself cause the more you earn over £344 or something they take 55p of every pound. It annoys me because I don’t think it should touch the childcare element at all!

OP posts:
Allhailkingcharlie · 12/07/2023 19:50

Free education and childcare for 2-year-olds
Your 2-year-old can get free childcare if you live in England and get any of the following benefits:
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
• the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

Those are requirements. If you don't qualify for that then you can get 20% off childcare

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread