Universal credit/Child care costs help!!!

[Brightonmama25]

I’ve recently split from my child’s father. Our child is in nursery 4 days a week. My ex is flip flopping between ‘yes he will pay towards nursery.. no he won’t’ (whole other story!!). I am submitting a UC claim. We both work full time (well he has just been made redundant but will probably be in work again soon I should imagine). What I would like advice on please is with the claim, do I put in the full monthly nursery fee, or just the portion (half) that I pay?? Not sure whether to put the full whack (£1000pcm ish) which is what our ‘childcare costs’ are, or to put £500 which is what I actually pay? Although what’s worrying me is if he refuses to contribute one month, as he is saying! We are newly split so he’s being a bit of a d* atm but I’m sure he’ll do the decent thing in the end!! The receipts they have asked for state the full amount, but obv my bank account will only show half.. not sure what to put!!?? TIA xx

Half of course. You don't want to be seen as fraudulent and sanctioned and receive nothing.

If you don’t live together then you put down the full wack of childcare. The money he gives you is ‘child maintenance’ which if you choose to put towards childcare then that’s your choice, this doesn’t impact your childcare or uc claim at all. Ignore above poster

Ask him to send the money to you. Because it needs to be sent altogether through your account so you can reclaim

Your UC claim and the nursery are billing you. Claim the whole amount.

If he's paying you towards the cost of the kids that's child maintenance and is wholly disregarded as income in UC.

If it’s an initial question on the application then put the full amount as you have to declare what you pay and show proof every single month anyway. Then once your claim is live it doesn’t matter if we helps one month and doesn’t help the next because you declare it each time, they usually need proof of payment and the invoice.

Ahh Brilliant thanks so much everyone! We are yet to sort out child maintenance! X

This. You put down it all.

If the ex is going to play around with whether he pays his half you're better of paying it yourself and him paying you. As that would be treated as Child Maintenance it would, as above, be disregarded as income by UC.

UC will only reimburse you for what you actually pay. They will ask for proof of payment