Is there any help towards childcare if you're returning to work after being unemployed?

[DragonMamma]

My DH was made redundant in July and I was a SAHM. I took a job in August and my DH has been a SAHD whilst claiming contribution based JSA. He's been offered a role, which is less than he was on previously so it means we both need to continue working.

The problem is, how are we supposed to bridge the gap between him starting work and getting paid with regards to childcare?? We have 2 DC, 1 school age and so we need a fair amount of childcare and wraparound care but simply will struggle to find the £600 for the first month, on my wages alone. It just isn't there to use?

Is there any help available for these situations? We aren't entitled to any tax or WTC with us both working and due to a few extra quid redundancy (which got swallowed up bridging another gap between my wages + JSA and what we needed to live on).

It's completely stressing me out trying to work it all out, especially being so close to Xmas.

Are you sure you're not entitled to CTC or WTCs? www.turn2us.org.uk has a benefits checker that you can have a look at. It may be worth asking your DH's new employer if they can advance him some salary.

I agree with double checking the benefits situation. Could you take a couple of weeks holiday? Any chance of the grandparents helping out over this month?

Could you get a credit card and pay it off on payday. If you pay it all off each month there's no interest. I did that when I went back to work and each month I pay it off and use it to pay childcare again for the next month.

Assuming you're right and can't get tax credits, you could try to borrow it off a family member, tell the nursery you'll be paying them at the end of the month, take a credit card with a cash advance aka balance transfer credit card, try to get a bigger overdraft, stop payment on credit debts or loans or store cards (if applicable) just for one month, etc. whatever you do, don't do Payday loan!!

Not entitled to tax credits on what grounds?

Cogito, definitely not entitled to anything - was only entitled to £20 on my wages alone and of that, £10 goes out as an overpayment from years ago.

Holidays are unfortunately not an option as started in August and we had previously booked a holiday (before redundancy) so the week or so I had got swallowed up with that. My grandparents are helping already but they are in their 80s and my mum runs her own business so we are well and truly stuck.

Noisy, we do have a credit card but we are using a childminder?? I can't think of a way around it.

Would the jobcentre not have some kind of assistance available? With wages being paid in arrears and childcare fees having to be paid upfront we surely can't be the only one in a similar situation?

Bimbariba - can you do that with a balance transfer? Use it to pay off an overdraft??

Brittapie - we earn over £32k combined and have 2dc so do not qualify for any help. I called them shortly after starting my job to check and they said it would be around £20 based on my projected earnings between now and the end of the year so with my DHs earning again soon we will get a nil award.

Oh and I'd never get a payday loan. I'm just mindful of asking family for loans, especially around Xmas when everybody's stretched more than usual.

I wasn't suggesting to get a cash advance credit card to pay off your overdraft, but sure you can do that too. I was thinking that because you can't pay childminder or nursery on a credit card, you could get a cash advance credit card like the ones I've linked todo that you get the £600 paid into your bank account and with that money you pay the childminder. Some have a 12 month interest free period so if you set up a standing order to repay to £600 over 12 months, you don't incur any extra charges. Hope that makes sense!

Kind of! We have one that still has 14months 0% for balance transfers on as we took it out before DH was made redundant but ended up paying off what we owed on another card with his redundancy money.

Maybe I'll call them to see, or could I just pop my debit card number in online and see whether that works? As you can request a BT online?

Sorry, I shouldn't have said balance transfer, that's a bit misleading. It's a credit card that when you open an account pays money into your bank account and then up you repay that money monthly, it's called cash advance

If you have a decent credit rating you should be able to get £600 and the money is transferred within a couple of days from being approved so very quick. This one <a class="break-all" href="http://www.natwest.com/personal/credit-cards/g1/platinum-low-balance-transfer-fee.ashx?extcam=AFC-NATcc_11276_7_www.money.co.uk/php/callsite.php?channel=T463&link=41281&page=1&pageid=127812&position=4&product=53295&provider=56&subcatgroup=1&subchannel=PRVD&tableid=463" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">for example

What about just using the credit card for this month's spending. Food shopping, fuel, etc must add up to at least £600.