Tax credits help please

[JK19]

My partner left me in December :(

I called them to inform them a few days later that he had left, I hurried the phone call as I was about to burst into tears.

Fast foward a few weeks I receive a letter to provide P60 and Childcare contract and invoice for December. I sent it.

I then get a phone call on Tuesday asking about my kids childcare. Back in September I changed childcare providers and I completely forgot to tell them. They said they had called the nursery they used to attend and that they had left some time ago. I said yes thats correct they are with ** now and he asked me why I hadnt informed them. He also told me the Ofstead number provided wasnt coming up. I exlained it was an oversight on my part and that I was very sorry. I have since sent everything else they have asked for. I spoke to my childminder (who used to work for the nursery so I had no reason to disbelieve anything) and she said that she had applied to ofstead and was in the registration process (since september).

What happens now :'( I am waiting for tax credits to get back to me. I cant sleep panicking that my childminder, although having a registration number, wasnt officially registered. She has been looking after them since september. I want to cry so much.

Am I going to be in lots of trouble? I honestly feel like nothing else could go wrong for me at the moment. I work a part time job and havent paid my mortgage since dec (luckily my dad has covered it). I will have to take holiday from next week as I cant afford to pay my childminder, fuel my car and pay my bills.

Im in absolute tatters :'(

Do you have a contract with the childminder and did she lead you to believe she was fully registered?

Worse case scenario would be childcare payments would be disallowed from the until she was officially registered so only a months worth?

Erm if your childminder has let you send the children and not actually told you she isn't registered I would br demanding she pays your over payment which you will now be paying back.

why did you not see her certificate / dbs checks?

I have an insurance certificate yes but not DBS checks? I don't even know what that is :( my girls have only ever gone to a nursery I have never used a childminder and now I'm
Seriously regretting ever moving them!

I'm such a mess worrying about it all :'(

I thought that as she had a of stead number it was ok!! As she came from the nursery and had been in the girls lives for a few yrs I had no reason to want to check her. I'm
Such an idiot :'(

she said that she had applied to ofstead and was in the registration process

Until she has the registration certificate in her possession she is not permitted to care for children. It is that certificate that you should have seen. The Ofsted number she has is for the registration process and will become her registration number but it is not valid for tax credits purposes until the registration certificate has been issued.

Unfortunately she has misled you with regard to her registration status, either knowingly or due to her being confused about the registration process.

Dbs is a criminal record check.

sounds to me like you are going to end up paying back all you've had from tax credits now.

may be worth going to the Citizens Advice bureau and asking a case worker to help you. They will be able to confirm what action they could take and help you appeal. It must be very worrying for you.