apparently you can't claim childcare tax credits for school holiday clubs / actitivies?

[iamnottalkingthroughthetoiletd]

(boring back story) LP, work part time, I claim some childcare tax credits for the DC's after school club one afternoon a week. Because it's half term next week they are booked in for a couple of sessions at a local OFSTED registered half term sports club.

I understood (from general DWP / tax credits info) that because the club is registered as childcare then I claim extra tax credits to help cover those sessions.

But I have just called the tax credits line and because the childcare changes are only for a week I can't claim anything . They will only provide help with childcare if it is for longer than a month.

So being a single parent I have to somehow find the money to cover any extra childcare in Autumn half term / Xmas hols / Spring half term / Easter hols and Summer half term . Which is more than I earn.

Is that right? Or was the lady on the phone giving me duff info. The tax credits website just says it can help cover short term childcare costs. From what I've just been told it only applies to the summer holidays.

At this rate I'll drop the dc's off at the DWP offices during the school hols to make a point..... Apologies if I haven't made much sense, I have ranted a bit this afternoon.....

Unfortunately that sounds right.

Have a look at guidance online.

If you do drop them off to an office its hmrc you want though.

This link seems to contradict what you were told unless I have misunderstood?

link to gov.uk

ah well, they might learn something in the IT dept at HMRC I suppose.

This is letter to my MP time (when I've calmed down).

No, don't write to your MP, you'll look silly! Read the link iamnot posted

shoewhore yes, that's the page I was looking at just now. I've got screen shots ready to pop into a letter .

I'm just trying to double check I'm not getting it wrong before I write to them to raise hell complain what a daft system it is.

mojang the gov.uk page contradicts what the tax credits lady said. I did triple check it with her and she said that unless the childcare was for more than a month then I wasn't able to claim extra childcare costs for it. She even said she tried to put the info in the computer and it wouldn't let the claim go through because it was only for half term.

When you fill in your claim to cover the weekly cost of childcare, it's the average weekly cost you need (i.e. the total you expect to pay over 12mths/52) so if you have some weeks of the year that cost you more, your weekly amount paid would be higher than a "normal" week IYSWIM. Calculator here

When I made my claim in October I was told to incorporate school holiday childcare into my weekly childcare.....I had to estimate it. I was told they did cover it

mojang I meant write to the HMRC to confirm (not my MP).

joules that makes more sense. Childcare costs can go through the roof during school hols, I can't pluck the money out of thin air.

I'm really hoping the woman I spoke to was new and giving me duff info. I think I'll call them again on Monday.

Sorry I'm a bit wrong. They won't take a change if less than 4wks I think.

You can adjust average costs though to cover 12 MTV period. There's a calculator online

www.gov.uk/childcare-costs-for-tax-credits

www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/start/claiming/claim-children/index.htm

crashboom That's what she told me. So apart from the summer hols I can't claim for anything.

I can't 'fiddle' it and add the extra costs onto my regular childcare fees because they check invoices and contact the providers, and I'm honest. I never had a problem when they were both at nursery because my childcare costs never changed. Now I have to cover after school club in term time, and pay full costs at holiday clubs I'm buggered.

You aren't doing calculation right. You add up a whole years child care then average. Its what it says online to do.

my brain hurts.

thank you for helping .

Add all your holiday club cost to your usual cost, over the year, then average down per week.

I used to claim for school holidays by averaging it out over the year. Apart from the summer holidays they don't do 4 weeks in a row but they do more than 4 weeks in a year. This might only work if you use the same provider ever time though.

If the cost of your holiday childcare adds more than £10 a week to your usual weekly bill over the year then it can be changed.

You're supposed to work it out on average, its not fiddling it, if you look online it asks for average weekly costs, so add up childcare costs for the year and divide by 52. This is how I was advised to calculate it when I spoke to someone on the phone.

Sorry, just seen I've x posted with others

In the summer holidays if you put the child into sme type of child care for 4 weeks or more you can claim - then once you claim they change the amount payable to you, then when they go back to school you have to wait another 4 weeks getting the raised amount before you can change it back

so for example you may put dc into childcare for 4 weeks at a cost of £60 per week whereas you pay £25 per week in term time. So you will be paid £60 per week for not only the 4 weeks that you dc is in childcare but for 4 weeks afterwards iyswim

then because you have told the tax credit people it has stopped they will reduce payments

If the payment amount is under a £10 per week change they refuse to change as well - so when mine child care prices rose by £6 per week there was no change in payment. But when my childcare changed and went down by £9 per week there was also no change in payment.

It would be far better to pay the correct amount - but they don't want to and it works in favour some of the time and not at others

You can, if your average weekly cost was normally £100 for example and the club cost £104 your new weekly costs are £102. However as the cost has gone up by less than £10 you should have provided the £102 figure when you filled in you annual tax credit renewal.

thanks for all the replies, I have been reading them . I can't use my name change on my phone.

My usual childcare costs are just 20, and holiday childcare is only as and when I need it. So it might be 40 extra over a half term but 200 more over a couple of weeks in August. I have no idea of knowing what childcare the dc's will be in each school hols because it depends on what time I can get off and when my family can help. From the sound of it I still can't claim for anything less than 4 weeks. I will ring them again tomorrow and triple check.

I might try and get a term time job .

I agree with others and average it throughout the year.
I have always added 6 weeks holiday in throughout the year. It's never usually much different to this and I've had to send in all my invoices for the last 3 years and never been asked to repay anything.
Obviously you don't get more money during term time so have to budget for holidays.

I mean you don't get more money because its also paid out over the year. If that makes sense.