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Working familys tax credit, how do I qualify for childcare element?

3 replies

pesha · 01/11/2006 15:56

Ive decided to get a job. Have been using the online WFTC calculator thing to see how much id get if i get a job 20hrs a week on min wage. Im on my own, 2 dcs, 1 at school, 1 at playschool so childcare costs would be just for him but it seems the childcare element when it does the calculations is only 1/3 of what would be my childcare costs. I thought perhaps this was because hes 3 so would be getting grant for some anyway.
But i am pg so have just jumped us forward a year (put all birthdates back a yr) to see how much ill get when both dcs are at school and i have 6 month old baby in childcare and its still only paying 1/3. So what do you have to do to get them to pay the max amount of 80%? Is it because i'll only be part time or what?
Because from what i can work out if thats all they'll pay then i cant afford to work but that cant be right surely, i thought id be abit better off.

TIA

OP posts:
Bozza · 01/11/2006 16:01

He would only get the grant for the playschool hours. I don't really know enough but would have thought that for 20 hours on minimum wage you should be entitled to more than that. How much is your childcare likely to be?

pesha · 01/11/2006 16:19

Im not really sure so i did 3 calculations of it at £2 £3 and £4 per hour and they all came out with it only paying 1/3 or thereabouts.

OP posts:
tallulah · 01/11/2006 18:15

It's worked out on your income and the threshold at which it starts to be taken away is very low. You would probably get more working over 30 hours. It doesn't take into account any grants for childcare or the time he's there.

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