Universal credit and childcare

[vonny81]

I'll try and keep it short. I lost my job therefor I got out onto universal credit. Now found a job, I'm working 14 hours, my son is 4 and gets 30 hours free at private nursery, but I have to pay a meal charge for him which is just short of £30 a week. I have been entering the details on my UC account. Today this snotty woman chirped up when I mentioned my 14 hours.... She said if I'm getting 30 hours free then I can't claim for extra costs if I'm working 14 hours! Has anyone else ever come across this cos it's stressing me out so much I am extremely anxious I can't eat and giving me a bad tummy. Currently waiting for their reply after explaining they are mandatory charges so I can receive the 'free' child care

To be able claim 30 hours free childcare, you meant to be working least 16 hours a week or earning least £500 per month. Any less than that, you can't get 30 hours childcare but you can get 15 hours childcare instead...

I had this same problem so I changed my hours to 16 hours so I can continue claim 30 hours childcare

I'm not sure if it's changed, as I used to think the same. But you have just got to be earning the equivalent of minimum wage for 16 hours, which works out £125.xx per week. And I'm earning 140! The 30 hours isn't my problem, it might help if I didn't qualify! Like how does that make sense

It’s not thirty hours “ free” though as you say there is still a charge. The thirty hours are never completely free and shouldn’t be advertised as such. I hope you get it sorted op.

Thank you, I don't thi k any of the providers are totally free unless school is maybe. And then I would need childcare afterwards as I wouldn't be able to collect on time! So they would be paying me the £30 a week anyway! I just can't seem to find anything online at all with my situation. I spoke to Gingerbread and they were really helpful, given me a couple of ideas to see if I can work around it

Yea your right that why I said either 16 hours or 500 a month. You are earning more. I do still have to pay my daughter nursery foods as I couldn't claim that on universal credit

Could you find 2 hours somewhere as extra to make it 16?

debbiejh
By paying the food costs does it work out it actually pays to work? I used the calculator on turn2us and the difference for me was £70 per week. But if I pay £30 in nursery costs it leaves me £40 then fuel costs deducted and then it works out I'm working for £9 a day

Working 2 extra hours wouldn't help because the number of hours I work isn't the issue. If I worked 2 hours on a different day I would need to pay more in childcare and the woman said I can't claim any costs as I get 30 hours free!

I pay £12 a week for foods as she only in nursery 3 days a week when I do my 16 hours a week as there was no need for her to go full time. I find that help a lots with the cost. Also her father does pay half of the childcare, is there any way of that? But I know my nursery have option to bring your own packed lunch? Would that help? I think you got a horrible person to say that and I would advice to phone up and ask questions , keep phone to get someone nice. I rang 3 time to different people who actually wanted to help me and answer my question. Sorry I can't be more helpful

This is the governments fault. The £30 is not for food , school lunches would not be £30 a week.
The £30 is a top up for childcare because the thirty hour funding does not cover the full cost to the Nursery.
However as it’s illegal to charge a top up for food the nursery call it a fee for food.
Op I would see your MP about the issue.