Universal Credit and childcare

[cheeseisnice]

Can anyone help me understand this? I'm now claiming Universal Credit and have been for about 6 weeks. I'm being pushed to look for work, which is obviously what I'd like so all good there.
I have three children aged 10, 7 and 5, so all at school full time. When I do the online calculator I appear to be eligible for some help with childcare costs, but apparently my UC will stop. Is that correct? How many hours can I work and will I be better off with my children in after school care? It's very confusing, so anyone that can clarify this for me I would very much appreciate it.

Go onto the entitledto website and put your details in along with job details for a rough guide to how much you can get if you took a particular job.
It's not true that your money stops once getting childcare support, there is a limit on how much you can get though.

Are you trying to apply for tax free childcare? Because yes that would stop your UC. What you will be entitled to is childcare costs within UC up to 85% a month of a the maximum amount.

If you start working and claim the childcare element of Uc, it is added to your other elements. they will pay 85% of childcare costs up to a certain amount each week.
This childcare element is added to your other elements. Your wages then reduce your whole UC award ( the total of all your elements). If you claim the rent element of UC then the first £292 of wages is disregarded before earnings reduce your Uc, if you don't claim rent element then it's £513 that is disregarded.

Thank you all! Yes, I think I'm ballsing it up by trying to apply for tax free childcare. 🤦‍♀️ Good to know I'm not banging my head against a brick wall and there is hope in getting out of this situation and back to work. x