Help!! I haven’t made enough money to meet childcare requirements

[SackJellington]

So 1 DC in nursery. I started my business last year and had 12 months at 30 free hours. In January when I submit my accounts it will be clear I haven’t made enough money as my 12 months will be up.

So what happens? They say there is a grace period. How long is it? When will I get cut down to 15 hours? I am not complaining, I get why this has happened, just trying to get an idea of what will happen going forward.

I’m such a failure. I don’t think we will be able to afford the extra hours so DC will have to scale back potentially which will be tricky. I am looking for alternative work now as I have to accept my business has failed.

When you go self employed you have 12 months of 30 hours without meeting the minimum financial requirements. I haven’t met those minimum requirements, so now the 12 months is ending I guess they will cut us back to 15 hours but I want to know what the procedure is.

I am looking for alternative work and applying for jobs so I may get hired in time, but if I don’t I want to know how the childcare will work once I submit my finances in January.

Are the 30 hours dependent on being on/bringing in a certain salary? 🤔

I have made less than £1000. I was working on a project which would have made significantly more but it was dropped. It took up all my time and I couldn’t foresee this happening, but it did.

How have you survived on less than £1000?!

My husband works

Yes, I think it equates to around £10000-ish

I’ve earned about £1000. As I said earlier, I threw myself into a project which took up most of my time and would have been worth a lot more but it got dropped.

I am looking for alternative employment but in the mean time, I want to know what happens come January.

As I have said, I don’t disagree with it. I’m not arguing against it, I just want to know how to navigate the next few months just in case. I’m worried about messing up DC’s routine.

@userid81 I was asking because that's what OP has earned in months, which is dire, not the government rules of stuff.

When you come to reconfirm you just tell them you don't qualify using the form and they'll stop it

She’s made £1k and the minimum is around £10k, is what she’s saying.

@SackJellington I don’t think you’ll get much of a grace period in that situation. When you next confirm; you’ll need to say you won’t earn enough. Usually you get a six week run on; but they may well question whether it was reasonable for you to keep confirming that you expected to earn enough over the next three months without making significantly more.

I suspect you’ll get a slap on the wrist and a harsher look for future funding; but I don’t think they’ll seek to recover the funds or anything.

There Is a grace period and I want to know how long it is. I’m at a cross roads now, I could try and make it work but I’m guessing it won’t be possible even after the cooling off period.

What happens if full time employment? Will they prequalify for 30 hours? I just want to ask about the details

I’d expect to not have a code to give nursery from January - so you’ll have to give notice to reduce your hours in line with your contract, or pay the additional hours yourself. You’ll still get the 15 hours free if your child is 3.

A slap on the wrist? I hadn’t even considered that? How do you mean? I thought they would just withdraw the funding not do anything else?

No, the project got dropped fairly recently. I won’t have time to seek further contract and start again to get the finances before January.

Can you take your judgement elsewhere? You have no idea about my line of work.

I’ve already said I’m looking for alternative work.