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.

I have all the evidence. Lots has been going on.

They will; but you’ve still declared that you’d earn enough every three months, and it’s obvious that hasn’t been the case. Even if this was a really lucrative project, it can only have been on the cards for the last three months - any longer and it’d have had timed payments.

I’m just going from what I’ve seen in freelance groups, they tend to send harshly worded warnings and they may not start your next code until you’ve started your job; rather than when you notify them.

You don't give them a code each quarter it's one code

I haven’t had any of this. Projects will last about a year then you get paid. It has been on the cards since the beginning of the year and I have the evidence to back this up.

I don’t get your last paragraph

@userid81 you are coming off as unhinged. Started out clueless about the whole thing and now judging and berating OP. It’s not essential that you comment on threads, you know.

Sorry you’re dealing with this OP, must be stressful!

Did you have to log on and reconfirm every 3 months?

The problem is, OP, that you may have been working hard and been very busy, but you have nothing to show for it. Being self-employed is HARD, you are constantly hustling and making contacts and promoting yourself and investigating opportunities. You appear to have thrown all your eggs in one basket which has not paid off. And with the best will in the world, you must be able to see that from the authorities' point of view, you have taken advantage of a loophole to get free childcare while not actually working or earning anything.

Yes, but OPs will no longer be valid, and she’s likely contracted to keep them updated and let them know.

I am.

Yes but I was expecting to earn the money.

So when they ask me to reconfirm I say no this time, is that right? Then they will cut the funding from now?

What industry do you work in that invoices after work has been completed; without a contract; and projects last a year?

That sounds like a recipe for disaster for everyone involved.

Sorry OP but you need a job that pays you. 1000 is pin money.

Yes I get all this, I know how hard it is and how shit it is when it all falls apart - I feel fucking horrendous and I am trying to find alternative work. I threw myself into one project because that’s the nature of the work.

I am NOT complaining about the authorities choices! I said in the OP that I get it, I just wanted help to know what to do next and how it works.

It is if its like sculpture and you've been designing it

I don’t know if this is still the case but a few years ago I very briefly was between jobs and got free nursery hours because of that. When I got a job I phoned up to tell them and they said I would still get the hours for the rest of the year because once I was qualified that was it.

You’re on the right lines. It’s not sculpture but it’s this sort of thing.

Not in my line, it doesn’t work like that.

Please stop. I already feel shitty enough and you’re being unpleasant. I came here for practical support on what happens next, not for you to repeatedly hit me over the head with my own failure.

@SackJellington a grace period can extend to the next term if the child is already in a placement and the parent fails to qualify. However you may already be in this grace period if you've only earned £1000. What happened when you last confirmed you eligibility?

Does your portal not give you the details or who to contact?

You only need to find a job for 16 hours to qualify if your husband is working.