Working

[kristatwin]

Hello, being a mother of twins who are now 14 months, i am looking at going back to work, part-time but after looking into this, by the time i have paid for childcare for two, it is hardly worth going back, the goverment is all for getting mums back into work with children, but when you have two, it does not really seem worth it, anyone any advice !!

It is really expensive isn't it!

They will be elegible for childcare vouchers which will give you 5 sessions per week free the year before they start school - so at least that'll help in a year or so!

Could you work evenings? Could your partner ask for flexible hours? We have been very lucky in that we are both self-employed so can both fit in work during the day - one starts early/ther other finishes late and we both look after our twins in between.

Do you have any family/friends who could help with childcare?

Hi hattyyellow, no partner works 9.30 till 7.00, he has one in 4 weekends of, so not like i can get a job at the weekend, have thought about doing a morning job, and would have to be finshed for 09.00, so god knows what time i would start, are the childcare vouchers, where they get 12.5 hours paid for of the goverment each week, if so at what ago does this start !!

How much do you have to be earning before woeking tax credit won't cover it? I work 18 hours a week, and most of my childcare gets paid for through WTC...

hi, i am not eligable for working tax credit.

You will sometimes find that a Nanny can be cheeper that a nursery for the 2 of them, although I'm a bit biased as I'm a nanny myself!

Have you looked into childcare vouchers? If you and your partner are both working you can both claim them as long as your employers are involved or prepeard to get involved in the scheme.

What happens is every month you can buy a voucher for £243 out of your pay, before tax. You can then use as payment to a childminder, nursery or ofsted registered nanny.

I think you can save quite a lot that way.

thankyou, i will look into this !!

Kristatwin - your children will get 12.5 hours per week (rising to 15 hours per week by 2010) starting in the term after they are 3. In other words, if their birthday is in October, they will get a funded place from the following January.

Re. childcare vouchers: if you take the full £243.00 per month, and pay standard rate tax, I think you save about £900 per year!

littlefish, there birthdays are the 6 september, so will the intake still be january, from what i am led to believe they will start school at 5, am i right in thinking this !!

littlefish, there birthdays are the 6 september, so will the intake still be january, from what i am led to believe they will start school at 5, am i right in thinking this !!

Hi Kristatwin - yes, they will be funded from January.

You're also right that they will be just about 5 when they start school, so they are likely to be the oldest in the year . The school year is counted from 1st September each year (although that may not be the actual start date at school due to term dates etc).

Thanks littlefish, do you know when the 15 hours a week starts from, will it be january 2010 !!

It has started in some places already. It is being rolled out throughout England and has to be in place by 2010. I'm not sure which month though, sorry.

Thanks littlefish that is helpful !!

Just to add to this thread, i have now been informed that a lady at my gym is now entilted to 2 full time nursery places for her twins, they are nearly 3 (9-3 mon- fri) the criteria being is that she has twins and they are bilingual, and i will be entilted to nothing, is this fair, i think not, why should her children benefit more than mine !!