I find this so annoying and will probably get crap for writing this but...m

[starodyssey2015]

Why is it that it's only over 2 year olds that get 15 hours free childcare a week. I am now a working mother with an 18 month old baby and I don't get this. Whilst people without a job get it!

My friend has a 2 year old and gets 15 hours free nursery a week. She doesn't work. So for four days a week she drops him off at nursery then goes and spends her benefit money going for a Costa and going shopping! Whilst muggings over here is scrimping and scraping so my child can go to nursery so I can work! I can barely afford a Costa! That's with both mine and my boyfriends wage!

I know I'm being childish but I find this totally unfair!

There was a time when I was working full time though. Other half was an apprentice and we were on 22k

I assume you've actually applied for the childcare element of tax credits and been refused then? as others have said you will get 15 hours for your child in the term after she turns 3yo, but I get that its a kick in the teeth for you in the meantime. Still you can't blame the other woman for taking up what the system says she is entitled to (I use that phrase loosely!)

Except that she is not entitled Daryl. She is claiming as a single parent but she is not. In that case you can blame her.

bit mean if her to rub your nose in it
is she really a friend

OP you should be entitled to working tax credits, the cut off is £26k income.

I am entitled to the free 15 hours as I work part time and am a single parent whose income is under the threshold.

I am not a feckless parent, I spend lots of time interacting with my child and go to groups with him, but they are mainly a school hall with masses of toys out but no song/dance time. In my area the groups available are poor in my opinion. I would love the yoga and crafts shitebag mentioned but there is nothing like that! no Tumble Tots either. The one gymnastics class is massively oversubscribed and the local children's centre only do short courses, mainly for babies. I resent the implication that because I am on a low income I sit around ignoring my child and am relying on somebody else to educate him.

I am looking forward to him going to nursery, not so I can sit in Costa, because I want him to have the opportunity to mix and socialise with other children in that kind of setting. Even with tax credits I couldn't afford to pay what nurseries charge. But OP, this isn't free childcare for me, I've been offered six hours over two days - one day I work one day I don't. My working day is longer than that.