2k invoice for nursery pls help!

[extraordinarymachine26]

We were eligible for Tax free and 30 free hours. DC just turned 3.
I was made redundant this Mar, DP quit his job this August (so now none of us are in paid employment).

AFAIK there is a grace period for the 30 free hours, we were paying normal rate until this wk (Oct) nursery said the code doesn't work anymore and now they have send us a £2,300 bill for this month (3 days per week PLUS the shortfall for Sep now that apparently we didn't have funding then).

Am I right in there being a grace period for these 30 free hours or will we just have to suck up and pay the below and probably take DC out of nursery ASAP as this is in no way affordable for 2 unemployed ppl!

We are not entitled to UC but DP is on New style JSA (and looking for work but unlikely to find something till 2027 given the current market).

Anyone with any advice would be welcome!

It doesn’t matter whether you agree or not. I was explaining the rationale for why it is a universal offer. You don’t have to agree with it for it to be the reason why all are eligible.

And I can be angry my ridiculously high taxes which are going to force us to leave the UK are wasted on things like this.

I don’t think there are sufficient families using both a full time nanny and the free childcare hours to make a difference to the tax rates. But you have a lovely life in Dubai or wherever you will be a immigrant x

Someone who can afford a nanny as well as nursery along with a housekeeper/chef and £250k pa in rent, can afford to pay their tax bill.