Any single parents who work? How do you afford childcare

[goforit99]

Hi all,

I’m a solo mummy getting ready to start working full-time after spending a couple of years raising my little one alone (no family or friends etc). I was crunching up some numbers and I will only be left with between £650-£700 per month after rent, childcare , council tax, bills etc… my monthly salary is almost gone .. I know when she turns 3 she will be entitled to the 30hours childcare but wow… parents are super screwed if they are single or don’t have support , especially before the child turns 3. How do you guys do it?

@MolliciousIntent i didn’t know that existed ! I am just starting to look for work but from everywhere I have looked, it appears I am entitled to only the tax credit which is a max of £2,000 support per year! My daughters childcare costs roughly £1,100 per month! I’m in London by the way.

You should be able to receive universal credit which will pay up to 85% in childcare.

If your saying tax credits will only pay you £2000 per year because of your salary; then your salary must be above average and deemed manageable. If that’s the case; you have to scrimp and save and make do unfortunately.

@MolliciousIntent you speak with venom! Did my post aggravate you? If you can’t say something nice or offer actual advise without sounding hostile, then move on! I wrote one post and didn’t paddle on or clack hard done by! If you are offending or disgruntled then move on! People are allowed to earn more money than you and moan, you don’t know my full story! Stop with the judgement already! Jesus!

...did it not occur to you to go on the government website and check the childcare support available?

£2000 is a LOT of money to most people, by the way. You have to cut your clothes to suit your cloth - London is a very expensive place to choose to live, especially with kids. Have you thought about a childminder instead? Or a nanny share?

UC.

If you're not eligible for UC (and the threshold is high), tax free childcare is also helpful. But if you're eligible for UC that is a better deal.

As a single parent I have found that the 30 hours (and later, school) typically helps us less than couples, as obvs 30 hours term-time only still leaves quite a shortfall to make up somehow. I know many families who juggle their work patterns to minimise additional childcare costs but I can't do that. Just one of those things.

That said, the 30 hours is a real help - it was only 15 hours when my eldest was 3 and I defo noticed the difference second time around.

Yes, it did. Whining about how hard life is with £700 a month disposal income when some people are choosing between heating their homes and feeding their children.

You may find it easier to work less hours (until your child is in school full time), only paying for childcare 2/3 days a week and you can get more governmental help (a higher tax credit payment to supplement the lack of wages) but ultimately you will still have to scrimp and save.

My child’s childcare fees used to be well over £1000 a month and that’s in London aswell but unfortunately I had to just manage. Basic meals (well for my child and I ate leftovers for dinner), one shared bath (couldn’t afford to keep the hot water running all day) and basically no life but work, school run and sleep. But it gets easier once they are in school full time. Not easy. But easier

A childminder in London will cost approximately £1100.

@GuerlainHo thank you! I’m just above the UC threshold! From the information other nice users have given me, it appears that most people are in the same boat and will need to wait till the 3 year old child support from the government kicks in!

my question has been answered! I’m now leaving this post. Wishing you all the best x

Personally I took jobs where my child could come too.
I was paid to mind a few kids from 6-8:30 and took them to nursery with my child, then I would go to work at my main job, I would pick her and the same kids up and they would stay at my house until 4, playing and having dinner etc.
The other kids were collected, I would tidy the flat and do the laundry and then give my child a bath and put her to bed at 6:30 and started my other job- I worked on a phoneline from my bedroom from 7-11:30 then sleep and start again.
On sundays I would mind a different set of kids in the daytime and then do the phoneline in the evenings.

Its long its rough but at least with no free time there is no opportunity to spend any unnecessary money so it was quite good for saving up to pay for nursery.

See if you're entitled to the 15 hours, and if not you'll still get tax free childcare.

Is the father around? Paying maintenance? I'm a single mum. I compress my working hours and do full time over 4 days, nursery opens 7 til 6 so could cover these hours but I'm lucky enough to have family help for the afternoons. Even so, compressing hours saves me 20% nursery costs which is a big chunk.

@MolliciousIntent i appreciate your side and I completely agree with the the horrible choices everyone is having to make! But perhaps before treating me as if I’m taking away your money and that I have income to go partying, re read my post with an open mind! I am a single mother with no family and friends around me, I have been at home for two years alone raising my child, I am just starting to look for work and I’m scared, firstly that I have no emergency funds in case something happens, secondly the £650 that I MAY have left which seems to aggravate you, is a rough sun, which doesn’t include my petrol, my £250 travel card amongst other bills. This post is about the lack of assistance that parents get before their child turns 3. Turn your venom to someone else. Good luck and I hope you have some help this winter

@GuerlainHo thank you for sharing what you did! I appreciate this post a lot x

Your welcome and good luck

@Leafblow you are incredible! Really, an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your story x

Have you looked into your childcare cost's at three as some places it only reduces a small amount due to paying for lunch, activities and extras...
Some nurseries don't offer the 30 hours until you do a set number of hours a week or they have a set number of 30 hour places.
With 15hours funding a nursery near me is still £60 a day and 30 hours only if you do four days a week it's £50 a day.

As others have said depending on your criteria will depend on the help you will receive. Your child may qualify for 15hrs from the age of 2 and may then qualify for 30hrs from the age of 3. There is the tax free childcare help as other have suggested.
Please don't be fooled into the costs reducing greatly with funded hours as each provider is different and there will be wrap around hours that you would still have to pay towards. Then you have the wrap around care when they start school and the school holidays.

I am a childminder and whilst yes I agree there needs to be more help for parents there also needs to be more support for providers as the funding is insufficient meaning that providers are often facing the brink of closure. Add the cost of living crisis into the mix providers are lucky if they can survive. I know of two local nurseries that have closed with immediate effect because they simply cannot continue to take the brunt of the current system of support for parents.

Whilst you've taken offence to some posters saying you're lucky to have a large amount of disposable income left after paying bills the reality is some people have nothing left and they are facing a very bleak autumn/ winter and could only wish for a little amount of disposable income.

tax free childcare?

if you have 700 after bills you are fine!
single mum here, i work - and i do not have 700 quid left over! far far less!

I took my year's maternity leave and then paid full time child minder between 1 and 3. It was a bit tight but with a small child and no family support, it wasn't like I was going anywhere in the evening. No costs of a social life. Breast feeding so no alcohol. Life was fairly inexpensive.

I got 20% off his care from 3 to 4, then he went to school at 4 and four weeks.

It wasn't a surprise, I'd worked it out before I had him. It was worth it 😊

The time passes quite quickly and your bond with your little one will be strong.

@MintJulia thank you for sharing what you did! I’m in the same boat in that I don’t go out or spend recklessly at all! I was just taken aback but the amount of money it costs! Being a parent requires sacrifices and I think I’m still adjusting to being a single parent and not having the support that I feel a parent should have. Like another user posted, there are a lot of people far worse off, everyone is going to struggle one way or another x

@Leafblow that sounds like it is non stop. Hats off to you 👏👏👏

Hi Op, I do share your frustration about the childcare costs. Our families live in Europe where the childcare and higher education is free. I do wonder where do our taxes go in the UK?

Anyway, besides what has already been mentioned above, have you considered:

• An Au-pair? - if you have a spare room it really can work.
• Moving out of London?

I hope everything works out for you X