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Original poster

CHILDCARE ELEMENT OF WORKING TAX LOWERED TO 70%

31 replies

evette77 · 20/10/2010 13:48

how on earth will this encourage single mothers back to work? I also hear the hours to qualify for working tax have been raised but yet they go on about how they want single mothers off benefit and into work
, how will making them pay more childcare and work more hours help?

OP posts:
BellasFormerFriend · 20/10/2010 13:50

The hours have been raised to what?

Original poster
evette77 · 20/10/2010 13:51

raised from 16 to 24 i think

OP posts:
BellasFormerFriend · 20/10/2010 13:53

? I will have to look into that but i work 16 hours and I have not been informed of any changes, shouldn't I have been if they have changed? Confused

BellasFormerFriend · 20/10/2010 14:02

I can't find anything about it anywhere, are you sure?

also i thought childcare element was 66% before? I.e. you got two thirds paid and one third to pay?

Wouldn't that make it an increse to 70%?

changeforthebetter · 20/10/2010 14:04

It was 80% before so effectively a 10% cut. The 24 hour rule applies to couples I think.

workingmumof1 · 20/10/2010 14:10

Where does that leave me? Im a single mother working a 16hr contract (thats the longest contract that i can have where i work)

BellasFormerFriend · 20/10/2010 14:11

Oh? fair enough, that is annoying. thank you for clearing up te 24hr rule better, I was beginning to panic!

pompadourprincess · 20/10/2010 14:13

10 percent cut is massive as most people already struggle when childcare costs are so high. It will mean more mothers having to stay at home I'm sure the Tories will love that

changeforthebetter · 20/10/2010 14:18

But you bet someone will be on here arguing that you shouldn't have kids if you can't afford them full stop.

Perhaps they would like to have furnished the crystal ball with which I could have predicted that my apparently clean-living X would go off the rails, become an alcoholic, run up debts and frequent prostitutes and generally be so vile that ending the marriage, making myself a LP was the only option to secure a better future for me and the DCS. Hindsight is a marvellous thing eh Smile

legostuckinmyhoover · 20/10/2010 18:03

just read that the 24 rule applies and it states 24 hours between them-ie husband and wife working at least 24 hours between them. no mention of LPs from what i can see but would guess that will apply to LP's given their track record on LP's so far?

it says the child element will rise but what you gain, you will loose and more with the childcare care element being reduced by the 10% and the fact you will have to work 24hrs+ to be entitled to help with childcare.

BellasFormerFriend · 20/10/2010 18:27

do you have a link lego?

BellasFormerFriend · 20/10/2010 19:30

Thank you lego. Well little of it is going to hit my family directly - but only because we don't use childcare at the moment! The effect on a large amount of the population is going to be huge! Once again all based on tax credit/welfare/social housing so again hitting the lower income end.

I wonder when they are going to spread the effects a bit more evenly?

Exogenesis · 20/10/2010 19:40

well thats me fucked. I have about £60 a week after bills (excluding food) as it is. I can not afford to pay any more on childcare I can only just pay it at the moment. What do they want me to do? Oha nd it's not as if I can get another job that pays more as oh wait there are no jobs!

legostuckinmyhoover · 20/10/2010 20:00

exogenesis, i know what you mean.
but don't forget, there is not that much detail out yet and they may well have separate rules for LP's yet. fingers crossed they won't apply the 24 rule to LP's as that would be very unfair, as I said no one seems to know about that rule and LP's. and if 2 parents have to do 24, then really half is 12! or maybe they will keep it at 16hrs for Lp's and that is why there is no information around about it.

foreverastudent · 20/10/2010 20:13

Can this get any worse?

dreamingofsun · 21/10/2010 09:56

foreverstudent - i guess you might have to do a 40 hour week like everyone else?

MaMoTTaT · 21/10/2010 09:59

40 hour week means increased childcare costs - so more money to pay out Confused

onadietcokebreak · 21/10/2010 13:59

Im outraged. What are they going to do to bridge the gap beteween losing benefits at 16hrs and gaining tax credits at 24hrs.

dreamingofsun · 21/10/2010 14:44

could you not do something onadiet and increase your hours? why should it be the tax payer who has to do something?

MaMoTTaT · 21/10/2010 15:20

dreaming - increasing hours increases childcare costs - and they're reducing the amount of help for childcare.

expatinscotland · 21/10/2010 15:26

Here's a novel idea: how about compelling employers to offer 24-hour contracts instead of temp, 0 hours, seasonal and all that other sort of crap instead of beating the working poor and lone parents with a nail-studded stick every single fucking time the way this government does.

How about compelling these non-resident parents to bridge the gap instead of pillorying the parents left holding the baby?

onadietcokebreak · 21/10/2010 15:29

Dreamingofsun.....you really are dreaming aren't you?! Where are these extra hours when employers are making cuts.

Im not outraged for me. I dont work- Im a student (yeah before you stick the boot in Im the scum of the earth) Its my previous experience in welfare benefits and as a worker in advice and guidnance that has left me outraged at some of these ill thought out proposals.

I bet I have a much better insight to the real problems in society and its relation to welfare than half the fuckwits making these changes.

dreamingofsun · 21/10/2010 18:54

onadiet - i speak from overhearing conversations with other mothers where their employers want them to do extra hours but they won't because it affects their benefits. maybe its different where you are and maybe its not the case any more. you all speak about help from the gov with benefits and childcare - i guess i'm not especially simpathetic cause i've never had any help - just had to get on with it myself and fund my own childcare etc. obviously i don't mind paying tax for people who really cannot help themselves - and one of the things i like best about mumsnet is that it does show how other people live - but there do seem to be a lot of people around who expect the gov/taxpayer to help rather than trying themselves.