Childcare costs, really need advice

[Tambuuler]

Due to where I am based I am looking at childcare costs of 1,200 a month for full time. I am paid 60k but paying back student loans so take home is around 3,100 a month, rent is 1050, car (needed for work) is 190 and then that leaves around 750 for food and bills and travel to work. Travel to work is around 60 a week. This is doable but I am panicking about any costs coming up. Am I eligible for any help? I have no support from the father.

Are you making use of the.tax free child scheme?

Unless he's unemployed the father doesn't choose not to help. CSA. Put in a claim tomorrow.

You should be eligible for £2000 a year via tax free childcare if your childcare provider accepts it (if a nursery almost all do). You apply on gov.uk for an account, put money in and HMRC will top it up by 20% up to a max of £500 a quarter. Then you pay the nursery from that account. When your child is 3 you can have 30 funded hours of childcare too, you apply in the same online account.

Child maintenance, and tax free child care are what I’d be looking at.

@PrimrosesandPears if that’s up to 2k that would only cover just under two months is that right? Is there nothing beyond this?

@Coffeellama the father earns 98k a year and has not offered a penny. I’m scared to go to child maintenance as he is deeply unpleasant and caused me significant health problems in my pregnancy.

@PrimrosesandPears i also thought it was 15 hours not 30? Great if it’s 30!

But the money is for your child, so you should do it anyway. Don’t contact him personally go through csa and block him
if he contacts you, report to police if needed. Your child (and you) need that money. I no it’s really hard, but don’t be afraid, be strong for your child and for yourself. That money will be a game changer for your quality of life.

All of this.

Tax free childcare does only cover a proportion of the costs unfortunately yes. But if your monthly left over income is £750 it is also almost 3 months worth of that so could make a difference.

i also agree with putting in a claim against your ex partners income. I realise it must be very hard if he is a horrible person, but it will make a big difference to your and your child’s life.

You have got to refer him to CSA, OP. You need the money. You owe it to your child and yourself.

What's your custody schedule with ex? Put in a claim with CSA today. Ex with zero custody pays £400pcm on an income of less than half what you think you ex makes. That would most of your childcare payment (assuming double).

I agree with the others, you need to get child maintenance if you can. You can get 30 hours if you are eligible but it’s worth keeping in mind it’s from the term after they turn 3 and those are term tie hours, so if you are able to spread it across the whole year it’s 22.5 hours.

Free hours there are different amounts.

From 2 there are 15 hours for families claiming certain benefits or with additional needs. It doesn’t sound like you’ll qualify for this.

From 3 there are 15 hours for all children but this is 30 for families of working parents where neither earns over £100k. So you should get 30 I think. Bear in mind it’s term time only and there are often extra fees for nappies etc but it still saves you a lot once it kicks in.

You get 30 hours once your child is 3 (the term after they turn 3 that is) providing your household income is below £100,000 per year.

www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare

Sorry for the gobbledygook, that should have been a link!

www.gov.uk/30-hours-free-childcare

How weird, it won’t let me post the link!

link with spaces here: www . gov . uk / 30-hours-free-childcare

I bet you'd get at least £600 a month from the dad through CSA. Also I think they back date.

You contact them direct, they contact him and update you.
Simple process and you don't need to have any contact with him.

I think all he would have to have are your bank details.

@CaveMum it’s actually individual incomes that need to be less than £100k, the household income can be higher (two parents earning £99k each would qualify). Not relevant to OP as a single parent but just in case anyone else reading finds this helpful 😊

There is an official CSA calculator online, using his income as stated and the fact he has zero involvement you’d expect over £800 a month from father (assuming he doesn’t try to evade it).

Definitely worth considering! It must be so hard but it’s for the little one and why should you have to struggle and he gets away with no input to his child, no payments etc.

Thats not how it works, he needs to be made to take responsibility for his actions xx