Childcare cost/ help

[WorthyReader]

Hello, we are looking at moving up to the Highlands (just waiting for my husband to get a transfer) I have an 8 year old and 9 month old. Currently in England our 9 month old gets free childcare so I could return to work.
We were aware that upon moving to the highlands we would have to pay for her to go into childcare. I had just unexpectedly found out I’m pregnant again and we are now panicking. My parents live near Inverness which is where we are wanting to move but now we are worried that we won’t be able to afford the childcare for two children for me to work. The wage I’m sure would be cancelled out by the childcare fees. I don’t think we could survive on one wage. Has anyone got an advice? We don’t qualify for benefits in England I don’t know if it’s different in Scotland. This wasn’t planned and I really want to move closer to my parents.

If you don't qualify for benefits in England then you won't qualify in Scotland. The Scottish child payment is for certain benefits and income thresholds so is the 2 year old funding.

Childminders are cheaper than nurseries but good ones often have long waiting lists.

It's not uncommon for the wages to cancel out childcare costs of one adult but really depends on the cost of the area. In my area (NE Scotland) it's between £65-80 a day for nursery.
When we had 2 in nursery with 1 getting 3 year old funding we were close to 2k a month. The 20% govt tax account definitely helps but we just had to suck up the pain as career progression and pension balanced it out.

I would get prices and availability for local nurseries first.

Congratulations!!!!! My gosh, you just left the newborn cuddly koala and you will get it all over again! Also those two little babies will be so close in age! I have two friends with less than a year age gap and they are so close. I envy their sisterly relationship.

I think it depends on your job. Do you have one to go to or are you moving with a remote role?

Would they allow extended unpaid maternity? Is being promoted further a concern? Can you reduce or compress hours? Can you temporarily reduce hours for a fixed time period?

Remember it’s not all on you! Does your husband’s company offer good shared parental leave? Would they allow him to take a sabbatical? Does he have any greater flexibility? My husband’s company is more flexible than mine and that is how we made it work.

EDIT: Also, look at your new area for childcare prices. I know ours are nearly half of what my friend was paying in London before free hours came in.

My childs nursery is £98 per day. She goes 4 days a week so we cant afford a second child. Will Your mum be able to help with childcare? Thats our issue in that we have no family locally who can help.

From age 3 your children will be entitled to 1140 hours of nursery funding which equates to 2.3 ish days a week. If you kept your eldest off with you and took a years mat leave, I guess you wouldnt be there about for the 3 year old funding which would help.

My husband is in the police so would be transferring to police Scotland. It’s not great paternity to be honest. But it is a small pay rise so that’s a bonus.
i currently work as part of the pastoral team in a secondary school so I would be looking at going back into a school environment. But we are wondering if I don’t return to work if we move up there whether it would be affordable to live on the one salary.
Im surprised Scotland don’t offer the 30 hours from 9 months, maybe something will come out in the manifesto 🤞 I just don’t understand how people make it. I’m paying for my daughter to go into childcare for these two months as the free childcare doesn’t kick in until the term after she terms 9 months and it’s £65 a day. I only
work three days at the moment and that’s all I would want, I have been looking at a lot of these work from home jobs and some seem like scams just to get a little money. Not MLM though

Thank you I think I’m still in a bit of shock and denial at the moment wasn’t expected and then panic when we thought it might effect us moving. I love the highlands always have and I’m desperate to get up there. I’m sure it will be fine just lots of emotions at the moment.

Very wishful thinking there OP - the Scottish govt have been receiving the funds the same amount of time they just go completely silent on the issue and ignore the petitions or parents wanting to know why they haven't rolled out the same here. Basically they have spent it doing something else which isn't uncommon for the SNP!

£65 a day is cheap in my area but I'm not sure on Inverness prices so worth enquiring. We tend to tighten belts and keep heads down or a parent doesn't work.

All school jobs are advertised on council websites so keep an eye on there. I would say they are tricky to get and can be quite rare as many people want them due to the cost of holiday childcare!

Benefits are higher.
There are far more public servants per head of population.
The Scottish government prefer to cave to pay demands rather than negotiate so public sector salary bills are higher.

All of these things cost too much so cuts have to be made elsewhere.

Do you mean I am likely to get more help?
when I did a calculator online it said I would be entitled to benefits in Scotland which surprised me as I thought my husbands wages pushed us over just but if I can’t afford to work (sounds ridiculous) then I don’t know what we can do

If your husband earns over £43,600 he’ll be treated as a higher rate taxpayer, and as such I doubt you’d be able to get anything other than child benefit. A policeman earns more here in Scotland but because we’re paying policemen more we have less money available to spend on things like childcare.

Yeah that’s what surprised me as he is well over that du to his experience yet when I put that in the calculator it said I would be entitled to a particular Scottish child benefit. Not the one everyone gets which is not much this was a different one.
I think we just have to accept that there is a chance i won’t be able to afford to work until the older one gets some free nursery then we only have to pay for one. I’m hurt so worried about the finances and I just don’t know how others manage it

Hi OP if you both work you will be entitled to tax free childcare which gives you 20% paid by the government. This includes nursery, childminder or playgroup. I currently pay £40 per day (9-3) for my 2 year old and I get £8 of that paid with tax free childcare. I also work 3 days. Good luck 🍀

Congratulations OP. As a Highlander with 3 kids I found my wages were out stripped by the cost of childcare until the 3 year funding kicked in. You maybe entitled to some help with childcare costs from UC as the threshold is quite different when you have 2 kids in childcare. Also as your dh is in the police maybe join the Highland Council school staff bank and pick up shifts on his days off so you dont have to pay childcare.

Thank you, it’s been a bit of a shock as it was so unexpected and we are worried about finances now.
when I went into a website where you put in certain details and it tells you what you were entitled to I did it as if we were living in Inverness and with the third child and it said we were entitled to Scottish child benefit if the amount is correct it would make a huge difference.
oh I didn’t know the school staff bank was a think I will have a look at that thank you do you have to be a teacher? I work in the pastoral section of a secondary school at the moment

It maybe correct as my dh works full time and I work part time and we get Scottish child payment.

There are different staff banks for PSA staff which is like a TA role and a teacher bank. I am genuinely unsure which staff bank your role would fall under.

I don't see how you would qualify for Scottish child payment, either you or your husband would need to receive one of the following, which is very unlikely on a police wage!

• Universal Credit
• Income Support
• Pension Credit
• Job Seeker's Allowance (income-based)
• Employment Support Allowance (income-related)
• Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit

Maybe just accept you're choosing to move somewhere where you will need to pay for your childcare. Lots of other benefits though, free prescriptions, university tuition, bus travel for under 21s, school meals etc...