childcare costs

[3andnomore]

Hi, I am wondering, now, my youngest is 3 and gets 5 Nursery sessions a week "sponsored", it might be a good time to return to some sort of regular job.
Anyway, there is a Job I like to apply, too, as it's sort of the Job I really would like to do, only it's not greatly paid, and it would mean that my ys would have to go fulltime nursery, but if I pay for that, I might aswell not go to work....I have heard about Working Tax credit, or some such thing....how does that work...my dh is on a reasonable wage, so, will that have an impact on me getting it or not?
Also, Nursery mentioned that you can get it in a way,similar to the vouchers that go straight to Nursery.
Also, do the same problems occur as they do with Child tax credit...because, they messed us about so much, if I could I would opt out....

Don't know about working tax credit, but we use childcare vouchers and they seem pretty straight-forward. The maximum value you can get is £243 a month which equates to about £150 income and just under £100 in tax which you don't pay, iyswim. Definitely worth having, imo!

thanks for your reply!
So can anybody get them, and are they a seperate thing from the usual funded Nursery places for 3 year olds?
Is there anywhere some Info on the web I could read?

Just looked onto some sites with childcare vouchers and it mentions that you, as employee, get the vouchers instead of the pay....is that right?

Just looked into Family Tax credit, and doubt we would be eligable...because, well, dh isn't a low income, and I wouldn't work 30h....

The Voucher system, would really only mean tax relief, woudn't it? I mena, if they deduct the amount you get in vouchers from your earnings...hm...can't see that Job being worth the while then, sigh....shame really!
Or have I got it all wrong?

WTC and CTC are managed together.

have a look at the entitled to website, that will tell you what you would get

If your dh has a good income, it might be worth his while getting the childcare vouchers at least... The tax credit pays for about £1000 a year in childcare which is worthwhile having!!

Hi is in the armed forces....so, not sure if they do the vouchers...well, and obviosuly, he can only get them anyway, if I am working, too...right?

DH to gets the vouchers, and I don't work, so definately look into that.

hi i too wanted to go back to work when ds son starts nursery he's 2.4 but my dp works alot and ax credits worked his wage to the nearest and we didn't qualify so to go back to work i would have had to gone full time and even then my dp would have to help pay child care and all my wages would have gone to so it really didn't make any sense me going back to work as i would have worked for nothing but to pay for someoe to look after my ds and after all my wages were gone my dp would still have to help pay rediculous really

but worth looking into iot with child tax they will evaluate and then tell you what you are intitled to they awarded me 10 pound a week in child tax but that dont get us anywhere

bubbla...must admit, I really do not trust child tax office people....as they have messed us about with child tax credit big time....like I mentioned earlier...if I could, I would opt out, all teh hassle it really isn't worth the £40 odd pound a month we get for our 3 boys...especially ifg you consider that due to their f* up's we have to pay them over £60 a month back...what is the effing point in that....lol!

With those childcare vouchers received by dh....still don't quite understand, as my youngest now anyway gets free funding....so, woldn't you jsut get those if you were paying for actual childcare? I know I am really thick...but I really don't quite get how they seem to work....

How they work is that you get a tax break on the cost of your childcare. So for every £243 or more of childcare you pay for out of your net (ie after tax) monthly income, they compensate you for £100 of it by not charging you that £100 in tax. Roughly

Does that make sense?

yes, it doesw, sazzy...but how can someone claim them if one parent is a SAHP? I mena, then to put your child in childcare is optional, ratehr then a neccessity, isn't it?

I don't think it matters as the cost comes out of the tax your DH pays I think. But I'm a single parent so not entirely sure. If you have a look at www.childcarevouchers.co.uk and click on the tax and NI savings calculator on the right, it should help

thank you nsazzy!