new child tax credits for 2012!!!!!

[Emmy1987]

I love that we are having a proper discussion on what is quite a touchy subject. Really enjoying listening to everyone's opinions!

Well said x

We're like proper grownups!

Out of interest what are the going rates for childcare where everyone is?

It's about £40 a day where I am

Before I went on Maternity leave I'd make £50 if I did a 9 hour shift at work, once you take out lunch hour. So for a day I'd earn £10 and most of my shifts were 6 hours which is £36.20 but I'd still need a full day's childcare... so I'd be minus £2.80 a day... Makes sense

 

[XJessicaX]

OK, so the nursery where I will send my LO is £87-£108 per day. (£100 sign up fee which is ridiculous!) However (luckily) as I work for the NHS its reduced to £39.25 per day, my husband gets child care vouchers, don't really understand them, I think it means we don't pay tax on the childcare? I haven't yet looked into it, but apparently it saves money and can be used in conjunction with my discount.

Can someone explain childcare vouchers to me please lol!

 

[XJessicaX]

OK, so the nursery where I will send my LO is £87-£108 per day. (£100 sign up fee which is ridiculous!) However (luckily) as I work for the NHS its reduced to £39.25 per day, my husband gets child care vouchers, don't really understand them, I think it means we don't pay tax on the childcare? I haven't yet looked into it, but apparently it saves money and can be used in conjunction with my discount.

Can someone explain childcare vouchers to me please lol!

I plan on going back to work for 2 long days, so I would only have to put my baby in child care for 2 days and my OH would take her in and pick her up as its based on the science park where he works. I think for a long shift (13 hours) I get erm...around £120 after tax, not really sure as never worked it out.

whoops, I accidentally quoted myself lol!

 

[Emmy1987]

OK, so the nursery where I will send my LO is £87-£108 per day. (£100 sign up fee which is ridiculous!) However (luckily) as I work for the NHS its reduced to £39.25 per day, my husband gets child care vouchers, don't really understand them, I think it means we don't pay tax on the childcare? I haven't yet looked into it, but apparently it saves money and can be used in conjunction with my discount.

Can someone explain childcare vouchers to me please lol!

I plan on going back to work for 2 long days, so I would only have to put my baby in child care for 2 days and my OH would take her in and pick her up as its based on the science park where he works. I think for a long shift (13 hours) I get erm...around £120 after tax, not really sure as never worked it out.

whoops, I accidentally quoted myself lol!

Jeeeze when you get into Cambridge the price rockets! I was thinking of getting OH to take LO to nursery near the science park if I have to work FT but don't think I will now lol I'll make do with the 14 fingered weirdos here

 

[wishingonastar]

Our nursery is currently 35.50 per day for 0-2 years and 29.50 for 2-3 years but doesn't include lunch which you provide or is 2.50 per child.

Childcare vouchers - each employee can join scheme and have up to 243 per month of their salary paid to them in CC vouchers (paper or electronic) which can only be cashed by an approved childcarer. This amount is deducted before tax so effectively you pay less tax each month as a result (saves about 30 a month in tax I believe). Not all employees operate the scheme and not all carers accept the vouchers but if you don't qualify for tax credits its well worth doing and easy for employers to set up and join scheme so you can get your workplace to consider it if they don't do it already

 

[XJessicaX]

Emmy- kidsunlimited is really expensive! The science park one was the cheapest!! The ones on Hills road in town are extortionate!! I almost fainted on the phone when she quoted me £87, I then said wooooow, thats erm...more than I earn in a short shift, and luckily the woman asked me where I worked and when I said the hospital she said in a light breezy voice "oh! you should have said, we discount the hospital workers to £39.25"....JEEEEEZE!

 

[XJessicaX]

Our nursery is currently 35.50 per day for 0-2 years and 29.50 for 2-3 years but doesn't include lunch which you provide or is 2.50 per child.

Childcare vouchers - each employee can join scheme and have up to 243 per month of their salary paid to them in CC vouchers (paper or electronic) which can only be cashed by an approved childcarer. This amount is deducted before tax so effectively you pay less tax each month as a result (saves about 30 a month in tax I believe). Not all employees operate the scheme and not all carers accept the vouchers but if you don't qualify for tax credits its well worth doing and easy for employers to set up and join scheme so you can get your workplace to consider it if they don't do it already

Thanks!

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I have to say, it's pretty good in California because there are a lot of programs for parents with children. I used to work for a state funded organization that would provide free childcare/preschool for children while their parents were working.

 

[Emmy1987]

Emmy- kidsunlimited is really expensive! The science park one was the cheapest!! The ones on Hills road in town are extortionate!! I almost fainted on the phone when she quoted me £87, I then said wooooow, thats erm...more than I earn in a short shift, and luckily the woman asked me where I worked and when I said the hospital she said in a light breezy voice "oh! you should have said, we discount the hospital workers to £39.25"....JEEEEEZE!

Oh my god!
That's so good that you get discount though, jealous!

 

[XJessicaX]

I have to say, it's pretty good in California because there are a lot of programs for parents with children. I used to work for a state funded organization that would provide free childcare/preschool for children while their parents were working.

Sounds brilliant!

 

[XJessicaX]

Emmy- £40 a day is still quite expensive too though! I hadnt even thought about childcare until a few weeks ago and naively thought it would be around £25 a day!

Bit cross about the £100 signing up fee!

 

[chezziepie]

i won't be able to go back to work as when the child benefit changes happen we won't get any and nursery will then be more than my income as we were only in credit by child benefit

 

[Ozzieshunni]

i won't be able to go back to work as when the child benefit changes happen we won't get any and nursery will then be more than my income as we were only in credit by child benefit

See, this is terrible! I would love to go back to work, but like you, childcare would basically take up my entire salary, so there is no point!

 

[hulahoop09]

I am dreading april. I dnt mind losing the 45 pm ctc but really need the childcare help as it stands now we woukd have about 80 a mnth left after paying bills (that was inc 45 ctc) but of they take off choldcate help we will be in minus whether i go back work or not

 

[chezziepie]

ours is 1186 a month for nursery

 

[chezziepie]

the worst thing is i'll be able to claim job seekers which is more than child benefit as i will look for work and they'll loose what i pay in tax lol also more than CB is th PM really bad with numbers??

I have emailed my local MP.

 

[fairy1984]

1500 for one child to go full time in the only nursery I can physically get my child to (so basically the local monopoly)

if I had two children in then that would be 3000 per month for 2 full time places in childcare.

as previously stated, to earn that kind of money you need to be on 50K.

the government need to subsidize childcare or do something to make it worthwhile for parents to go back to work and contribute to society

 

[chezziepie]

even then you would be better off on job seekers allowance lol

 

[babyhopesxx]

ours is 1186 a month for nursery

£1186 OMG what a joke, this government seriously needs to do something.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

That's why moms don't work in the UK. It's cheaper for them to stay at home! The government needs to get on the ball!