Childcare is to be extended to 80,000 more families in 2013. It will be worth up to £175 a week for once child and £300 for two or more. Ministers are saying that scrapping the minimum working hours or the childcare support with benefit 80,000 families.
At the moment families can get working tax credits to cover up to 70% of their weekly childcare costs BUT only if they are working 16 hours or more a week.
It will come into force in 2013, the same time they are introducing the universal credit – a single payment consolidating existing in-work and out of work benefits like child tax credit, working tax credit and jobseekers allowance.
You can read more of what the ministers are saying on it at the BBC
For Labour, shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne said the government had already reduced childcare support from 80% to 70% of weekly costs as part of a general squeeze on benefits.
“Today’s announcement is frankly smoke and mirrors,” he said.
“It won’t mean a penny more help for parents already struggling on childcare tax credits. Universal credit is now set to lock in a ‘parents’ penalty’ that cuts back childcare payments so hard that many parents will be forced to give up work.
“With parents struggling to make ends meet, it beggars belief that the Tories are stopping parents working the hours and shifts they need by taking away their childcare.”
Do you think its enough to enable people with children to be able to afford to get back into work?
Afford to go back to work? I cannot answer your question and with universal credit coming in will be less able than I am now.
Thanks for the emial you sent me ages ago by the way. Unfortunately it went into my junk and when I said it wasn’t junk, it was safe, it disappeared. So I never got to see how you did it, the work lark! Me, a theme of being fired without being told at the moment!
Thanks also for writing these things about benefits for those who don’t know.
Claire currently works 2.5 days a week. This month we paid the childmnder more than she earnt. This isn’t unusual by any stretch, even though the 4 year old is at school and the MiL looks after the littlest on Weds mornings.
Don’t think this will make much of a difference.
I was the same, childcare cost more than I earned constantly and I was in a good job. It was the deciding factor in going self employed. It was either struggle and work all day in an office or struggle and at least work hours that suited me better and didn’t have to pay out for childcare. Luckily my two are older so do understand what shhh means.
My self employment fell through during the summer holidays.I’ve worked from home for 6 years and last year I became a single mum.I’m finding it hard to establish what I amentitled whilst I’m looking fora job that fits around my youngest who’s only 3 1/2.
Its hard I know. Have you spoken to the Lone Parent advisor in your local job centre. They can be a bit hit and miss but can print out different scenarios for you. Also check out the Turn 2 Us site which have a benefit section and can help you work out what your entitled to . http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx
Hello Confessions of a single mum, your article on this page is really great. Its extremely helpful material that you shared here. I can not wait to see more of this. So long, what we see here is really a excellent post. Thank you, i bookmarked it and subscribed it on my Microsoft reader.