Childcare vouchers

[Andrew_Culture]

Not a cycling bad topic I know...

But we're struggling to figure out how we (wife and I) could afford childcare so that my wife can get back to work. At the moment she works weekends so I can look after our one year old.

I've looked into government childcare vouchers but because my wife is self-employed (she's a gardener) it would appear that we're not eligible. I was self-employed for a decade but now have a job.

Anyone got any experience in this field?

 

[ohnovino]

Childcare vouchers are paid for via your employer through PAYE, so while your wife couldn't get them you could (assuming your employer is signed up to a voucher scheme).

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Childcare vouchers are paid for via your employer through PAYE, so while your wife couldn't get them you could (assuming your employer is signed up to a voucher scheme).

I tried for a year to get my employer onto the cycle to work scheme but failed, I shall try again with childcare vouchers

 

[Cyclist33]

I assume you get child tax credit? Does your missus work 16+ hours?

 

[fossyant]

The child are vouchers are pretty common and easy for a company to administer. Go for it as you can get them being employed.

 

[Gretzky's Office]

If your wife runs a limited company and pays herself through PAYE, she can set them up as the ltd company is the employer and she is the employee.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Alas she's a sole-trader. A fella here at work who has four daughters (hence his 'JLS' lunchbox I guess) said his wife just enrolled their first born at a nursery and the nursery sorted out the details.

Our office admin here has started looking into this for me and has pointed me at this http://ccincalculator.hmrc.gov.uk/CCIN0.aspx

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Hmm, fallen at the first hurdle on the HMRC calculator - the question asked how much we currently spend a month on childcare, the answer being nothing because we don't currently send the wee-one to childcare!

How much is a 'normal' amount to pay for a day of childcare?

 

[ianrauk]

How much is a 'normal' amount to pay for a day of childcare?

We pay £5.50 an hour for a 9 hour day.
And the Child Minder is worth every penny.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

We pay £5.50 an hour for a 9 hour day.
And the Child Minder is worth every penny.

Cheers! My mum was a child minder so I don't know why that route hadn't yet occurred to me!

 

[trampyjoe]

We pay Student finance pays our nursery £85 a week for two days 8am till 5:30pm.

 

[ohnovino]

How much is a 'normal' amount to pay for a day of childcare?

Varies massively depending on location. The charity I work for runs a nursery in a very deprived part of Liverpool that charges £36.50 for a full day (10.5 hours) but I've heard of posher places charging twice that price.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

We pay Student finance pays our nursery £85 a week for two days 8am till 5:30pm.

Sounds reasonable, no point in getting the lass used to anything high flying in this family

 

[Arjimlad]

My daughter has two six-hour days per week at a childminder, and I get £243 per month in childcare vouchers which covers it fine.

 

[Arjimlad]

I take it you have also looked at working families tax credit ?