Just wondered what sort of help is available?

We’ve never bothered claiming for childcare costs in the past as we’ve always managed to cover it, but the recent reduction (slashing!) of the threshold to receive Family Tax Credits this has now left us the best of a grand lighter.

So we just wondered what is available, do schemes have to be run through work etc?

Cheers

There is a voucher scheme that works like the Cycle to Work scheme. You get the vouchers through work and they are taken off your salary at source, so you effectively get tax relief on them. I think you may get taxed on them as a benefit in kind, but you still end up saving.

At least I think that’s how it works. Please don’t take it as right – the wife gets them but I don’t.

You need a child minder or nursery that accepts them though and not all employers provide them.

Yep, childcare vouchers through work – max you can buy is £243 PCM -which comes out of your wages pre-tax, so you save the tax/NI on that amount – works out me and the mrs save about £900 per year each.. your ‘vouchers’ get paid into an on-line account, so you can spend them with registered childminders.

dont know if this is useful but once your kids get to 3 (i think) you are entitled to 15 hours a week free. cant remember how long its for…. swmbo would know….

dont know if this is useful but once your kids get to 3 (i think) you are entitled to 15 hours a week free. cant remember how long its for…. swmbo would know….

Until they go to school, though it’s only term time and starts from the start of the term after their 3rd birthday AFAIK (so for a May birthday like ours you don’t get it until September).

i use child care vouchers through work, under an external company, tax free too! my partner and I qualify for nothing from the goverment.

“i use child care vouchers through work, under an external company, tax free too! my partner and I qualify for nothing from the goverment.”

You currently get child benefit though dont you?

I think you may get taxed on them as a benefit in kind

Had them for years now and certainly no tax as Benefit in kind here.

If your employer gives you vouchers as part of a salary package they are a benefit in kind.

If you buy them as a part of a salary sacrifice scheme then you get tax relief on them and pay no tax.

You currently get child benefit though dont you?

This is something that I just don’t understand; I know it’s being removed, but how come this wasn’t done sooner? I mean when a household can have a total income of £150k+ what the hell do they need child benefit for?

Childcare costs? Never a problem in my day – kids had the huge benefit of having mothers who actually wanted to look after them!

Clearly it didn’t do much for people’s ability not to be judgemental mean-sprited types though 🙄

I’m sure in a perfect world all mothers would stay home with their kids……world ain’t perfect though.
Currently shelling out a fortune for day and a half a week, multiply that by two and it adds up.

vouchers here for 3.5 days a week. £243 out of pre tax and £50 out of post tax wage. I think we save about 70 a month using the scheme.

Mrs wants another kid but she has to wait till bairn is closer to 3 so that the costs reduce a bit.

Currently shelling out a fortune for day and a half a week, multiply that by two and it adds up.

Surely this is like any other cost, eventually you/OH say its not worth (time and/or money) working – e.g. no different to commuting long distances etc.

And before you ‘flame’ me, I’ve been through this (3 kids, youngest now 13), and have used all ‘methods’ including Nanny, Nursery, leave work, not work etc.

We found it easier and more rewarding for my wife to simply stay at home and care for the kids.
Weren’t able to do things like cars and holidays but worth it we thought

Its funny though when you see people on benefits popping them out yet people who work to contribute to society have to take a step back and say sorry i cant afford a child so i will have to wait until I can. I think society could do with a few more having my method.

Childcare costs? Never a problem in my day – kids had the huge benefit of having mothers who actually wanted to look after them!

Waves to Lady G. 🙂 Have you discussed this subject with your now, presumably adult, kids? Most interesting listening to my son’s thoughts!

jota – yes agreed, You don’t get those days back. 🙂 I’m no earth mother but it was fun although hard work.

Childcare costs? Never a problem in my day – kids had the huge benefit of having mothers who actually wanted to look after them!

I’m guessing in your day that mortgages were considerably more affordable too?

Even in the current slump, the average house price is still £228,385

MrsGrahamS works 3 days a week (plus the odd night shift or weekend).
By doing so we can afford a good house in a nice area with an excellent teaching nursery.

I’m a bit offended that you think this means she doesn’t want to look after our daughter. And annoyed at the inherent sexism too. We are both working hard to provide her with the best upbringing we can.

Incidentally, in my day as a child of the late 70’s/early 80’s, both my parents worked too. So when exactly was “your day”?

Childcare costs? Never a problem in my day – kids had the huge benefit of having mothers who actually wanted to look after them!

Ironically, the explosion of dual income families helped cause hyperinflation in the housing market, which means that both partners now *have* to work in order to keep a roof over their heads….

Ironically, the explosion of dual income families helped cause hyperinflation in the housing market, which means that both partners now *have* to work in order to keep a roof over their heads….

Yep, law of unintended consequences created by encouraging women to go out and work (which before I get flamed I have no issue)
The situation was also compounded by the banks lending recklessly to people who couldn’t afford it before the meltdown.

Ironically, the explosion of dual income families helped cause hyperinflation in the housing market, which means that both partners now *have* to work in order to keep a roof over their heads….

Actually that is not the full picture either. There was an explosion in aspiration / materialism too. So when I was young (1980s) 5 people lived in what was essentially a small 3 bedroom flat. We had one, old, car. We saved hard for anything we wanted/needed. We didn’t have a VCR even after 80% of the population did. We didn’t have mobile phones or internet to pay for. We did have a phone but not everyone in my street or class at school did. When the washing machine broke my dad stripped it down and repaired it. I remember when we first got a freezer. The kids bikes were second hand, resprayed by ourselves. My brother and I had a 14″ portable tv in our room, our ZX spectrum was connected to it – and we were considered pretty sophisticated amongst our friends because we has scrimped and saved enough to buy a dotmatrix printer for it. My parents probably drank 2 bottles of wine a year; they have never been on a foreign holiday. They rarely eat out and are ecconomical with their food shopping – I can’t ever remember them taking me to a “McDonalds”. I went skiing with my school wearing my pyjamas under my clothes (no high tech fabrics) and C&A waterproofs.

Jump forward 30 years: My kids have a room each, and we have a spare room, a dining area, and an extra lounge. My mountain bike cost more than double what my first car did! We have a wii, several PCs, 2 DS’s, multiple DVD players, have had a couple of hard disk tv recorders, 2 mobile phones, broadband, when a kitchen appliance breaks we usually just get a new one, my kids ride Isla Bikes which get replaced when they no longer fit (albeit not necessarily new – but even 2nd hand Isla bikes aint cheap), my 8 yr old son essentially has a PC of his own – and expects to get “Club Penguin” and “Moshimonsters” memberships paid for, we would think nothing of buying a new printer because it fits better in the corner of the room, we probably drink more like 2 bottles of wine a week, and can go abroad on holiday if we want – probably twice a year, we probably have a take-away every 10 days or so and eat out whenever we want. My kids own ski helmets, and sallopettes, goggles, gloves etc despite only going skiing for a few days each year – and that they will grow out of them.

If we wanted to live the way I grew up with one parent working every hour they can and the other staying at home full time – we could. What’s more with the equity built up in my house I could probably buy the house I grew up in outright: its not just house prices that are “forcing” us down this route.

To quote again..

Childcare costs? Never a problem in my day – kids had the huge benefit of having mothers who actually wanted to look after them!

This really isn’t the complete case though, is it?
Some people (men and women) have the challenge of wanting to be around to raise their children during their youth, whilst maintaining a progressive and rewarding career in order to a)provide for the youngster and b)have something to continue with once the child is booted out come 18 years of age.

Out of interest – what do/did you do with your time once you no longer had the parental responsibility role? (not baiting – just asking)

DrP

Have you discussed this subject with your now, presumably adult, kids? Most interesting listening to my son’s thoughts!

Interesting idea, my children have never commented either way, I’ll try to remember to ask them.
Back then, (my children were born in ’81 and ’83), I think the difference was that most people didn’t have kids unless they thought they could manage on one income, which generally meant having a house you could afford, no foreign holidays, one car only for the working partner, oh, and no luxury mountain bikes!
I accept that society has changed, and mothers want/will go out to work, but I don’t think one should expect someone else to pay for your childcare.

In reply to DrP, I did go back to work when my children were about 8 and 10 years old – I was lucky enough to get a job in their school! I stayed there for 17 years, then fancied a complete change, so moved 80 miles away and now work as a cycle instructor.

Childcare costs? Never a problem in my day – kids had the huge benefit of having mothers who actually wanted to look after them!

pffft. My mum worked part time when I was a kid and my wife works part time now we have kids.
The difference being that I was looked after by the lady across the road, I hated it and was bored out of my mind.
My kids on the other hand love going to nursery. They are surrounded by lots of friends do interesting things and have a right old tantrum if I arrive early to take them home!

Back to the OP, we both get the childcare vouchers, salary sacrifice. If we didn’t it’s be marginal if it was financially viable for mrs trb to work. We find that nicely covers 2 days a week for a 2 yr old + after school club for her bro. Plus as it’s taken out at source, paying the monthly bill doesn’t feel quite as painful.

Lady Gresley – Member
Childcare costs? Never a problem in my day – kids had the huge benefit of having mothers who actually wanted to look after them!

Thanks for your input. I shall tell the wife to quit her job this very instant. She can look after the kids and make my tea.

What nuggets of wisdom do you have for us once we lose the house because we can’t make the mortgage payments?

Back then, (my children were born in ’81 and ’83), I think the difference was that most people didn’t have kids unless they thought they could manage on one income, which generally meant having a house you could afford, no foreign holidays, one car only for the working partner, oh, and no luxury mountain bikes!

I was born in 75.

Both parents worked. My mum part-time. Like trb, we used to go and stay with a neighbour when we got in from school, until such time as I was deemed old enough to be trusted as a “latchkey kid”.

Likewise we had one old car (Datsun Cherry!), very few foreign holidays (a couple by coach from Glasgow), no luxury mountain bikes. No VCR, microwave or shower till years after “everybody” had them. My computer was a second-hand ZX81 proudly presented to me in a shoebox one Christmas, complete with a selection of tapes (but no tape player).

Not once did I ever think that my mum (or my dad) working meant I was missing out on the “huge benefit of having mothers who actually wanted to look after them” 🙄

Thanks for your input. I shall tell the wife to quit her job this very instant. She can look after the kids and make my tea.

What nuggets of wisdom do you have for us once we lose the house because we can’t make the mortgage payments?
You had two choices really:-
1. Have expensive house and no kids
2. Have kids and cheaper house
Bit late now though!

Deleted to avoid further confrontation and a ban.

sorry should have said ‘we qualify for nothing extra’

You had two choices really:-
1. Have expensive average price house and no kids
2. Have kids and cheaper house in a crap area where the kids will get a worse education and get into petty street crime and drugs

FTFY.

Thankfully in my day I had the huge benefit of having a mother who actually wanted to look after me, so instead of lazing around at home she got out and worked to support the family and improve our quality of life. 😈

You had two choices really:-
1. Have expensive house and no kids
2. Have kids and cheaper house

Suppose you live in the South East, Reading for example.

That leaves you with 2 options, no kids and live in Wokingham. Or bring kids up on the Oxford road with the crak ho’s, or if you can save up a bit they can look down on Oxord road from Whiltey whilst sampling the delightfull aromas of the ‘whitley wiff’ (a mix of sewage plant, brewery and weed)………

Suppose my wife has a career that would be impossible to restart after a break to bring up kids?

I shall go home and beat her for being a bad mother. After she has put the kids to bed and made my tea. Obviously.

A 4 bed house where I am is getting on for £300k BTW. We could sell up and move to The Chatsworth Estate but I’d rather just pay for the childcare.

Errm, maybe I should apologise for winding everyone up – being ill and bored at home is really no excuse 😳

Everyone is entitled to choose their way of life, my only gripe really is when people expect help to pay for children they chose to have.

people expect help to pay for children they chose to have.

so there should be no free education for children then?

Fair enough.

I don’t expect help but I am grateful if I can get it through a nursery voucher scheme and 15 hours free placement for my kids once they are 3 years old.

Errm, maybe I should apologise for winding everyone up – being ill and bored at home is really no excuse

Noted and fair enough. I shouldn’t have risen to it.

Get well soon.

I think we need TJ to add some fizz back into this debate

If someone suggests a group hug I will puke. 😉