OcUK Dadsnet thread

[dlockers]

We finally were approved our Tax-Free Childcare and free childcare benefits (As My wife and Son are both British and I'm not) it took a little longer as we had to send my Son's non UK passport and birth certificate to the Home Office. Which was scary, sending off original documents in the post - back in my home country if you did that, you'd never see them again.

Only thing is, we aren't able to use the free childcare hours, until Jan now. But I guess that's okay - daycare fees are very high at the moment and I hope we can bring that down a little, starting Jan.

Looks like we could use the Tax-Free Childcare, straight away once we add money into the account too.

Currently daycare costs use £1k a month - for a two year old (3 in May) - full day sessions, 5 days a week.

Not sure with the two above benefits if we will get it down that much - I believe we get 30hrs free, from when he is 3 - but not sure if that only kicks in from September next year or not.

I'm sure you've done your research but do check on the 30hrs free. I believe they reduced the age significantly but during implementation made it "taper". Your kid may be entitled for 30 hrs sooner because of it?

 

[Junglist]

Currently daycare costs use £1k a month - for a two year old (3 in May) - full day sessions, 5 days a week.

The tax free and free hours stuff is such a boon. We just started getting the free 15 hours.

Though I have to say, 5 full days a week for £1000 a month is a bloody bargain! K does half days on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and a full day on Wednesday (so i guess 2.5 days a week) and that is usually around £950 a month before any tax free bits.

She'll be going in for full Tuesdays as of January which I think she'll love because she really enjoys nursery.

 

[Priapus]

I'm sure you've done your research but do check on the 30hrs free. I believe they reduced the age significantly but during implementation made it "taper". Your kid may be entitled for 30 hrs sooner because of it?

Logan is 2.5yrs old - all I see on the government's site is:

Your child’s age and circumstances​

The number of hours of free childcare you can get depends on the age of your child. If your child is:

• 9 months to 2 years old, you can get 15 hours per week of free childcare
• 3 to 4 years old, you can get 30 hours per week of free childcare

You will not be eligible if your child does not usually live with you.

We can only claim 15hrs, I believe. Unless I am missing something? And then only from September next year for the 30hrs? (When new term starts?)

The tax free and free hours stuff is such a boon. We just started getting the free 15 hours.

Though I have to say, 5 full days a week for £1000 a month is a bloody bargain! K does half days on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and a full day on Wednesday (so i guess 2.5 days a week) and that is usually around £950 a month before any tax free bits.

She'll be going in for full Tuesdays as of January which I think she'll love because she really enjoys nursery.

Logan is in from Monday through Friday - 7:30am to 4pm. They cover:

- All Food (breakfast, snacks, lunch and bits in the afternoon "tea")
- All consumables (Nappies, creams etc)

So, perhaps it isn't a bad deal at all. However, we really could do with getting that bill down.

Quick maths says, we should get the bill down to roughly, £650 after the 15hrs is applied. Not sure how to do the tax-Free stuff yet - I know it's capped to £500 every 3 months. So, if I put in £480 in month 1 - I assume they will add £120, correct?

 

[Junglist]

Logan is 2.5yrs old - all I see on the government's site is:



We can only claim 15hrs, I believe. Unless I am missing something? And then only from September next year for the 30hrs? (When new term starts?)



Logan is in from Monday through Friday - 7:30am to 4pm. They cover:

- All Food (breakfast, snacks, lunch and bits in the afternoon "tea")
- All consumables (Nappies, creams etc)

So, perhaps it isn't a bad deal at all. However, we really could do with getting that bill down.

Quick maths says, we should get the bill down to roughly, £650 after the 15hrs is applied. Not sure how to do the tax-Free stuff yet - I know it's capped to £500 every 3 months. So, if I put in £480 in month 1 - I assume they will add £120, correct?

I'm lazy and awful at maths unless it involves using man-math to justify a fun purchase

So I just use this calculator.

 

[Priapus]

I'm lazy and awful at maths unless it involves using man-math to justify a fun purchase

So I just use this calculator.

Handy, thanks. It confirms my quick maths. But I'll just use that in future lol.

 

[t2na]

Logan is 2.5yrs old - all I see on the government's site is:



We can only claim 15hrs, I believe. Unless I am missing something? And then only from September next year for the 30hrs? (When new term starts?)



Logan is in from Monday through Friday - 7:30am to 4pm. They cover:

- All Food (breakfast, snacks, lunch and bits in the afternoon "tea")
- All consumables (Nappies, creams etc)

So, perhaps it isn't a bad deal at all. However, we really could do with getting that bill down.

Quick maths says, we should get the bill down to roughly, £650 after the 15hrs is applied. Not sure how to do the tax-Free stuff yet - I know it's capped to £500 every 3 months. So, if I put in £480 in month 1 - I assume they will add £120, correct?

You pay your nursery directly from your tax free childcare account so it's advisable to put in the amount that you'd be paying them per month - that's at least what we do and what we've been told.

Our daughter has just turned 2 so we now get the 15 hours as well (although our nursery calculates it at 11 hours per week for the entire year, vs. 15 per week for term time only). She's in 5 days a week, 8am-6pm (although I collect at 5.30 typically) and has the same with food, consumables etc. all included.

The hours + the tax free childcare account genuinely does help a lot. August was a 5 week bill so the comparison is off - but if we compare July (pre-15 free hours) it was 1413 GBP, and September was 1140 GBP. Essentially between 250-300 saving per month with the hours now taken into account.

We essentially would put in 1500 every month into the tax free account, then after a few months there is enough in the account to pay for an entire month outright. With the hours, we still look to put around 1300 in per month as the 5 week invoices can still be a little higher.

It's hard to say without actually seeing the nursery but I think that cost sounds fantastic, particularly if it's a good nursery and your son enjoys going!

 

[ChrisD.]

Not a parent but my sister has been asking about JISAs (well "where should I put money for my son").
I'm not sure I want to suggest S&S just in case I get blamed for it going wrong. But I'll suggest this as an option.
Saved me making a post!

S&P 500 or HSBC all world.

 

[dlockers]

Logan is 2.5yrs old - all I see on the government's site is:



We can only claim 15hrs, I believe. Unless I am missing something? And then only from September next year for the 30hrs? (When new term starts?)



Logan is in from Monday through Friday - 7:30am to 4pm. They cover:

- All Food (breakfast, snacks, lunch and bits in the afternoon "tea")
- All consumables (Nappies, creams etc)

So, perhaps it isn't a bad deal at all. However, we really could do with getting that bill down.

Quick maths says, we should get the bill down to roughly, £650 after the 15hrs is applied. Not sure how to do the tax-Free stuff yet - I know it's capped to £500 every 3 months. So, if I put in £480 in month 1 - I assume they will add £120, correct?

Ah sorry, it is from next September (2025).

 

[dlockers]

Can you still use the £2k top-up with the free hours? Can the free hours and/or the £2k top-up be used for wraparound?

At it's highest I was paying £1500 a month for my daughter.

 

[dr_volki]

Can you still use the £2k top-up with the free hours? Can the free hours and/or the £2k top-up be used for wraparound?

At it's highest I was paying £1500 a month for my daughter.

yes you still get the top up even with the 15/30 free hours.

edit: unless it's changed since my last payment last month

 

[Priapus]

You pay your nursery directly from your tax free childcare account so it's advisable to put in the amount that you'd be paying them per month - that's at least what we do and what we've been told.

Our daughter has just turned 2 so we now get the 15 hours as well (although our nursery calculates it at 11 hours per week for the entire year, vs. 15 per week for term time only). She's in 5 days a week, 8am-6pm (although I collect at 5.30 typically) and has the same with food, consumables etc. all included.

The hours + the tax free childcare account genuinely does help a lot. August was a 5 week bill so the comparison is off - but if we compare July (pre-15 free hours) it was 1413 GBP, and September was 1140 GBP. Essentially between 250-300 saving per month with the hours now taken into account.

We essentially would put in 1500 every month into the tax free account, then after a few months there is enough in the account to pay for an entire month outright. With the hours, we still look to put around 1300 in per month as the 5 week invoices can still be a little higher.

It's hard to say without actually seeing the nursery but I think that cost sounds fantastic, particularly if it's a good nursery and your son enjoys going!

Thanks for the additional info, much appreciated. I essentially came to the same conclusion that we should just put in what we'd pay them every month and eventually, we'd have a "free" month" due to government contributions.

Rough calculations says we can get the bill down to £650-ish a month, without tax free benefit, just free childcare, then every so often a free month. Once the 30hrs starts next year September, I'd think we'd be under £300 a month. So that will help - then state funded school end of 2027. Then bill is of course £0.

Figuring all this out has taken a lot of time. In my home country, you're on your own - government pays zero.

Logan loves the daycare and settled. We have no concerns, so we're happy to keep him there and by all accounts here, price is actually reasonable.

Can you still use the £2k top-up with the free hours? Can the free hours and/or the £2k top-up be used for wraparound?

At it's highest I was paying £1500 a month for my daughter.

Yes, the two benefits can be combined if you qualify for both. Fortunately we do.

 

[Jay85]

I caught it the other week from our little one, they are 100% justified in screaming the place down. Very very unpleasant considering it's nothing particularly serious.

Can only protect our little ones from so much and unfortunately we can't protect them against stuff like this especially if it goes around the nursery.

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

Is there any reasonable justification for why Wales don't get access to the younger aged free nursery hours that England gets?

It seems entirely backwards that we have one central government yet the rules aren't applicable across the entire UK for stuff like that!

I'm not bitter, promise!!!!!

 

[Fringe]

So my little one has just started Reception hes 4 , He seems to be misbehaving a lot at home , like rage then hyper bouncing off the walls and not listening to what me or the wife are saying.

Is anyone else in the same situation or is it just me lol

 

[tom_e]

Is there any reasonable justification for why Wales don't get access to the younger aged free nursery hours that England gets?

It seems entirely backwards that we have one central government yet the rules aren't applicable across the entire UK for stuff like that!

I'm not bitter, promise!!!!!

Same reason we don't get free prescriptions this side of the border... Reasons

 

[willhub]

I'm looking forward to my son getting 30 hours from Jan, I'll be able to get in a bike ride on a friday, I'd rather he come with me though to be fair but the roads I don't think I'd want to risk his safety on them

 

[ci_newman]

Is there any reasonable justification for why Wales don't get access to the younger aged free nursery hours that England gets?

It seems entirely backwards that we have one central government yet the rules aren't applicable across the entire UK for stuff like that!

I'm not bitter, promise!!!!!

Same reason we don't get free prescriptions this side of the border... Reasons

Or the same reason that Scottish students get free University courses whereas the English and Welsh don't. Devolved Governments.

 

[Minstadave]

So my little one has just started Reception hes 4 , He seems to be misbehaving a lot at home , like rage then hyper bouncing off the walls and not listening to what me or the wife are saying.

Is anyone else in the same situation or is it just me lol

40 mins of screaming instead of going to pre-school club this morning for my 4 year old. They get extremely tired these first months of school.

 

[Fringe]

40 mins of screaming instead of going to pre-school club this morning for my 4 year old. They get extremely tired these first months of school.

Hopefully it will get better with abit of time. TBH its prob our fault he went for 3 days of school start of Term then we had 10 days away so he weas basically starting all over again. so maybe in a Month or 2 he will be better

 

[dl8860]

Hopefully it will get better with abit of time. TBH its prob our fault he went for 3 days of school start of Term then we had 10 days away so he weas basically starting all over again. so maybe in a Month or 2 he will be better

Was going to respond to your post before saying every single parent of a 4yo will have had similar feelings at somepoint so don't worry. But that's pretty mental hauling him out of school for 10 days right at the beginning of school like that. You must have had a really good reason, because those early weeks are crucial for getting to grips with things, getting to know their surroundings, the teacher, their classmates, the routine.