I'm a student nurse and have just found out today that I am not eligible for any childcare costs due to my hubbys wage.
He doesn't earn a massive amount, between 25 & 30k (dont want to divulge the actual sum!) but with the mortgage, bills, loans and general living costs we don't live in any luxury.

I earn about 6k in bursary, my ds yearly nursery fees come to a staggering ??5460 so I would be working a whole year for a meesly ??500. The bursaries reason for not awarding me anything is because of my husbands wage.

I cant claim anything through the child tax credit system because they class me as a student even though I work 37 hours a week. If they did I would qualify for nearly ??3k to help with the nursery fees.

I'm so bloody angry. We have this months and next months fees to pay, which is ??800 plus we've paid that over the last 2 months which we thought we'd get back once they's processed the form.
GRRRRRRR! :evil:

[Modified by: percypig on 16 November 2009 13:59:03 ]

oh honey I feel for you I really do!!

I've been buggered about child tax credits and they won't pay anything now.

I earn ??20k and hubby has been out of work for 6 months this year but has found a job earning about ??10k.
I used to get about ??180 per month child tax credits and some of this was towards child care of ??67 per week, but now thye've stopped my tax credits and don't get a penny

its such a struggle to find ??67 per week and pay all bills, mortgage etc!!

I get paid monthly and that covers mortgage and most of bills and hubby gets weekly but his wages barely covers food, nursery, petrol and anything else
.
its so bad this year I can not afford to buy anyone presents apart from lo and the xmas food. I'm doing christmas this year on ??160!!!

I'm jsut lucky that I can work full time and only have to have lo in nursery two days a week as I have family help out other days but I was advised by CTC that i'd probably be better off if I didn't work!!!
its all wrong!!

so sorry honey!!

im sorry to hear this makes me so angry when you are genuinely wanting to work and be trained in a proffession. the system stinks !!

Thankyou, it is so frustrating that because I'm married that I should get punished like this.
My friends at uni who are single mums (absolutely no offence meant here just offering a comparison) get an extra ??3600 a year for being single, their childcare costs paid in full, dependents allowance. Plus all the other things you can claim, like housing help, council tax etc AND because being a student is classed as not working they recieve ??8000 from the tax credit people!

I am now writing a seething letter of complaint

xx

Thankyou, it is so frustrating that because I'm married that I should get punished like this.
My friends at uni who are single mums (absolutely no offence meant here just offering a comparison) get an extra ??3600 a year for being single, their childcare costs paid in full, dependents allowance. Plus all the other things you can claim, like housing help, council tax etc AND because being a student is classed as not working they recieve ??8000 from the tax credit people!

I am now writing a seething letter of complaint

xx

I feel like this all the time. My OH only earns 12000 per year atm full time which barely covers rent and bills. then i get ??90 a week to buy food, nappies, petrol etc. We dont get housing benefit or anything. I would be better off leaving him

Hi im a student nurse too altho i am seconded and we can claim tax credits (only 37 a month but every bit helps) I looked into the bursery side of it as im pregnant again and at first wasnt sure if they would stop my secondmement and I was told they would give me dependance allowenece (my hubby earns same bracket as yours). why is it different for different uni's??
I would phone tax credits again and ask for full explaination as to why it makes a dffierence if you are senconded to being bursery paid! (secondment pays more than bursery so in theory you should get more than i do in tax credits)
it really annoys me that people like yourself are trying hard to make a good living for your family and get no help.
i am asuming you get council tax benefit like every other student (25% discount if you and hubby are only adults in the house) if not ask uni for the certificate as every student is entitled to that x

mousenose - i've thought the same thing, esp as hubby and i have been arguing a lot this year!! but isn't that a sad situation to be in??!! leaving your oh so we're better off for our kids


I think we need a revolt in this country!!!

Definately, I have said this before and been shot down by some single mums but I have nothing against single mums, just the way the government treats couples. As a 19 year old single mum i would be fine, could do a little part time job. Me and OH argue aswell but it is all about money!!!If we earnt an extra 10k per year we would be fine, which I could easily earn, but childcare makes it unworkable!

to the OP definately explore all your avenues help. Ring around different places. Does your Uni/NHS have grants they could give out? x

I totally agree that you're being treated terribly!! When I was a student I had a hard time claiming benefits (I was pregnant) even tho I had deferred from my course so was not even going! Ridiculous! Does your uni offer free nursery or creche place? Some do, also could family have your lo to cut costs?? I'm a single mum and I don't get housing benefit because I work but I do get reduced council tax, and a high sum of working & child tax credit, I totally agree the system doesn't help married or co-habiting couples out. But TBH I earn minimum wage and am definitely not living in luxury as have had hours cut at work :\(

I did ask the tax credits today why they don't class me as working when I recive a wage and work my ass off for 37hours in the hospital every week. They said it's not working, and the bursary I receive is not in payment of my work but for my allowance. Whatever!

I'm not entitled to any help from uni, again because of hubby's wage.
I've written my appeal's letter, stating that ??450 a month out of a ??600 wage is unreasonable to be paying for childcare costs and also saying that I'm being penalised for being married- which I totally am.
I do get the 25% council tax discount.

The bursary childcare costs was set up to help those because students can't claim child tax credits, so why they aren't helping us god knows.
When we submitted the form, they wanted to know every expenditure including living costs and mortgage rates. So they know that ??700 is deducted from hubby's wage each month in tax and pension contributions and the rest goes on the mortgage and bills.
Basically my wage was for food and any nice extras that we rarely have.

I'm so angry

I was a student nurse before Ihad my lo, like you I have had to give it up cause I can't afford to work for nothing, I have decided to go bac when lo is in school xxx

Hi, I totally understand what youre saying, and agree its rubbish..BUT... if you stop your training how then you will be earning nothing until you find something else which fits in with little one ect.
However, I dont know how far through you are but even if your at the start of your first year, yes you will be working for only ??500 per year, but after that you will be earning atleast ??20k if you continue to work full time. Thats how i think i would look at it if i were in your situation.
I qualified 6 years ago and only work one night a week now so that i can stay at home with my daughter and not have to pay childcare costs as theyre so expensive. I get over ??6k which I wouldnt get if i hadnt stuck with the training.
Just something for you to think about?

Hi, I agree with Sarah+1!

I can understand why you're infuriuated with the inequality of the system, (maybe a letter to your mp on that??), but on the other hand if you stick with the training now, but are having a short term hardship for a long term gain.

My dh worked for NOTHING for a few mths in his first job after uni, in order to get the right experience needed for a training course (which he also borrowed ??3k from family to fund) on top of uni debts. He now earns a very good salary, so it was well worth it!

Mx
:\)

and if you are planning any more kiddies, if you stick to the course you will get mat pay when you have qualified if you have worked for the trust long enough. Another bonus.