retired_dogs2son1

I've just completed a DayCare trust survey on Nursery costs, it's laughable, how anyone can afford childcare.

Right you need to call HMRC and ask them to do a tax credit re-evaluation based on future earnings, not past. Basically is your wife, when on maternity leave only getting statutory pay? Aer you eligible for Working Tax Credit also? Check for some info http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/wtc2.htm#c1

Contact your local Children's Information Service and ask them for advice. Also check out Working Families website, you'll find that incredibly helpful.

Childcare vouchers help a little, you need to contact your works personnel department for that.

Also find out about the London Childcare Affordability Programme (LCAP). You need to be in receipt of tax credits more than £547.50 per year to be eligible. I don't have time to go into detail but search for some info on that.

If you get really stuck, email me and I'll see if I have any further info at the office. :thup:

retired_selena

Thinly veiled "I've had sex thread" tbh

retired_nini59

£60k a year and you can't afford to raise a kid, makes me wonder how these teen-scallies on £80 a week benefits manage, guess we should up their benefits :thup:

retired_kerich1117

And I'm Andy Cole.

I have pretty much worse outgoings than you, plus my wife doesn't work (hasn't for the past two and a half years), was robbed of my bonus from my former Italian employers (still waiting to sue their asses in court...), bought a house and earn just 40k p.a. It can be done easily on a single wage if, like the others have said, you make cutbacks.

Nursery for a 5-6 month old is pretty cruel in my opinion. Let them know their parents; get your wife to work part-time at the most; she could get a weekend job...

Second baby is on the way at last too :cool: </BLOCKQUOTE>

Obviously that wouldn't work.

Between my wife and I we get close to £60000.

My wife's salary of the portion is just over 50%, which means my salary is below £30000.

To have all those outlays related to the mortgage on a salary of less then £30000.

Maybe if I was so lucky to earn £40000 then you'd have a point. As it is, it is a lot more difficult.

And to suggest putting a child with a nursery or a child minder after 6 months is cruel is laughable.

retired_kerich1117

Brilliant Cesc!

I'm going to have a look at these things. :thup:

I'll email you If I get stuck.

retired_hvporter

And I'm Andy Cole.

I have pretty much worse outgoings than you, plus my wife doesn't work (hasn't for the past two and a half years), was robbed of my bonus from my former Italian employers (still waiting to sue their asses in court...), bought a house and earn just 40k p.a. It can be done easily on a single wage if, like the others have said, you make cutbacks.

Nursery for a 5-6 month old is pretty cruel in my opinion. Let them know their parents; get your wife to work part-time at the most; she could get a weekend job...

Second baby is on the way at last too :cool: </BLOCKQUOTE>

Obviously that wouldn't work.

Between my wife and I we get close to £60000.

My wife's salary of the portion is just over 50%, which means my salary is below £30000.

To have all those outlays related to the mortgage on a salary of less then £30000.

Maybe if I was so lucky to earn £40000 then you'd have a point. As it is, it is a lot more difficult.

And to suggest putting a child with a nursery or a child minder after 6 months is cruel is laughable. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Not at all laughable. The first 12-18 months are the key months in terms of how the child develops, so to have a parent there instead of a surrogate mother is not the best solution. Obviously some people have no other option but to use childcare - those who are not on a good salary, need to work to pay the bills, etc. But to struggle on 60k is, to say the least, shocking.

I would like to add that for the first 12 months of my daughters life, when my wife was too ill to work but stayed at home to bring our daughter up, I was on 18k a year with bills and no benefits (Italian state system for you). So it can be done, if you can be arsed to make some sacrifices yourself.

retired_hvporter

Fixed.

retired_imran_ryd

I fought this arguement before on here Gav and seem to remember being the only one that thought a new child should be with a parent for the majority of the time for the first 18 months or so.
I know that in some cases nurserys are unavoidable but you've wanted kids so why not spend time with them and enjoy them.

retired_taima

We put our son into nursery at 5 months and it was the worst decision we ever made. The health of all three parties suffered massively. I would strongly recommend you think again. We managed to work out a way of my wife staying at home with him supported by just my wage (less than yours). It is possible if, as Gav says, you are prepared to make cutbacks in order to make it work. We adhear to some pretty strict budgeting but life has never been better. I wish you all the best.

retired_kerich1117

Fixed. </BLOCKQUOTE>

Normally I would agree with you 100% Gav, but if you take my wife's salary away and you are left with about £26000, then meeting all the mortgage payments (which includes unemployment cover, critical illness & death cover plus the mortgage it self plus a few other things) plus utility bills and public transport costs to take me to work, then one of the parents not working is not really feasible.

You can't just look at a combined household income and say that is sufficient to live on if more then 50% of that is taken away if the wife (who earns over £30k) stops working.

I don't know where you live but here in the south and the south east it is pretty expensive.

Sure, I could give up unemployment cover and critical illness and death cover for example, but it is there to protect us/my wife in case one of us is made redundant or if one of us dies.

So again, you can't just look at a combined household income and make judgements on that figure and say it should be easy to meet childcare costs.