Returning to work- nursery tax relief
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You need to be earning an average amount each week (about £183 I think?) in order to qualify, so if maternity pay doesn't cover this then you wouldn't qualify, sorry :(
@Becky I would be as I’d be paid in full for the Easter holidays
I also wouldn’t be using my code until June if that helps 🤷🏼♀️
@Gabrielle oh really. What did they say? Thank you. Thought it would be worth trying 🙄
I went back in the week before Christmas and baby was due to start nursery in Jan. I applied for the tax free childcare in advance of that but it wouldn’t let me submit it until I was working. I sent it on my first day back and the account was sorted before the Christmas break was over. They also gave me my working parents’ free hours code at the same time even though he doesn’t qualify until after Easter as he turned 9 months in Jan and it doesn’t start until the term after they turn 9 months. What is annoying is that I don’t seem to have the full £500 allocation of money (only £230) so I’ve already used that and will have to pay full price at nursery for 3 months until it resets.
I will be in this exact situation in a years time so would really appreciate you sharing info once you have an answer 🥰
They just said it needs to be when you return to work long term. It’s so frustrating!
@Steph you can backdate the tax free child care claim so you should be able to get the money back.
@Gabrielle Was that even with explaining you’d hit the minimum earning threshold for that period? 😣
@Megan yeah. It’s really annoying but they weren’t having any of it! I’m guessing it has to be from paid work not mat pay.
On another group someone said they rang HMRC and they said they could do it and it worked so I’m non the wiser 😂🤷🏼♀️
Ooh which group was that? Tbh it’s probably worth ringing them and asking directly - I’m going to wait until the 30 funded hours from Sept is definitely confirmed and then do that!
I’d seen it on here that you could do it so applied and got a message saying they needed more info so I called them and then got told no. I might call them again!
I already have an account for my first born so it may be easier to add her into that hopefully as I won’t be setting up a whole new account 🤞
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@Gabrielle I’ve just been on the phone to them for 40 mins and they’ve confirmed that we do qualify! And that was me explicitly saying I’ll be returning to work and then using SPL and then returning to work again etc. he said as long as you’ve earned the minimum amount within that time period then you can get your code
@Megan omg amazing! I’m going to call them now then. Must just depend who you speak to because they were adamant I wouldn’t be eligible 🙄
@Gabrielle let us know what they say! I spoke to the eligibility department and they then put me on hold to go and confirm with their manager as well
@Megan do you know what the minimum earning requirement is again please?
Great news though. I will be getting my code in March to return in the holidays in April and go back to work 2nd June so I’m sure with the 2 weeks Easter pay I’ll be ok hopefully
To get your hours from 1 April then you need to earn “£2,380 before tax if you’re aged 21 or over (equivalent to £183 per week)” between 1st Feb and 30th April
So feb half term should count within that too?
@Megan perfect thanks. I’ve just got £1300 ish from feb half term and statutory so by Easter too I think that will cover it. I won’t be using my code until June anyway x
@Megan I spoke with them today and I’m sorted! My little boy starts on Monday so this is fab! Thank you!
So great guys! I’m going to try do it early March on my log in details as I already have an account set up. Fingers crossed it’s easy to add a child
I tried this but unfortunately having spoken to HMRC it’s not how it works!