Call Employers For Childcare and you could be £4,000 better off in 2018
January can be hard for working parents—any form of routine has disappeared, the kids don’t want to go back to school, the dreaded bank statement and/or credit card bill arrives—and let’s not mention the five-week wait until payday! To help parents take stock of their finances in 2018, Employers For Childcare urges all parents to call its Family Benefits Advice Service to find out what financial support for childcare would be best suited to them, and identify any other benefits to which their family may be entitled. By doing so they could be on average £4,000 per year better off[1].
Aoife Hamilton, Policy and Information Manager explains: “Many working parents assume because they are working that they are not entitled to financial support. For example, if the household income is over £26,000, there is a misconception that they cannot claim Tax Credits. However, this threshold is based on having one child only where the family has no childcare costs and/or disabilities. Depending on your circumstances the threshold can be as high as £59,000.”
The last 12 months have been bleak—a rise in interest rates, food, and energy bills, an ongoing freeze on benefits and numerous issues around the delivery of Universal Credit have all taken a financial toll on working families. Research released today also shows 16 per cent of families surveyed said they are likely – or very likely – to fall behind with their finances in January, as a result of Christmas spending. Aoife continues, “Now more than ever, we urge working parents to contact us to ensure they are not missing out on financial entitlements. Employers For Childcare is here to help. One phone call to our Family Benefits Advice Service could save working parents, on average, over £4,000 per year.”
Employers For Childcare is committed to making it easier for parents with dependent children to get into work and to stay in work. If you have any questions about what your family may be entitled to, call our Family Benefits Advice Service on 028 9267 8200 for free, impartial and confidential advice. For a personal benefits check it is useful to have the following items to hand: a P60 for the previous tax year, an estimate of earnings and weekly hours for this tax year, childcare costs, disability or sickness benefits in payment, housing costs including rates, details of Maternity Leave and Pay, and immigration status if applicable.
[1]Working parents who received a personal benefits check from us in 2016/17 gained an average of £4,130 – Employers For Childcare’s Social Impact Report 2017.
