Kimberley Hill, 23, earns £920 a month but faces nursery fees of £879 plus £200 for after-school care for her older son.
Kimberley Hill earns £920 a month, but the amount she pays for childcare alone is more than that A mother has revealed that she will have to quit her job because of crippling nursery costs that leave her with no money to feed herself.
Kimberley Hill, 23, earns £920 a month but faces nursery fees of £879 plus £200 for after-school care for her older son.in June believing it would be better for her family, taking out a loan of £1,000 to tide her over. But then in August when her youngest son Austin turned three she was told she would have to get a job as the ‘looking for work’ age had reduced from having a child aged five to three. She started an admin job on September 30 and qualifies for 30 hours of free childcare a week but missed the August 31 deadline because she had not intended to return to work before then.Kimberley, from Telford, said: ‘I’m so saddened they expect me to return to work and are so eager for me to do so and, when I have found something, I have no support whatsoever.‘My salary doesn’t even cover my childcare costs let alone any other bills. I cannot afford to pay for my childcare upfront.’She often goes without food and the food she gives her children is of low quality meaning she has suffered with digestive problems that have led to hospital visits. Kimberley said: ‘I feed the kids then I have whatever’s left over. Healthy food is expensive, cheap food isn’t so much. The doctors say I’m not getting enough fruit and veg but I cannot comprehend spending much money on a meal. All I can afford is £1 pizza and £1 chips.’ Working parents in receipt of Universal Credit can claim up to 85 per cent of their childcare costs but the bills need to be paid and then claimed back – something Kimberley is unable to do as her rent also needs to be paid upfront and her salary and Universal Credit are both paid in arrears.She added: ‘I could understand them lowering the “looking for work” age to four, which is school age, but with the price of nursery fees these days, to lower it to the age of three? ‘No wonder some people choose to just pop another child out, probably an easier option because it’s so much stress, but that’s having a child for the wrong reasons. I didn’t expect to be a single mum. I had been with my partner for years but it didn’t work out.’ Currently, Kimberley receives £1,049 Universal Credit per month but this will be reduced significantly when she starts receiving her monthly salary.She says that, after a £240 allowance, her payment will reduce by 63p for every pound she earns. She has also had to turn to her parents for financial help. Kimberley said: ‘I switched to Universal Credit because I was struggling to save my weekly income support benefits to pay my monthly bills. ‘I felt this decision would be best for me and my boys as Universal Credit is paid monthly.The first payment takes four to five weeks to come through but your benefits stop straight away.‘I had to try to find money for new uniform and shoes. I cannot get a credit card, overdraft or loans because of a debt relief order. I’ve had to call on a neighbour to borrow some money to pay my car insurance. ‘Sometimes I wish I hadn’t come off income support because at least I had my bills paid. But it was hard if I needed a new tyre on my car or my son got a hole in his school jumper.‘It’s confusing because the amount of Universal Credit I get changes every month depending on how much childcare I’m claiming and how much money I’m earning. But it feels like I get a lot less money now.’ Kimberley’s income is currently in limbo as her salary and childcare costs will significantly alter the amount of Universal Credit she receives.Work coaches in Jobcentres are able to offer eligible claimants a Flexible Support Fund, which is a non-repayable award to help with upfront childcare costs in order to start work. Kimberley applied for this but said she was told she was likely to be denied as the amount she needed was high.
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