I have a client who has recently stopped working. She will be going to college next month and doesn't want to give up her childcare placement meantime as she will need it when she is at college. A local organisation who she has received help from are under the impression that she is entitled to a 4 week run on for the childcare which would take her up to the college date. I have made numerous phone calls to TCO and been given different answers each time and nobody can quote me guidance to confirm - same say she is due and others say it stops at same time as WTC. Any suggestions?

If childcare costs stop, or go down (or up) by more than £10 a week, for more than 4 weeks in a row you are required to tell TCO. This would create the effect of a run-on.

Here's a link to the HMRC website which refers to this: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/changeofcircumstances.htm

Hope this helps.

In this case the childcare does not change. She wishes the placement to continue, so the only change is that she has stopped work. Would this mean that there is no 4 week run on?

Looking at it from WTC eligibility - my guess is that childcare costs stop at the same time as WTC. I think WTC can continue where there's a gap of a week between jobs - not your client's situation I know, but it suggests it's not too hopeful for her.

Childcare is an element of WTC so therefore if no WTC entitlement then no childcare entitlement.

Never heard of the four week run on, I wonder if they were confused because changes to childcare costs which last less than four weeks are not considered significant. Not really relevant as has been pointed out she can't get WTC if she isn't working.

If she's aged under 20 and in further non advanced education she may get a Care to Learn Grant, contact Connexions for more info' or see www.dfes.gov.uk/caretolearn, or phone 0845 600 2809. Colleges also have limited Access funds which may help.

If she's in Higher Education she may get a Childcare Grant, see www.direct.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning or phone the Student Finance Customer Support Office 0845 607 7577.

Here in London there is a pilot running called the Childcare Affordability Programme, maybe you have something in your borough too, it could be worth asking your local Early Start or Early Years team for advice.

Best of luck for you and your client.

Has anybody any further information on this? I have a client who says he was told by TCO when he was made redundant that childcare costs could be continued for four weeks, in line with the notice term in his agreement with the childcare provider.

So now, of course, he has a bill for childcare and TCO deny that he has any entitlement.

Sorry - for clarity I should add that he and partner still get basic WTC, but they stopped satisfying the "both working" test when he lost his job.

I can't help on the 4 week run on issue, but is your case an overpayment matter? If so, could you get the recording of the call to check what the client was told by TCO? If he was told there was a 4 week run on then he could not reasonably be expected to know he was being overpaid so should not have to pay it back.

Thanks Derek; no not an overpayment. The problem is that after that advice they gave four weeks notice to the childcare provider, and paid for it from his last payment. Then when the WTC was paid the childcare element had been knocked out: result - short of cash for luxuries like food, rent and all that!.

They would have tried to get provider to accept less notice and/or take pay over longer period, if they hadn't been misled. Which of course raises the possibility of a claim at tort for compensation for financial loss for negligent advice, so I've asked him to get the voice recording anyway just in case.

But it would be so much simpler if a four week run-on entitlement had been slipped into the system, wouldn't it? And isn't it interesting that TCO seemed to think that it had? And don't you think - if four weeks is a fairly standard notice period for ending childcare - that a run-on makes sense? This man works mostly on short term sub-contracting - he'll likely think twice about the next one if the ending of childcare is going to create hardship. And this can't be the only family...