Childcare Changes And Assessing Childcare (AG)
To deal with childcare changes and assessing childcare, consider
steps 1 - 26 below. The guide is presented as follows
| 1 | Before making any changes
to the claim, you must follow the guidance in
Establish If A Change Can
Be Made
|
| 2 | Consider the change
reported, ensuring that the following information is provided
|
| 3 | Contact the claimant by
telephone for any missing information. Follow the guidance in
Contacting The
Claimant
|
| 4 | Use Function AMEND
APPLICATION selecting the Change of Circumstances option
|
| 5 | If the claim is pre-award
a message will display ‘Details must be recorded on the Free
Format screen. Do you wish to proceed?’
|
| 6 | If the claim is
post award you will be taken to the
Applicant Details screen
|
| 7 | Confirm the pay frequency
of the new childcare costs
|
| 8 | To assess childcare
costs, you must calculate a weekly childcare figure from the
information provided. Refer to
childcare example
1
Note: When considering if the childcare costs have increased or decreased by £10.00 per week or more, you need to look at the total childcare costs, not just individual costs
Then, if there is a |
| 9 | Check whether the total
childcare costs have changed by £10.00 or more per week
|
| 10 | If the costs have changed
by £10.00 per week or more, you will need to calculate the
effective date of the new costs. Refer to
childcare example
3
If the calculated effective date of the new childcare costs is
Note: When childcare costs decrease, a 4 week run on is applied to the old costs before applying the new costs |
| 11 | If the claimant reports a
change of childcare provider and costs and then reports a further
change within 4 weeks of the 1st change occurring, ensure that
there is no overlap or gap in the childcare costs
In the Childcare Details screen
Then
|
| 12 | Where current childcare
costs and / or provider have changed, the current costs must be
ended
To change the costs for provider 1
Notes:
|
| 13 | Note:If you have multiple changes you
may need to come back to this step to take appropriate action for
each change
Note: For information on a 3 month restriction applied to a change of circumstance, follow the guidance in Effective Date Of A Change Of Circumstances Consider the following, if
|
| 14 | Use Function AMEND
APPLICATION, choosing the change of circumstances option
Note: Where childcare starts on a Sunday that date should be used, not the previous one
Note: You will need to follow this action for any child (who isn’t currently in childcare) and who is having childcare claimed for them for the first time |
| 15 | Select ‘Ch’
on the toolbar menu. You will be taken to the Child Details screen
Note: You will need to follow this action for any child (who isn’t currently in childcare) and who is having childcare claimed for them for the first time |
| 16 | If you are not already in
the Childcare Details screen, select ‘CC’ on the
toolbar menu. You will be taken to the Childcare Details screen
Notes: You will enter a different start date dependant on whether this is a new claim to childcare (and child is not currently in childcare) or if current childcare costs have increased or decreased by £10.00 or more per week or remained the same
Note: Consider if there are any other changes which need to be applied before going to Amend Finish. For example, child already in childcare has a new provider and costs in addition to claiming childcare costs for a new child for the first time |
| 17 | If you are not already in
the Childcare Details screen, select ‘CC’ on the
toolbar menu. You will be taken to the Childcare Details screen
Notes: You will enter a different start date dependant on whether the childcare costs have increased or decreased by £10.00 or more per week or remained the same
Note: Consider if there are any other changes which need to be applied before going to the Amend Finish screen. For example, child already in childcare has a new provider and costs, in addition to claiming childcare costs for a new child for the first time |
| 18 | In the Childcare Details
screen, click on the childcare provider that the change relates to,
to highlight them
Notes: You will enter a different start date dependant on whether the childcare costs have increased or decreased by £10.00 or more per week
Note: Consider if there are any other changes which need to be applied before going to the Amend Finish screen. For example, child already in childcare has a new provider and costs, in addition to claiming childcare costs for the new child for the first time |
| 19 | In the Childcare Details
screen, click on the childcare provider that the change relates to,
to highlight them
Note: When you move to the next field, the warning message ‘3 months restriction applied to include from date. Check if correct’ may display. Click on the [OK] button. This will delete the message
Note: You must then record the new costs. Backdate the new costs to the 3 months limit
Note: The Include From Date field will automatically be displayed with a date 3 months before today’s date, (the same date as the start date entered)
Note: Consider if there are any other changes which need to be applied before going to the Amend Finish screen. For example, child already in childcare has a new provider and costs, in addition to claiming childcare costs for the new child for the first time |
| 20 | In the Childcare Details
screen, click on the [New] button
Note: For information on adding a childcare provider follow the guidance Adding A Childcare Provider
Note: When you move to the next field, the warning message ‘3 month restriction applied to include from date. Check if correct’ may display. Click on the [OK] button. This will delete the message
Note: You must then record the new costs. Backdate the new costs to the 3 months limit
Note: The Include From Date field will automatically be displayed with a date 3 months before today’s date (the same date as the start date entered)
Note: Consider if there are any other changes which need to be applied before going to the Amend Finish screen. For example, child already in childcare has a new provider and costs, in addition to claiming childcare for the new child for the first time |
| 21 | In the Child Details
screen, click on the childcare provider that the change relates to
Note: When you move to the next field, the warning message ‘3 month restriction applied to include from date. Check if correct’ will display. Click on the [OK] button. This will delete the message
Note: Consider if there are any other changes which need to be applied before going to the Amend Finish screen. For example, child already in childcare has a new provider and costs, in addition to claiming childcare costs for a new child for the first time |
| 22 | Where childcare costs
have permanently ceased or the claimant(s)are no longer eligible to
claim childcare costs, then the current costs must be ended
Note: You will need to repeat this action if you are to end more than one provider
|
| 23 | In the Childcare Details
screen
|
| 24 | On the Amend Finish
screen
Note: The changes you have made in this function will not be applied until you complete the Amend Finish screen |
| 25 | Use Function MAINTAIN
HOUSEHOLD NOTES and select the ‘General’ category to
record the action you have taken
Note: The message you need to record will be dependent on what action you have taken Enter any of the messages that applies below
|
| 26 | Send the correspondence to storage . Follow the guidance in Preparing And Sending Documents For Storage |
