Hello
I have a client on SMP who is returning to work in Sept 08. She wants to try her daughter with a particular childminder for 2 weeks before deciding that she is the right one to look after her. She has an entitlement to the childcare element of WTC, however when she tried ringing the general helpline she was told that her child had to be in childcare for a minimum of four weeks before she was entitled to the childcare element. I have rung the advisors helpline regarding this twice and on one occasion been told that there is no minimum time for child to be in childcare before childcare element can be paid and that this was an old reg which has been revised. The other time I was told quite firmly that the client could not be paid any childcare for a child who was to be in childcare for anything less than 4 weeks. I can find nothing in the tax credit technical manual nor the regs to support this latter response but have no decision notice on this in which to appeal, only the provisional 08/09 one. Does anyone have any experience of such a situation?
Thanks