If she's claiming as a single parent then she'll get help towards her childcare. I'm sure they pay upto 85% so she'll only have to pay 15% of it. I think because they pay her the money and she has to pass it on to the nursery or wherever, she thinks its her cash. But its not. You are always better off working than not in terms of numbers, but your outgoings go up, so your rent will be a little bit more (but you'll still get housing benefit), etc. If she is claiming single parent, shes brazen as duck! How shes not para one of the insta minions wont grass her up when they'v had enough of her freeloading.