Can anyone help me understand 30 hours free childcare for 3 year old

[30hourschildcare]

I can't get my head around it

My partner works, I don't. My son is 3.

He has just started nursery, in the mornings.

When I look online it says I can't get it because I don't work.

But most mums at the school seem to have 30 hours even though they don't work.

Can any one explain how it works to me ?

Both parents (or the one parent in a single adult household) need to work 16hrs.
Otherwise its 15 hrs.

Some places allow you to buy extra hours.

the only thing that I know of that makes you not eligible is if either of you earns over £100k? If not it sounds like an error.

Did you check the nursery takes free hours? I think sometimes they aren’t registered for them, and I think you have to list them on the application?

I believe you also get it on maternity leave.

I think you'll get 15 funded hours. You can pay for extra hours though.

The 30 hours is when both parents are in work but also if one parent is in work and the other one who doesn’t work receive Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance or contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance

The website is right, you won't qualify for 30 hours if you don't work, you will still get the universal 15 hours. The other mum probably work part time or are self employed to fit around the kids, or possibly get careers allowance or other benefits that also qualify.

If you don’t receive any of those benefits and your partner’s income isn’t over 100k then your child will receive the 15 funded hours

How do you know they don’t work?

Everyone gets 15 hours. 30 hours is for when both parents work or with some benefits. I'm a freelancer so because if my flexibility I have had people assume I don't work but I work 32 hours a week on days he is in childcare and in the evenings.

Thanks all

I haven't assumed they don't work, they have told me.

So I guess I have to work to be able to get the 30 hours. But will struggle to find a job unless he is already doing 30 hours.

Will be difficult I suppose, but I will find a way!

Thank you for your help

Maybe they pay the difference?

Take the 15 hours everyone is entitled to, use that time to find work and then increase to 30 hrs if you get a job.

It's 30 hours during the term time - works out about 22 hours a week if your nursery allows you to stretch the hours over the whole year

Apply for jobs and tell them you need a months notice period to sort out nursery? Most people who change jobs have a notice period, 3 months is not unusual either, so they will probably expect this. If they can't wait a notice period at least you have gained some interview experience.

Or if you can afford it pay to top up some of your 15 hours for the first month until you get the 30 free hours sorted out.

Thank you.

Everyone at the gate discussed their free hours etc so I know who was and wasn't paying. But I obviously didn't ask about any benefits they receive so that could be the deciding factor. Or other factors that just don't apply to me.

It's funny that they give you 15 hours, but you have to work 16. They could of added one more hour couldn't they!

It's a school nursery so any changes will be able to be implemented from after Christmas.

I think I will stick with 15 this term while he gets used to it.
Thanks all

But you only get 15 hours if you don't work. If you work 16+ hours, you'll get 30 funded hours.

@Headabovetheparakeet yes but if I now try to find a job, I need to get 1 hour child care until my 30 hours can go through

Well you would need more than 1 hour to allow for your travel time and you won’t necessarily find a job that’s the same hours. Lots or nurseries allow you to pay to top up to the 30 hours. It’s already September now, you could have the 30 hours in place in January. I would start looking soon if you intend to work as by the time you’ve applied, interviewed etc itll only be a month or 2 anyway.

More than likely these other parents are either on 15 funded hours (not 30) or they may be self-employed in some capacity (working for partner or family business, running a small side business, MLM, that sort of thing). You have to report your employment status, so no way to fib really. I would just look at the bright side that you have 15 hours a week of childcare while you look for a job. When I went back to work after mat leave, dh was walking in circles around town on the weekend with youngest dc in pushchair so I could sit in a cafe for an hour to work on my CV in peace.

but if I now try to find a job, I need to get 1 hour child care until my 30 hours can go through

This isn't generally how nurseries work. Surely you're getting some half days or full days with the option to top up?

When both parents work most families pay for at least some of the childcare. Don't forget that paying for childcare would come out of you and your partner's wages. It's not just your responsibility to pay.

To be honest, I'm just trying to figure it all out. It's all new. I don't want him to miss out because of my misunderstanding.

It's not essential that I go back to work. Am just fed up and bored!

We get 30 hours funded childcare as we both work full time hours.
The 30 hours at our setting means DS could (we don't use all hours we are entitled to yet) attend AM and PM education sessions however we cannot use them for Breakfast, Lunch or After School Club for pay for any additional times.
Be aware that even if entitled to them they may not have space immediately - I want to up sessions now he is settled but have been told it may be January before I can do so.