How do free nursery hours work?

[UnicornInDMboots]

Can someone tell me how the free nursery hours work?
Is it 15 or 30? If it's going up to 30 do we know when ?
Is everyone eligible or is it means tested? What nurseries is it in? School or private ?(I was DD to go to a school nursery?)
If there is a website just explaining it all if you can point me there that'd be great to save you having to explain!

Thanks !!!

So do both parents have to be working?

I presume self-employed is ok?

Depending on how things go at work we may just miss out under the income provision anyway. It does seem to be quite complicated but maybe I just haven't read the right guidance.

If you want her to go to a school nursery, then you will probably have to apply through the Local Authority. You'll need to check when the application deadlines are.

I would put your name down on a few waiting lists for places that take the 15h funding because if the 30 hours do come in then every child who gets 30h effectively uses up 2 spaces so the more popular settings may fill much faster than they used to. If settings decide they would rather have (say) 20 children taking 30 hours than 40 children taking 15 hours then 20 children need to find a new setting.

"I presume self-employed is ok?" The discussion was that self employed would be okay as long as the income was at least 16h x minimum wage per week. I am not sure that was set in stone though.

Thanks Oddboots, not sure we would qualify then - it would depend on the period. My OH is a self employed artist and income is extremely patchy!