When will my child get ANY free hours?

[Kowll]

They are 2 next October (2024). I don’t know how I am going to manage.

Are you on any benefits?

If you work are you eligible for tax free childcare. FEET funding starts term after turning two but is not universal whereas Early
Years funding starts term after turning three ie January 2026 and is.

If you work full time then it will be the term after they turn 3 you can claim 30 free hours.
If you are in receipt of benefits then it's when they are 2 you get 15 hours.

Do you work? Do you have a partner and do they work? There's all of the information you need on the government childcare choices site.

Do you work? Are you on benefits?

To be honest, it’s highly likely that the government will change in the next 12-18 months so until party manifestos are out, it’s all just speculative.

Assuming you work maybe September 2024 if current proposals happen, if not January 2026

It depends on your circumstances. All 3 and 4 year olds get 570 hours free per year (usually 15 hours over 38 weeks, but can be spread differently).

If your income without benefits is less than £15,400 per year and you get a qualifying benefit, they can get 570 hours from the term after their 2nd birthday.

Working parents can get 30 hours free childcare if their income is below a certain point.

In theory, the following is being introduced:

From April 2024, working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours childcare support.

From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to working parents of children from the age of 9 months to 3-year-olds.

From September 2025, working parents of children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare a week.

That, however, is all a bit tricky to judge given how unlikely the Tories are to remain in power come the next election.

If you work, Uc will help with childcare costs now.

othrrwise, 15 hrs for 40 weeks a year if you're eligible start the January term after he turns 2, if you're eligible.

if the new rollout happens (IF) you'll get them even if not currently eligible,

the difficulty will be finding a place, I'd get his name down now if I were you.

Depends on your income. All children get 15 hours early years education (or whatever it’s called) from the term after they turn 3.

Depends on the nursery how much that covers - eg my son’s nursery did 3 free hours a day (so 15 over 5 days). He only ever went 2 days a week so we only ever got 6 free hours a week.

Under current rules, the term after they turn 3 so January 2026. If they do bring in the changes then the term after they turn 2 they will get 15 hours I believe so January 2025. If both parents are working then after they turn 3 you get 30 funded hours. Also you can use tax free childcare to cut costs a little.

What's happened op? Can't you look after/ pay for original planned childcare?

I think these promises are complete bullshit. They're not even funding childcare properly atm (15/30 hours for 3 year olds and some 2 year olds).

It depends on your circumstances e.g how much you earn. The government website sets out current entitlements.

Yes, I agree that I would definitely not be betting on them coming to fruition. I am somewhat encouraged by childcare having (finally!) been recognised politically as a significant issue, but certainly these particular plans do seem rather pie in the sky.

Like other posters have stated if the proposed comes into affect it will hopefully be 15hrs for 2yr olds from April 24.
However I’ve spoken to my nursery about it and they said it’s actually only term time 15hrs pw. Which would suggest it’ll come into affect the following term they’re 2.
ie your kid is born in October so will get the free hours from Jan 26.

And even if by some miracle, the current government remain, there aren’t enough childcare places and it’s likely that many won’t offer the ‘partially funded’ hours as it would mean they’ll go under.

Probably a very similar situation to NHS dentistry. If the government don’t fund things properly, those with the skills will choose to make a profit from their work, rather than a loss. So, even though the government say you are allowed to have something, if nobody near you is offering that service, you simply can’t have it.

Surely if Labour gets in they should match what Tories were doing.

I’m pretty sure labour have said they won’t fund this universally.

That's a new one. Expecting rival political parties to implement each other's empty promises!

Political parties don’t have to do what the previous government said. Banking on that is unwise.