Can someone please tell me when dc will get free hours? Tearing my hair out

[Yebbey]

Dc is 2 on 22 November. I earn 58k as single parent. When does he get free hours? I can’t find anything online. Can I still use tax free childcare too? Thanks

@FoxtrotSkarloey and @FlippityFlippityFlop you have both said different things… I have read both things online too x

If the new rules come into force= Sept
If they don't= Jan

Your child turns 2 in the Autumn Term. Therefore under the current rules, they can get their free hours in the term after, so Spring term. Spring term starts Jan.

Oh fuck, I'm making a right mess of my replies, I'm so sorry.

@FlippityFlippityFlop is correct, because it's coming in from 9months, not 2years. So your DC is already over that threshold by the September start of term.

Apologies for adding confusion.

@FoxtrotSkarloey thanks for clarifying! I have found it so confusing online

@yebbey basically it's a new plan from the government so no one knows for sure what will happen yet. In theory it could be as soon as Sept 2024 for your DS. However it depends on whether his nursery decide to offer it, it not being postponed etc.

My DD should be eligible from April. I'm planning as if it's not happening. If it does it's a nice surprise we can save a bit of money.

Potentially yes. Labour have hinted that they may not carry on with it or may change it. No one knows yet though so will have to wait and see. Labour might not even get in.

It’ll be from September 2024 he will get 15 funded hours. Then from September 2025 he will get 30 funded hours per week. (This is presuming there’s isn’t any changes after the. Next general election).

They’re generally not ‘free’ hours you often have to pay a small amount to cover resources. My son just got his funded hours in January and we still pay £9 per day for him.

Yes you can apply for the tax free childcare.

@HMW1906 thanks do you know when it is to be confirmed? And can you have tax free on the 9 pounds a day for example? I am so stressed as dc needs to go up to full time nursery in august and it will cost 1,500 a month. I will have absolutely no money left, no exaggeration

Under the current (old) system we don't qualify until our DC is 3. There are certain rules about claiming under 3 and not everyone gets funding from age 2.

The labour gov, who knows, I have read in a couple of places they don't like it. At the moment the GE is planned to be after the policy is implemented and I think Labour would be silly to u turn it so quickly if that was the case.

Your child should get 15 funded hours from September going up to 30 from January. Note that these are funded not free and only term time so in reality it is fewer hours. On top of that you can use tax free childcare to help with costs.

A change in government is unlikely to make a difference. However many providers are putting their prices or not offering the funding. So it is wise to actually consult with the nursery. Especially if you haven't signed up to one. I signed up my youngest when I was pregnant and the room was almost full at that point.

Actually based on your income you won't qualify for the 39 hours until Sept 2025.

It’s the term after they turn 3.

edited. Ignore me. Apparently it’s changed.

Just a reminder that (whenever you're eligible) it's not automatic - you have to apply by the deadlines. To the government not the nursery - but you have to tell them too so they know not to invoice you.

The term after he turns 3. I’m not sure why people are saying 2. This is the criteria for 2.

https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds

Edited. Ignore me. Apparently it’s changed.

Yes you can use the tax free on the top up amounts eg the £9 we have to pay at our nursery.

Honestly I think it will depend on when the next general election is for when it is confirmed. If the torys remain in power they will likely keep it as it’s their policy if another party comes into power they could potentially change it, there’s no way of knowing until the next election.

Rischi Sunak has said the second half of 2024 for a general election so it could be any time from July onwards (I would expect after August though as parliament shuts for summer break) so chances are the free hours will already be in place when the election happens so possibly less chance of another party changing the policy 🤞🏻 .

My DC is 2 this summer and his nursery have confirmed this week he will get them in September (the term after he turns 2). Had he been born in March he would have got them in April. Your DC will get them the term after he’s 2 (I’m not sure on the timeline for free hours for 9 months plus though that could change things.)

DC’s nursery are offering them completely free with no top up and I am able to use them in whichever way we need (not just core hours) but I understand this is unusual. Best people to ask are the nursery - fingers crossed for you! Makes such a difference.

I've just been and done a limited amount of googling. As it currently stands, it is confirmed. No one can give you are more certain answer than that, anything else is just speculation. One article I found said that Labour may not proceed with this specifically because they favour alternative options. Understandably, they haven't actually shared any manifesto details yet, and probably won't until the GE is called.
FWIW, as per my earlier post, is that my speculation is that they wouldn't just reverse this, or at least not without an alternative in place.

I wonder what Labour would do differently if they were in power now?

My understanding of the funded 15hrs for 2 year olds is that it's for all 2 yr olds of eligible parents. Looking on the government and childcare choices websites, To be eligible you need to be in receipt of certain benefits.
It's certainly not the 15hrs funded childcare for 2yr olds that was initially touted.

@FoxtrotSkarloey @FlippityFlippityFlop @Deafening this changes everything again 🤦‍♀️

That is the CURRENT system, and not the NEW system which is coming in phases, from April.

Purely looking at age criteria, OP won't be eligible under phase 1, but assuming it proceeds as published, she will be under phase 2.

The whole point is that they are expanding funded hours to more (younger) children.

There are other eligibility criteria related to income. The gov.uk website also has an eligibility calculator.

See the childcare choices link shared previously for details on what's included in each phase of the NEW system.

(Fully agreeing it's complicated and prepared to eat my hat if I've cocked it up yet again).

The "term after they turn 2 (or 3?)" is actually a bit confusing because it's based on the 3 terms in an academic year - but many schools etc now call half a term "1 term" so the year has 6.
@Yebbey The 3 term system is
Term 1 (Autumn Term) = September to Christmas.
Term 2 (Spring Term) = January to Easter.
Term 3 (Summer Term) = After Easter - July.
A November born (like yours) would be a Term 2 starter for nursery funding.
Hope that makes a bit of sense.
(I have no idea what/when the government are doing with changing the starting ages though)

For the current system, 2 year olds only get free hours if the parents are in receipt of certain benefits.

For the new system - being implemented from April - all 2 year olds get the free hours. There may be a cut off for parents earning over £100k, I’m not sure.

Simply, if the new policy is implemented:

• your son will get 15 funded hours from September 2024, 30 funded hours from January.
• the cost of the funded hours for the parent varies per nursery.
• There are long waiting lists for many nurseries and no guarantee that they’ll have a place given the new rules and the pressure that puts on them.
• no one can guarantee whether the policies will definite come in as planned or will be delayed or cancelled.

Tax free childcare is a misnomer. it doesn’t make all childcare tax free. But as long as you’re working but earning under £100k, you can create a tax free childcare account, deposit money into it to pay your childcare provider, and receive £500 top up per quarter year. So it’s a free (up to) £2000 per year. You then pay your childcare provided from your tax free childcare account (ie not straight from your bank account).

check out www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

everything in one place, up to date and accurate.