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Original poster

30 hours funding advice?!

19 replies

Exhaustedmother · 02/01/2018 19:27

Can anybody help me understand 30 hours funding criteria,i have ready the criteria over and over and believe I should be eligible, but they keep saying I'm not, 8m a single mum, work exactly 16 hours a week, I earn £124 per week!
Is this correct?

OP posts:
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JuiceInAWineGlass · 02/01/2018 19:29

Does this help, or is this what you’ve been looking at? www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

newyearnewname18 · 02/01/2018 19:33

Was your child 3yo on or before 31 Dec?

Original poster
Exhaustedmother · 02/01/2018 19:36

My daughter is 3, 4 in March!!
And yeah iv been reading the criteria online and thought I was eligible, but they said I'm not but with no reason as to why not!

OP posts:
newyearnewname18 · 02/01/2018 19:37

Hmmm... I can't see why you wouldn't be eligible either. Who is saying no? Child care or HMRC?

Original poster
Exhaustedmother · 02/01/2018 19:43

You can annoyingly only apply online via the gov.uk website which is what iv done then they reply via a messaged saying I'm not eligible, I try ringing up numerous times to talk and over the phone they said it seems I should be eligible too, but when I try applying online again they reply saying I'm not! 😡😡

OP posts:
ems137 · 02/01/2018 19:56

I don't know if it's the same as the 2 year old funding but I know on my letter there was a deadline date to take up the place. Think it was about 6 months after her 2nd birthday, and after that date the offer would expire.

MamehaSan · 02/01/2018 20:19

In my experience the website it shockingly bad. The logic it applies does not match the governments own eligibility criteria, eg you are entitled to the 30 hrs if you are on maternity leave, yet if you enter this and say that you won't be earning £120 per week (due to being on maternity leave), Computer Says No and it bumps you out.

Keep on at them, OP. I've found the helpline to be very helpful (they've admitted to me on a couple of occasions that the website isn't up to the job and have managed to find workarounds for the couple of problems that I've had). Good luck!

newyearnewname18 · 02/01/2018 20:41

There should be an appeals process. We needed to appeal the first time because they had a duplicate application for DS (their fault!).

I would ring again and ask about appealing.

babynamelol · 03/01/2018 05:13

Why do you need 30 hours childcare if you only work 16 hours? That might be why Confused

wowbutter · 03/01/2018 05:22

Do you get the fifteen hours free?

newyearnewname18 · 03/01/2018 06:54

Babyname, officially you don't even need to work 16 hours to get the 30 hour funding - you only need to earn the equivalent of 16 hours at NMW, or £124/week. They don't care if your hourly rate is £7.50 or £100, as long as you meet the threshold.

TBH, it's absolutely none of your business why OP needs that care. She should be entitled to it, just like others. For all you know she's studying, or using the extra free hours to get chores and errands done, or just, I don't know, having a break from being a lone parent 24/7?

Leave her alone.

insancerre · 03/01/2018 06:57

I would advise to ringvthe helpline and see if they will give you a code over the phone
This has been an absolute nightmare for us, a nursery
The website is not fit for purpose

Original poster
Exhaustedmother · 03/01/2018 20:58

Thank you all for your help and advice, I shall be phoning them tomorrow to get on the case and look into the issue!

OP posts:
nannynick · 06/01/2018 18:18

Did you get to talk to the helpline and did they come up with a solution?

Cheekylittlenumber · 06/01/2018 18:33

Sorry to hijack but does anyone know whether I need to 'apply' or get a code or do anything to be eligible for the free hours for over 3's? My DD was three in Sept and her preschool told us she'd be eligible for free hours this term but we've received a text asking for payment for this month. I tried calling yesterday but couldn't get through. Should I have done anything specific? I thought it was automatic!

RicStar · 06/01/2018 18:38

You get the 15 hours automatically but have to apply for a code for the 30 - which you then give the provider and lasts for 3 months.

Muddlingalongalone · 06/01/2018 18:39

Depends if you are applying for 15 hours funding or 30 hours funding @cheekylittlenumber. The former can be done my nursery/old-school, the latter you need to apply for a code for and iirc you've missed the cut off now and won't get it until April (but worth checking)
Nursery might be charging top up fees disguised as something else though, so it might not be free free or if you go full time the funding only covers 38 weeks.

insancerre · 06/01/2018 18:41

The 15 hours is clines by the nursery but is 15 hours for 38 weeks or 11 over 52 weeks
You should have had an invoice but I guess with Christmas and new year they may be running behind
You should talk to the nursery to find out what is going on

insancerre · 06/01/2018 18:43

Oh and it's not free
It's subsidised by the nurseries
Please watch the video
champagnenurseries.co.uk/

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