childcare vouchers + 15 "free" childcare hours.

[JohnHunter]

We have been asked to choose between continuing with childcare vouchers and migrating to the new "free" childcare hours scheme. We are not eligible for the 30 free hours and so that decision was quickly taken out of our hands. I therefore planned to continue with childcare vouchers and ignore the free hours altogether.

However, our nursery tell us that parents can continue with the childcare vouchers scheme as well as taking the "universal entitlement" of 15 free hours.

I cannot clarify this anywhere online. It is very clear that parents cannot continue with childcare vouchers and the 30 hours but I haven't been able to find any statement that explicitly says the same for 15 hours.

Can anyone help and/or clarify what others are doing?

Yes you can claim vouchers and the 15 hours. We are.

I am in Scotland. I use childcare vouchers and also get 15 free hours.

Sorry should've said I'm in England.

I claim childcare vouchers and the 30 free hours (in England). Are they not asking you to choose between the childcare vouchers and tax free childcare?

I claimed 15h and used childcare vouchers at my son's nursery once he turned 3. Was not aware this was a problem- the nursery certainly didn't think so

I'm in England and have tax free childcare and the 30 hours free.
You ate allowed the 15 + vouchers or 15 + tax free but not both.

As someone just about to open a nursery (in england) you can have either 15 hours plus vouchers or 15hours plus tax free, but not both. Everyone gets 15 hours regardless.

childcare-support.tax.service.gov.uk/par/app/extendedentitlement

Looks like it's tax free childcare that's not compatible with 30 free hours, childcare vouchers is ok.

I believe that there was a glitch on the 30h application website that said it's not compatible with either/both tax-free childcare scheme and/or childcare vouchers, but that's not actually true.

You can get both the 15h or the 30h if you use childcare vouchers or tax-free scheme.

I don't see on that page where it says that you can't have 30 hours and tax free childcare? It says you can't use your 30 hours if your child is already in reception or higher but that's always been the case.

We have vouchers and 30 hours funding, no issue.

You can only have one of vouchers or tax free child care. There are calculators on the gov site which help you to work out which is more beneficial for your circumstances.

Thank you all - I am clearly trying to conjure up an issue where one doesn't exist...!

Yeah there was a glitch on the website when I was reconfirming my 30 hours entitlement. You can definatley claim 30 hours while using childcare vouchers, and I’m very sure it’s the same with 15 hours.

Eminybob, how did you sort it out in the end? I'm trying to reconfirm but it's impossible?

You can have 30 hours and tax free childcare
You can also use vouchers and the 15 hours