30 hours

[je11ybean]

I am due to go back to work in April but I am considering working for myself but term time only and leaving work.. I have a 2 year due to get his 30 free chilcare in April. During term time I would make at least £120 or more a week however in school hols I would make much less. I would like to make sure i receive the full 30 childcare in term time. How would this work if I'm not earning enough in the holidays.

30 hours can be taken termly or stretched to 22 hours 51 weeks a year. You can split it between 2 settings. School nurseries always take the first 15 universal hours, some schools take 30 hours.
You find a setting you like that is happy to take funding - school private nursery or childminder.
You apply for eligibility on childcare choices (every child gets 15 the term after they turn 3) if your eligible you get a code that must be verified every 3 months -you need to be working at least 16 hours a week and earning under £199 k combined income - if a couple.
Not sure how it works if you work term time only though.

Thanks for your response. The only answer I actually needed was the one you don't know. 😉

I’d imagine they’d take the average over the year

You go online to get your eligibility code and you have to confirm that you are working over the relevant period (termly) and that you are earning enough. It’s looked at over the term rather than individual weeks.

This is about how you calculate your 'worked hours' in order to assess your eligibility for the 30 funded hours of childcare. *

I realise it’s not much on an answer, and a pain in the bum to do, but I think you’re going to have to call the helpline.

The worked hours in calculated as an equivalent number of hours at minimum wage rate, based on your actual income. As you’re self employed, and the income varies across the year, you need to find out if they calculate this based on your annual income, averaged across the year, or on a strictly week-to-week basis. Logic suggests the former, but it’s rarely safe to assume HMRC will follow a layperson's logic.

Also, there is an annual income ceiling beyond which you wouldn’t be entitled to 30 hours. Obviously you can’t calculate your annual income before the end of your accounting year, so I honestly don’t know how they’d work it out. Possibly they use last year’s figures with some notional adjustment? Again, best to get the answer straight from the horse's mouth, but it can mean a lengthy time on hold.

I think the number to call is 0300 123 4097.

*incidentally, I refuse to call it "free" childcare; it is being subsidised by childcare providers.

When is your dc 3?
If you want 30 hours to start in April you will need to apply in March. If you apply in April the extra hours won't be paid until September.

When will she turn 3? My two children are going to be turning 2 next month and I have looked at free childcare funding for both of them as well.