30 hours code required but cant apply til after deadline

[egdad]

Hi,
Wondered if anyone knows the answer to this.

My child is due to turn 3 in March and therefore elegible for 30 hours free childcare from the April 2024 term.

I am being told i need to apply for a code on the tax free childcare website. However it appears I can only apply for the code in my next "reconfirmation" window which is every 3 months.

My next reconfirmation window opens on the 21st Feb however my nursery requires the code by 16th Feb to ensure they receive the funding.

Is anyone in the same boat as me and has a way to get around this? Worried that we wont get 30 hours for a whole term which will cost alot of extra money despite being eligible

Well it's your nursery causing the issue, can't see why they need the code so early?

ok that's good to know. I suspect its the nursery (busybees) just trying to ensure they get the codes in enough time to do the admin on their end (for applying for the funding and setting up the billing).

Going to talk to the head of the nursery and hopefully they can permit us missing the deadline for 5 days....

Why on earth do they need it so early?

We are having the same issue with Busybees, really frustrating. If we miss the 16th Feb deadline apparently we can't get any funding for that term but we can't reconfirm or reapply for the code until after the deadline!

This may be linked with settings having to submit estimates. Some areas still pay settings in 2 parts (this is due to change though). The estimate means they get the first part of the payment when term starts and they get the second part after headcount. In my area the second payment is midway through the term. Every area is different so this is purely a guess. Currently, if I miss estimate time I have to wait till the middle of term to be paid which, as you can appreciate, is extremely difficult. All areas are being pushed to monthly payments but this may not take immediate effect.

Well if they get it a week later (which is all you're talking about) and if they can't process it in time, you'll just have to pay the 30 hours for an extra week. They would be very churlish to refuse to do the 30 hours for you completely on that basis!

They are saying if you miss the deadline then you miss the full funding for that term.

I'm in contact with busybees to see if they are able to give us a time extension and will feedback for others in this situation! It would be unaffordable for us to put our kids in nursery if we miss out on a whole term of funding for no fault of our own...

Thank you, I spoke to our nursery manager but they couldn't confirm either way. Will let you know if I get any news too.

Portals for estimates next term generally close the last week of the previous term you then get an opportunity to put in funding the first month of a term but payments are held up so you can ask parents to pay them refund.

You don't need codes for estimates though, only actuals which the parents will have by then.

I can understand nurseries wanting to make sire they aren't claiming for ineligible children bit in most cases codes will be received in plenty of time.

Busybees seem to be making things harder by imposing a sooner deadline unnecessarily.

Busybees just sent out a formal email addressing this to all parents. Important part quoted below:

"We want to reassure you that if you are affected by this HMRC issue, you will still be able to receive the funding you are entitled to from April. However, we may not be able to reflect your funding in your April invoice because it is prepared in advance. This will be corrected in the following month, provided we have received a valid HMRC eligibility code."

This is reassuring :) Hope this helps anyone else in the same position

Are you sure you don’t already have a code? My son is also eligible from April and in the secure messages of our account we had the code the last time we reconfirmed eligibility (in November)

So my husband doesn't make 100k and bec of the doc strikes they had to work so it went to that. And I am part time then I disputed it got the 30nhours as it showed on his wages he is no where near 100k. Got the code the nursery saying they can't put it threw as it has to be next time... I'm so angry been disputing this since feb.