Returning to work in November so not eligible for 15 hours until January?!

[shojam13]

I am fuming a bit this morning... Logged onto gov.uk to apply for my 15 hours free childcare code, as for months now I've been under the impression that as my baby turns 9 months in August we'll be eligible for the 15 free hours that come into effect from September. She'll start nursery in November when I go back to work.

However, have just gone on to apply and now seen a section that states that as I'm on maternity leave, the date I return to work affects when we'll be eligible for the 15 hours. As my baby was born in Nov '23 and I'm not returning until Nov '24, turns out I won't be eligible for the 15 free hours until the January term, not from September. HOW IS THAT FAIR?!

I've been basing my budget/nursery costs on having the funded hours when she starts nursery in November, but now am faced with full nursery fees for the first 2 months until January, even though she'll be well over the 9 month age threshold by then.

I'm absolutely livid, especially as I don't feel this has been clearly advertised at all up to this point. Even my nursery aren't aware as they've been telling me we'll be eligible for the funding when she starts.

Anyone else finding this out now??

That's so annoying!!!

Is there anything you can do, like return to work 'part tjme' on one day a week but use accrued annual leave for this one day a week so you are 'officially' back at work in September but don't actually have to show up until November?

I think that's always been the case - the free hours kick in the term after they turn a certain age so I guess they're carrying that on for 9 months old.

It is a bit shit though sorry op.

Annoying but funding is allocated termly and at the point of eligibility for the Autumn term, you won't be earning the threshold. Could you return in September?

Yes I understand that, as she's my second child, but my problem here is that - based off of age - she is eligible for the funding from September because she turns 9 months in August.

But they're now saying I won't be eligible for them because I'm on maternity leave and not returning to work until November. I don't think that has been clearly advertised by anyone up to this point?!

ETA: I've been checking articles on this for months and everywhere said you'd still be eligible for the free 15 hours if on maternity leave, so I'd been planning based on that. This information about return to work dates affecting eligibility seems new to me :( and I feel a lot of parents are going to get caught out by the same thing.

I didn't realise this either. How frustrating!! Guess it's because of the earning threshold?

But the earning threshold has always been known?
The maternity aspect applies to your older child remaining eligible but not new babies when you aren't back to work yet.

I don't think that has been clearly advertised by anyone up to this point?!

To be honest, the whole plan seems to have been made up as they go along, so probably nobody knew. It sounds like they are trying to delay it for as many people as possible to maybe disguise the fact that the scheme won’t work anyway, until after a general election. There’s no way they are going to find another 40,000 childcare workers which is what is needed for the expansion to work.

I think a lot of parents going back to work with 1 year olds in Oct/Nov/Dec won't have realised this tbh. As the information has always stated you'll still be eligible even while on maternity leave. But now they're adding in return to work dates affecting when you become eligible. I'm just really annoyed, yet another piece of misinformation about "free" hours 🙄

It will be the same for every term where the parents don't meet the eligibility requirements in the qualifying period. That's normal for most schemes isn't it?

I’m in exactly the same boat. My baby turns one in November, I’m planning on returning to work end of October and using accrued leave to stay off until Dec but now I am debating going back after 11 months and using my accrued leave to stay off until November so I can get the 15 hours when he starts nursery in Nov! It’s daft as I imagine the first month he will be off nursery a lot with bugs etc and I’ll end up calling in sick to work instead of just using my AL like I’d planned so it’s going to cost my place of work more in lost hours 🙄

Ugh I'm sorry, it just sucks. I would consider the same, but I physically don't have enough annual leave to make it work (unless I ended my mat leave at 10 months, but that feels too early!). Because I also need to book time off at Christmas when my older daughter is on school holidays as my other half has really poor annual leave and doesn't have enough to cover it.

I've always known that you only become eligible the term after they turn the right age; and all the information given so far led me to believe we'd be eligible "from September" because she turns 9 months in August!! Even my nursery has been telling me I'll be eligible!

Have to agree with @Shinyandnew1 that nobody really knows what the f is going on.

FTM here. I'm Also impacted by this and not due to return to work until end October. The current letter from my employer confirms that.

I have to give work eight works notice of my intended return date so if I was to return on 30th September, would they issue with me a new letter and I would then provide that to HMRC to get the code?

My baby is 9 months in June and I'm back to work June, so when will I receive the 15 hour funding as I am so confused with term dates etc 🥴

September

I know this is an old post but I have just found this out as well while applying for childcare! I had no idea it was about term times and I thought it was just from when your babies turned 9 months old! My daughter turns 1 in June and I go back to work in June too, I was hoping to get her into nursery at the end of may to give her a couple of weeks to settle in but I am really stuck now as the childcare costs are for 2 days a week £852 a month without the funding, which means If I go back to work full time, which I have to otherwise im not able to go back to work in my current role, I will be left with little to nothing after bills are paid to get us through the month. I am so frustrated, the 15 free hours sounded like a life saver but now I don't know what to do and am back to square one

I am in the same situation. My return to work date was going to be 6 May 2025 just after my LO turns one but now I found this out so I am changing the returning to work date to 29th April 2025 so that my LO can be eligible for the funding from the term commencing 1st April.