Funding for 9months+ / shift work (UK)

[Ioxabh]

Hi all,

I am eligible for the new 15 hours free childcare for ages 9m+ and received a temporary code for my provider.

I viewed somewhere today and had to ask if they can accommodate me as I do shift work. One week I work 3 weekdays, and the next week I work a weekday and the weekend. The days are set in stone and just alternate each week. The provider said they can accommodate that, and when I enquired about the week with the weekend (as I will not need childcare on the weekend as my partner won’t be at work, nor does the setting offer weekends) they told me to just pick 2 weekdays to still send my child to nursery (even though I won’t be at work those days) to make use of the free childcare.

So my 2 questions are:

1. is that legal? I know nothing about the system at all. It had crossed my mind previously that if I had to use the full 15 hours on both weeks that I could send LO when I wasn’t at work, but wasn’t sure if this was allowed seeing as I don’t actually need the childcare on those days. I didn’t question the provider other than to say I wasn’t previously sure that was allowed but she didn’t say anything.
2. When I was filling out the funding form for the council, I had to put which days the hours were allocated to, (so Tuesday Wednesday Thursday) however there was only room for one week, ie I couldn’t say I’d have hours located for Monday and whichever two random days the second week. I then read that one of the statements in the declaration section I need to sign says ‘my child must have a set weekly attendance pattern for funded hours’. How true is that? It seems wild to me that you’re expected to be working the same days each week and you can’t get free childcare if you work alternating shifts. It doesn’t seem the daycare thinks this is a problem, but it’s making me nervous to sign the declaration knowing I’m applying to not have set days.

Can anyone shed any light on this? It would be much appreciated!

As long as you're claiming the same total number of hours each week the days attended don't matter for funding claims.
They can't claim for hours your child won't attend though so if you sign for 15 hours that is what your child should attend. But the days are between you and the setting to agree on.

Thanks for your reply. That's what I thought, if I was to claim 15 hours every week I don't know why I have to confirm that it will be the same days every week, but that is what the form states. I don't see why it would matter, as the government would give the nursery 15 hours of money and the nursery would provide 15 hours of care regardless of the day. I don't get it!

My child would attend 15 hours a week on both weeks, but obviously the stipulation being that I work the weekend on one week so would be sending her on two weekdays even though I'm at home, and working the weekend instead. This is what seems like it could be a problem. The declaration states: 'it's fraudulent to sign up for more funded hours than my child is actually accessing and also for the provider to claim more funded hours than the child is accessing', but obviously my child would be accessing 15 hours, I just wouldn't be at work on the right days. The provider told me to do it as if it's fine but I don't know if it is and don't want to get in trouble!

However I must say, if it is not allowed then the whole thing is very flawed. If I have to claim 15 hours both weeks to get free childcare, but can't claim it when I work a weekend (that I am contractually obliged to work) then that would mean I'm unable to claim the free childcare at all. So I will then be nearly £300 a month down to pay privately which we most definitely can't afford, all because the government/council can't cater to shift work. Wild.

It really does not matter if you are not actually working on some days your child attends nursery.
As long as you have a valid code and they attend the weekly funded hours, no one will know how you're spending your day.
I know the funding is for working parents but it's not just to cover your work days.

You can put them in on non working days. It doesn't matter at all.

Thank you both so much for your replies, I suffer with anxiety so have been tormenting myself over this. Thanks for putting my mind at ease!