15 hours free childcare?

[ukMummyof1]

Good evening,
Both myself and my partner are working so our 2 year old gets free15 hours of childcare. We also have a 1 year old ( our hours at work work around him so doesn't need childcare at the moment). In September, I'll be quitting my job as I'm going back to college and as the course is full on, along with looking after children, working during this time will be too much I've decided- not that this is relevant! Anyway, here's my question... will we be entitled to the free 15 hours childcare if I'm in education rather than working? Or will we need to pay childcare ourselves?
Thank you in advance!

You’ll have to pay it yourself as there is an income requirement. I tried to post a link but wouldn’t let me, the gov uk website has all the details.

Pp is correct. You both need to be earning a minimum of £183/ week.

Would college help fund some childcare? I once knew someone who apparently had her child's nursery place funded through college, it may be only certain circumstances though. Worth looking into.

Thank you everyone! This is really helpful :)

I can imagine this is a really frustrating situation. From what it sounds like, you care for your children basically ALL the time and he lives with no responsibilities? It takes two to make a child so I do see how so much strain on just one person can be. Sending hugs, I hope things get better for you :(

Yes you would still be entitled for 15 hours free funded childcare because all mothers are entitled to this regardless of their employment or education status.

Since you was working before you should have actually been on the 30 hours free childcare. You should be eligible to apply for it on the gov website where you get a special pin number to give to the nurseries to activate the 30 hours.

Hope this helps!

They wouldn’t have been entitled to 30 hours until September 2025. They won’t be entitled unless both are working and meet the earnings requirement.

Students aren’t entitled. I only found out this year that this includes people like student nurses and student teachers, as technically they aren’t ‘working’ , they are studying.

OP you might be eligible for a childcare grant that might help with the shortfall.

This can’t be correct because where I am when I worked full time they didn’t ask about my earnings or if both parents were working, just if I was working and I was entitled to the 30 hours free childcare scheme.

Once a child turns two all mothers can apply for 15 hours free childcare scheme because again I was eligible for this when I was a student. I received a blue letter in the post that I could take to any nursery to claim.

If you are a student at university then yes as a part of SFE loan, OP can apply for a non-repayable childcare grant that is given through a system rather than cash and a small cash childcare grant which is also non-repayable.

Perhaps this all depends on where you are based in England and who your local council is. Which all information for this would be found on your local councils homepage. It might be worth giving them a call to find out what you are entitled to OP.

all the best 💐

@onceuponatimelived

*Yes you would still be entitled for 15 hours free funded childcare because all mothers are entitled to this regardless of their employment or education status.

Since you was working before you should have actually been on the 30 hours free childcare. You should be eligible to apply for it on the gov website where you get a special pin number to give to the nurseries to activate the 30 hours*

This is only correct for 3&4 year olds. OP has a 1 and 2 year old so will only be eligible for 15 hours if both parents are working.

When my child was 2, they were eligible for 30 hours purely on the basis that I was working so I was therefore eligible, like I say, maybe it depends on where you are based in the country and who your local council is as each council/town has its own set of rules and regulations.

And not all 2 year olds get funding.
Parents need to either be working and meet the earnings requirements or the other scheme is for very low earning parents.

There are many families that do not meet the criteria for either scheme for 2 year olds.

@onceuponatimelived Where do you live that you get 30 hours for a 2 year old?

This isn't being introduced in England until next September.

No it’s a national set of rules and regulations. It’s not a postcode lottery. 2 year olds are only eligible for 30 hours if you are working, or if you don’t work but yohr partner does and you are in receipt of certain benefits.

https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds-claim-benefits

That does not concern you. All the best.

Sorry to derail your thread, OP. Not sure why I am being attacked for sharing my experience and hoping that it offers you some more clarity on your question. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

All the best to you OP 💐

I'm just interested what area is funding 30 hours for 2 year olds because the government aren't, so your own LA must be paying for the additional hours themselves.
Or maybe you're not in England as the funding is different in Wales and Scotland.

No need to be so rude.

I think OP is best speaking to her own local authority who will confirm the situation for definite to her.

The 15 free hours is very different from the 30 free hours eg higher earners get the 15 free hours from age 3 child (30 free hours is lower earners from soon to be 9 months old baby). 15 free hours even goes to asylum seekers.

The removal of things like child benefit, personal tax allowance and the 30 free hours from very hard working mothers, often young doctors, just because they contribute so much in tax to the nation is a travesty which shows we are certainly not all in it together.

Go to the childcare choices website and you can fill in your details for eligibility.

For some context I've got a 2 year old who is 3 in march so I believe I will get 30 hours free the term after his third birthday but at the moment we pay for his childcare (just found out my earnings are about £20 under to get the working parents entitlement.- my partner works full time). I also have a 1 year old who will be 2 in October. I will either be going into study nursing of do an access course at college. It seems that we may just have to cover childcare for both of them ourselves and then have it slightly reduced in price the term after my nearly 3 year olds birthday- am I right?
Seems such a shame that if you are working you are getting paid and get free childcare but if you stop working to go back to education to do better for yourself you not only miss out on income but also are at a loss having to pay childcare, doesn't make sense to me, unless there is some sort of education childcare payment🙏

There isn’t a childcare payment for college courses unfortunately, it’s only university degrees that offer this support. Your absolutely right, I agree with you.

You won't get 30 hours at 3 years old if you don't meet the working parents entitlement threshold. You will get 15 hours which is universal for all 3 and 4 year olds.

@FrannyScraps I noticed that after I wrote it🤦‍♀️ thank you x

1 parent in full time education over 20 yrs and one parent at home, wishes to work PT. They have an 18month old child, can they get any free childcare?

You’ll only get 15 hours for the 3 year old if you’re not working, and it might not be free - our costs went up when mine turned 3 as the government contribution for three year olds is lower, so our funded hour subsidy went from £1 an hour to £3.60 an hour.

But yeah; otherwise you’re going to need to fund their hours yourself, there’s no help for this.