Funding for 3 yr olds

[Firsttimemum1boy]

Hello, wondering if someone can advise me.
Currently working and looking for another job. Hoping to find something before September because I don’t currently earn enough myself to get the 30 hours come September.
Me and the father aren’t together and I claim uc. Do we have to be together to say we are earning the 2380 a month we need to receive the 30hours? If little one was to get the 30 I would have a better chance at finding an additional job to fit within nursery hours as struggling with the restriction of 15hrs and additional childcare.
Hope this makes sense Thankyou!

No it is per person not accumulative earnings. So you both have to be earning over the minimum needed.

You can’t both claim benefits because you have a low income as a single mum while also still filing as a couple for other things.

Either way if you were together you would still need to be working more to access 30 hours. It requires both parents working.

Oh I see Thankyou. So if we are not together I must be or can we say dad is single and earning over and he can apply for it himself?

If your on a low income, you can get universal credit to pay towards the childcare, once you find a job. It's up to 85% of the bill, so not quite as good as the free hours, but might make it manageable.

Both parents/carers need to be earning £186 from paid employment. You can't just apply using Dads details, particularly if you are in receipt of UC as a single parent. HMRC who will issue the working family funding code and the DWP are sharing information and are catching alot of benefits claimants out.

I have no idea where that earnings limit came from!

checkout childcare choices

i got the 30 free hours and UC covered the rest. www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=Childcare_Choices_24_25&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAowZrslvJdXzvmCdWjQ2A2MVSC29u&gclid=CjwKCAiAk8G9BhA0EiwAOQxmfq5srA0ZvqwBiohGc7xbVn7_CIxNiFM907i_ofSxgawTJ171JeC5bRoCuy8QAvD_BwE

No, because he’s not.