Would I still qualify for 30 hours childcare on my salary?

[Sammy1990z]

I am a teacher in London. I requested to work for 9 hours which comes out to just over £15000 in earnings per annum. I genuinely do want to spend more time with my baby so not interested to send my child more than 2 days for 10 hours to nursery but still touching base with work.

Salary wise it looks like I do qualify for 30 hours free childcare. However I started seeing posts where teachers thought they qualify but didn’t because once they spread it across the year turns out they were earning less and needed to work more hours.

i am confused. My earnings will be spread across the year which comes out to £1100 roughly with everything deducted. Is there anything I need to look at on my contract that ensure it’s not a problem. I am just worried there is something I am not seeing maybe.

No you won’t qualify, and nor should you.
The 30 “free” hours are to help working parents who work at least 16 hours a week, not 9 hours a week and term time only!

You'd need to work a minimum of 21.5 hours per week over 39 weeks of the year to average 16 hours a week over 52 weeks.

9 hours a week isn't enough.

You were planning to apply for 30 hours childcare while only working 9 hours? Ok let’s add 4 hours travel, but did you really expect the tax payer to pay childcare for the 17 hours a week you’re at home?!

It's the equivalent of 16 hours at minimum wage, you don't have to work 16 hours.

It's income based so you (and your partner) need to earn at least £2644 every 3 months, up to £100k a year.

If your salary is paid monthly and each 3 month period is at least £2644 then you will qualify.

The poster wasn't asking what anyone thinks the criteria should be, that's for another thread.

Indeed, but people are allowed to express surprise that someone would expect 30 hours childcare per week when only working 9 hours a week!

You're allowed to post anything you like, just not sure why you'd bother responding to someone's question if you don't know the answer.

How old is your child? I think at 3 you get 15 hours by default regardless of work status.

You maybe qualify for 15 hours free a week but still think you'll need to workore as term time only

I don't think you have to work 16 hours you have to earn at least the equivalent of what you would if you worked 16 hours on the national minimum wage. So I think she probably would be eligible.

OP has said she wants to use 2 days at 10h a day - presumably her 9h are split across two days at school and she needs some time to commute. Obviously she can’t claim for more hours than DC actually attends.

@Sammy1990z you may find that you cannot use 20 hours over two days even if you qualify for up to 30 hours, because I believe nurseries can specify sessions to which the funded hours apply (eg 9-3 each day adds up to 30h a week) and charge for the hours outside this “core”

Thanks for your messages.
From what I understand it is possible?

I didn’t realise this was controversial. My child is 8 months old and I didn’t feel comfortable sending my child for 20 plus hours to nursery yet nor more than 2 days. . I love my job and want to keep myself in the loop in my sector. I also feel I want to be with my child for another year. I plan to put my child to nursery 10-3pm
I thought the whole idea of government funding is that mothers are supported in going into work and not have to pay a hefty load to nursery. And government support gives you that flexibility financially too so that you have control over your hours. Am not sure why some people feel frustrated.

I would love to hear from anyone who is currently doing something like this

I work full time. Why should my taxes pay for you to stay home on a baby moon when I myself don't have that luxury?

Thanks for this. That’s exactly it, split 5 hours per day.
Still looking into what nurseries would do with the 10-3pm schedule for 2 days. Still yet to understand if the nursery would allow me to drop and pick at these hours. Very new to this

r. I plan to put my child to nursery 10-3pm

OP, the nursery will probably not accommodate this, as they will want children for full sessions (all morning or all afternoon) - unless you have made enquires and found somewhere happy with it.

ETA sorry, x post

A nursery will be unlikely to accommodate 10-3. Most probably offer full days 8/9-5/6 or some might offer school days 9-3.

You can also look at childminders, they also provide funded hours and are often more flexible than nurseries.
I'm a childminder and have several parents who work 2 days and get 3 days of childcare.
So long as you meet the financial criteria you will get the hours.

Go part time then no one is stopping you.

I’m a childminder.
I may have got the equation wrong, but I know the OP would not be allowed to claim the 30 hours, and as I said, in my opinion she shouldn’t be able to.
The 30 funded hours are funded by taxpayers, and should not be used by someone only working 9 hours a week, that’s ridiculous.

@Sammy1990z
if you go on gov.uk there is lots of information regarding funding and if you aren’t eligible for this as you don’t work enough hours, (which might be the case I think) you might be eligible for tax free childcare which subsidises childcare by 20%.

With regards to nursery 10-3 that sounds very accommodating- the ones round here will only sell a morning or afternoon session or an entire they wouldn’t do that. Have you had this agreed?

Teachers get paid in the holidays. It's salary not hours worked that the funding is based on. If you earn over 203 pounds a week you qualify.
I'm a teacher and I work two days a week so around 16 hours directed time. I earn about 1400 a month (UPS) and qualify for funded hours. I have a lovely term time only childminder who doesn't charge me any top ups as I provide food etc. The nurseries I looked at definitely charged extras even if they took the hours and some wanted more than two days to accept them.

What makes you think she wouldn't be allowed?

You are best off looking into a term time only nursery attached to a school but they don't all take as young as one.

Presumably she will be doing a lot more, in terms of marking, following up on safeguarding, displays, parents' evenings and trips etc, as well as travelling too and from? So maybe as much as someone doing 16 hours work at home, who gets lots of breaks and can finish as soon as her official hours for the day end?

But I would just check with HMRC if you are concerned OP.

She only wants 10 hours split over two days. And why wouldn't she be eligible?
There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding about eligibility..
She will get 15k a year. To qualify you need to earn the equivalent of 16 rs a week on the minimum wage which is around 10.5 k

They aren't. She wants 10 hours of childcare so she can go to work.