Grace period at nursery

[meadowkoa]

Hi all,

My 2 year old currently attends nursery 2 days a week term times. She is 3 at the end of November.

She gets 30 hours as me and her dad were both working. I’ve had to unexpectedly stop working so now we are only entitled to 15 hours which would still cover the 2 days she’s in.

Her fees are paid until first week October. Then it’ll end. The nursery have said she won’t get the 15 hours funded until January however she may be entitled to a grace period that may cover it.

Does anyone know how long the grace period lasts usually? It would be October to January term time. Would hate for her not to attend she loves it.

TIA xx

Why won’t you be entitled to 15 hours at least? Presumably you’ll be job hunting?

Sorry for confusion. I am entitled to 15 hours, previously was 30. The 15 hours are universally given the term after they turn 3

And you don’t get even if you’re job hunting? You have to actually be in work?

You have to be working to get 30 hours funded yes. Every child get 15 free hours regardless if you’re working or not

And if you are unemployed but job seeking actively you are regarded as someone not working?

No only from the term after they turn 3.

Yeah that’s what I meant

I believe so. You have to be employed to get the 30 hours. You’re best off looking on the government website to look at the ins and outs

Are you job hunting? You might have a job soon that will mean this concern isn’t relevant anyway

The grace period usually extends to the end of the term in which you drop out of eligibility. In this case it should cover you until the end of the autumn term. It exists to cover gaps between jobs etc.

Thanks for your reply! In this case it’ll run out 8th October. She’ll then get the 15 hours I January. Does this mean she’ll be covered until Jan with the grace period? Sorry it’s difficult to understand! X

To be fair, maybe this is something you could do?

hey @KestonlodgeI have done. I thought you were talking about your own circumstances. As someone who’s new to sending my child to daycare it can be very confusing. I don’t know of anyone who’s been to through a grace period and the advice given is some what confusing so I thought I’d ask on here. Hope that helps

I’m fairly sure you can get the hours if you’re on JSA? The grace period is the end of term. So that would be December

Thank you @Jackospicethat’s reassuring to hear!

Yes that's right.

Ask your childcare provider to check your code. This will then give you your grace period end date if you can’t see if on your childcare account. You can continue to claim the hours to that date with the same childcare provider.