30 free hours eligibility - high earner/mat leave

[Tier500]

I normally earn above the threshold for 30 hours free childcare but will be on mat leave during the tax year that my child will start nursery which will mean I’ll only receive half my usual income in that tax year (and bring it below the threshold). Does anyone know whether that means we can get 30 hours or will it still be 15?

I believe both parents have to be working unless you are a single parent so no you won't qualify

Thanks for the replies - it’s not terribly clear! DH is hoping to do some teaching work alongside his studies from next year so that might be fine. It’s more my side of it I’m not clear about. I will speak to my HR dept.

@THATbasicSNOWFLAKE

But if she normally earns 100k she would likely have savings wouldnt she to use during mat leave

Not necessarily?

My family combined income with DH is somewhere around £75k - which when you write that down looks a lot - we have little in savings and we pay at the moment around £400 a month in childcare for before/after school. We don't have an extravagant lifestyle - car is 10 years old, haven't been abroad in years, live in a reasonably affordable area but a normal sized house (probably actually considered on the small size), don't eat out other than the odd Domino's pizza delivered, wear supermarket clothes. Every penny per month is accounted for - we cancelled sky because we couldn't afford it when I was furloughed with no top up from employer

I'm due twins shortly - as I'm the main earner I can only afford to stay off 18 weeks which is the only leave I get from work (none full paid) and then childcare will increase to around £1500 a month for all three children so still half that which they OP will be paying out

@THATbasicSNOWFLAKE

But if she normally earns 100k she would likely have savings wouldnt she to use during mat leave

Yes I do have savings, and using them all for mat leave which will leave us with zero savings as a family - very precarious position to be in but we have no option. Would have been fine with DH’s income. I conceived in Feb so pre covid and couldn’t have foreseen any of this.

Both parents need to be earning the equivalent of 16 hours per week on the national minimum wage so you will need to check if your husband qualifies.