funded hours for working families

[nithinkriz]

Hello All,
My wife is currently on maternity leave since June 2024 returning to work in early June 2025. I have been on paternity leave since November 2024 returning to work in early May 2025. We have a 4 year old boy and an 8 month old girl. Our son has been off nursery from November 2024 as we are away spending time with family overseas. Our plan is for him to return to nursery in April 2025 until he starts reception this September. I am in need of clarity on the below, Please could you help.

1. Will our 4 year old be eligible for 30 hours free childcare from April 2025 or will it be just 15 hours funded childcare as we both won't be returning to work until early May, early June 2025.
2. Our little girl will be 9 months by end of March 2025 - does it mean she gets 15 hours funded childcare or will we have to wait until September 2025 for any funded childcare due to our return to work timing since it will not be within 31 days from 1st April 2025?
3. How does taxfree childcare work for both the kids in this situation.

Thanks in advance

A lot of this will depend on both of your employment situations .

Are you both employed, but using official company maternity/paternity schemes? Or are either of you on ‘career breaks’ or similar?

The baby will not get funding until September, the new term. This is because they next be 9 months AND parent back to work within 30 days of the start of term.

I'm not sure about your son, because normally they continue to be eligible throughout leave for a subsequent child but I dont know if that is still available if you've pulled him out and presumably will be making a new claim.

Best to called HMRC and check.

Thanks for the prompt response here.
We both are in fulltime employment.
I am on company paternity scheme - 6 months with full pay.
My wife is on company maternity scheme which paid her full salary for 5 months, 50% basic salary for 1.5 months and SMP at basic rate (£152.20) for 3 months. Please could you advice based on the above.

As @FrannyScraps said, baby isn’t eligible until you’re both back at work.

Older DC will be entitled to the full 30 hours from now.

Tax-free childcare is in line with this, older DC from now on and younger DC from when you’ve both returned to work.

All of this is based on you both having salaries under £100k a year.

@woolflower and @FrannyScraps thanks for the clarity. Relieved now that our son will
still have the funded hours. We both are with salaries under £100k per year.
I was panicking weather I’ve incorrectly reconfirmed our employment status within the TFC portal. Am I correct in thinking that I do not have to alter anything within the TFC portal for the older child, while I need to start a new application for our little one closer to when we return to work ( I understand that she doesn’t get funded hours ) but this is just so we can use the taxfree childcare portal to pay nursery bill.

If your wife is on maternity leave from a company she is an employee of, and you are in paternity leave from a company you are an employee of, you will be eligible for the full funded hours. Maternity and paternity leave are both protected statuses, you do not stop being an employee during this time.
Your son is eligible for 30 funded hours term time now, your daughter will be eligible for 15 hours term time the term after she is 9 months, and 30 hours from September. You can use tax free childcare for both now

Go on the childcare choices website, you can check eligibility there and get codes for the children as these will be needed for the nursery to claim funding. You must apply asap as deadline will be end of this month for summer term codes.

Thanks a lot everyone for the useful comments and advice. I am clear regarding the funded hours for the older child as he will get the full 30 hours. But for the little one, as we both will be returning to work after April 30th she wouldnt be eligible for 15 funded hours for the term starting 1st April, but i believe she will get the funding for the term starting 1st september. Attached snapshot from gov.uk website and link