15 free hour childcare

[JodieStratt]

I have 20 month old twins and I have always believed that when they turn 2 they would get 15 free hours of childcare (I am on uc and their dad works full time) I was told on the online calculator they could get if from April (term after 2nd birthday).
But when I have double checked this morning I am not getting the same result and it is they can go from 3 years old.
They can have the free hours if we have a household income of just over £15,000 a year.
Just wondering if anyone has had the same experience and if so what happened? Did you get the free hours or have to wait until they were 3?
I am willing to go back to work part time but was wanting to secure them some hours either way.

Thank you
From a frazzled worried twin mama 😁

Both parents have to working and earning the equivalent of 16 hours at minimum wage. The funding for children under the age of 3 is the working parents entitlement and you can claim up to 30 hours a week term time (unless stretched) . Once a child is 3, they can claim 15 universal hours the term following their third birthday. To also use the extra 15 hours working parents entitlement (making it to 30) the same rules apply as those under the age of 3.

If you’re on universal credit, it’s worth enquiring if you can claim the disadvantaged funding however your income needs to be pretty low to qualify.

Why would you need the free hours if you aren’t working?

For my children’s development and contact with other children. And to go back to work soon. But thank you for your constructive comment.

Ok but you're expected to pay if you arent working. Or facilate it by taking them out and about to mix with children.

You might feel people are being unfair by pointing it out but that's the rules. You need to be working a minimum of 16 hours each to get the working parent funded hours or have a household income of less than c£15k for the disadvantaged funding.

Ask your local jobcentre if they have someone that can help you navigate childcare. You say you want the free hours to return to work, they employ people to help parents figure out childcare arrangements so they can.

On the face of it, no, you aren't eligible. If you go back to work you should be.

Why isn’t your partner working??

If you read the post he works full time.

As your husband is working, you will also need to work to claim any free hours.

A part time job will cover this, and provide you with 30 hours of childcare plus the tax free childcare.

Thank you for the helpful comments. I will be starting the job hunt straight away.
I would just like to state I am someone who has always worked full time and have only left my job due to having my twins. I do not expect hand outs I was just clearly mis informed previously.

It’s also done in terms. So depending on when they start you would need to secure and prove wage before you can apply. They also have cut off dates. So the summer term which I believe starts sometime in April you would need to be working before it starts to apply for the funding for it to be accepted. You may find that you will have a gap between working start dates and nursery funding starting.

Not accurate advice.

You can start work within a month of the term beginning to be eligible for that term.

So the next cut of date will be to start work by 31st January for funding for the spring term (Jan- Easter). Apply for a code on the Best Start in Life site by 31st December.