Tax free childcare?

[Alicia870]

Hi just wondering if someone could give me some advice.

I'm on mat leave with baby no 1 and due to return in July. I've tried applying online for tax free childcare but it says currently not eligible as my return to work date needs to be within 30 days of the application.
Can anyone give me any insight into who is eligible for this? What are the criteria etc as I really wanted to know if I can get it before meeting with the childminder this weekend! Thank you

These are the the rules
www.gov.uk/tax-free-childcare

So basically you need to earn at least the equivalent of working 16h on the min wage but under 100k a year.

You can apply just before you start working. As above, assuming you and your partner are both working the minimum hours and not earning too much, you should qualify. Realistically, you may not get it in time for your first month of childcare as they can be a bit slow. My application was approved within about a week or so, but I have an older one who I use it with, so I don't know if that made the process quicker because we are already in the system and I was just adding an additional child to my existing application. The website is really difficult to use, so I wouldn't leave it to the last minute. Your childminder should be able to answer some questions about it as well.

Also remember to ask if the childminder accepts TFC if this is a dealbreaker for you.