15 hours free childcare

[Soundbathfan]

Hi, I am pregnant with my first and going to try to make use of the 15 hours free childcare in sept 2024.
Does the start date need to coincide with term time and if so when would this be?
I am due back to work that same month.
EDD is 7th Dec so aware he may come early or late. Could this affect our eligibility?
Thanks for any advice!

The truth is nobody quite knows. It’s being phased in and clear details haven’t been released yet for the 9 month provision but the general conditions are the term after your child turns the qualifying age.

If he comes on his due date, and if (big if) the 15 hours are done in the same way the current free hours are done, he won't get them in September next year. It will be the term after he turns 9 months, so Jan 2025.

So if he came on 30th November this year he would qualify?
Seems such a strange system! Thanks so much for your reply (and appreciate it might work differently!)

@Soundbathfan I'm in a similar situation to you (although I've older kids too so know a bit more about the system).
As others have said, there's a lot of unknowns, but the biggest by far is the fact it's possible that there'll be a general election between now and Sept '24. Labour are not supportive of this plan; and I don't trust the Tories not to put it back if the GE's out the way.
Also, check you can get 15 hours. The rights to these things are a bit like the rights to NHS dentists - great for someone, if you are lucky and in the right area, but not necessarily actually available. You may find a nursery refuses to give you 15 hours "free", but expects it to be subsidized, potentially by a lot.

They start the term after the child turns the qualifying age. So unless your child was born before September, they'd start in the following January.

The chances of this actually coming in are very small, so I really wouldn’t bank on it in any plans you make!

Even if by some miracle, the Conservatives are still in power, there are nowhere near enough childminders or nurseries to offer these places, let alone ones willing to accept these ‘free’ hours.

I do totally understand it may not happen from a politics / govt POV but I'm trying and failing to understand it from a timescale POV. C section is booked for 30th Nov now so might he be eligible IF it does happen to start the 15 hours in Sept 2024?

Yes, that's right

Oh, as long as you meet the criteria. Both you and your partner must be earning more than ~£8,500 a year, and less than £100,000 a year (each).

I doubt this will ever come in and I also don’t think it should nursery’s are overworked and underpaid already. I get 85% of my childminder fees back through UC though which works.

No problems there! And no UC so I am hoping it does come in (with a proper plan to support, which given the state of uk politics is highly unlikely)

I’ve already heard from someone that their nursery won’t be accepting funded hours for under 3s. FYI

The one I’m going for have said they will but who knows in practice…