Free childcare if self employed AND employed

[Blueowlnight]

Ive been looking for the answer for this and can’t seem to find it, so wondering if anyone has personal experience.

I am employed and also work 1 day a week self employed. I am on maternity leave from my employed work until mid-May, and am returning to self employed work this month.

In terms of free childcare hours, this means I will be both working and on maternity leave. The rules state you can’t have free childcare until the term after your maternity leave ends, but as I am returning to my other work sooner am I eligible earlier or not?!

Earnings will be above the threshold, it’s just the technicality of being on leave in one role.

TIA!

I would actually check that this doesn’t make you ineligible for your maternity pay. I was only self-employed and on mat allowance (not SMP) and I would not have kept my mat allowance if I went back to self-employment (beyond KIT days, you get 10 days). As you are claiming SMP, I assume, your maternity pay is linked to your employment and I would think you couldn’t claim childcare benefits linked to retuning to work if you have not returned to your employed work. Your best bet would be to call HMRC and ask, but I’d be careful if everything is not above board as you may trigger an investigation.

When was your child born? This is important too.

Do you meet the earnings criteria solely on your self employment income?

I've just had a quick look and can't see anything that says you can. All seems to point to being ineligible if on maternity leave (other than for children already enrolled). I go back to work in Jan and they actually phoned to check my start date.

You can definitely work self employed and receive SMP, but you can’t on MA.

baby will be 9mo on Feb. So I could receive free childcare from summer term from an age perspective. However, if based on returning to paye employment in mid may then it wouldn’t be until September

Oh and I would meet earnings criteria for self employed work

From everything I could see you weren't entitled to it while on maternity leave for the child in question but might be worth phoning the Working Families Org: 0300 012 0312