Started new nursery but old nursery is claiming govt funding

[Nthy763]

Hi,
Would really appreciate some advice/guidance on the following.
My DD is 3 and she was attending a preschool up until 12 November in one Nursery, they were claiming govt funding for her 30 hour childcare. I then moved her to a new preschool as the old one wasn’t looking after her (different story) but they continue to claim the funding from the Council even after she left! Due to this the new nursery is unable to claim the govt funding and I obviously need to pay the new nursery the difference.
I would have thought that as soon as a child leaves a nursery they would stop claiming the funding, surely they can’t claim an allowance for someone who isn’t there any more?

I called HMRC and they said the nursery should stop claiming, I called the nursery and they said they only claim once at the beginning of the term and they don’t touch it thereafter, I mean even if I didn’t change nurseries and had just stopped aether altogether then too the old nursery should’ve stopped right?

Please let me know if anyone has been in this situation before and if so what did you do? TIA xx

Did you give the nursery 4 weeks notice? Or whatever is required in your contact? Either way they are probably claiming for the notice period.

It is incorrect that they can only claim for a full term. I'm a cm and at the start of a term you claim for the children you have on roll. If any join or leave mid term then you add them to your amendment at the end of term.

I believe only one setting can claim rhe funding per term and you can't change which setting gets the funding midway through the term. You should be able to access tge funding for the new nursery from 1 Jan. The nursery are correct it is all calculated based upon 1 Jan, 1 Apr and 1 September for funding.

Sorry it isn't the news you wanted especially if you moved due to the previous nursery being sub-standard.

The nursery is correct. The nurseries claim per term so they would have put the claim in for September 1st and it will carry in until the end of this term.

The new nursery can only claim from the 1st January unfortunately.

Thanks for your replies.

@ WisestIsShe yes I did give them a month’s notice (per contract), my daughter attended the nursery for the month and then moved.

I’m just surprised that if there are children leaving the setting continues to claim, that’s our taxpayers money being claimed without delivering a service.

It depends on the rules that your local authority have. Some allow the funding to be transferred mid term and some don't.

You need to phone your local council and ask for the funding department and speak to them.

I've been told the same by our childminder. We are moving during spring term but will keep older child with this childminder for the whole term as we wont get free hours anywhere else, they've already been claimed by this childminder. Will try and get somewhere near new home for summer term after that.

Perhaps it's different from council to council but where I live in the Midlands it is absolutely possible to change settings mid term.

This is correct that the old nursery can continue to claim until 31/12. Funding can only be transferred mid term due to exceptional circumstances i.e. forces child and moved area, looked after child etc.

Unfortunately you will have to pay for the time you have had at your new nursery until the new term starts and they can claim it.

Yeah once the claim is in that’s it

You have to wait until January as it’s a new term for new nursery to claim

Sorry, also meant to say you can move setting at a half term and the new setting can claim for the half term onwards but as 12/11 was once the term had started the old nursery are within their rights to claim it. You can ask them to relinquish the funding to the new setting but they really don't have to.