There is free childcare out there but the rules are complex and like a slippery eel - hard to get a grip on.
So here is my best go at explaining
Q: Roughly - what financial support is there for childcare?
There has been a recent upgrade which gives more free childcare but its complex
Roughly this is the outline for those that meet the qualifying criteria:
9 months old - 15 hours from Sept 2-24 and 30 hours from Sept 2025
2 year olds - 15 hours from Sept 2024 and 30 hours from Sept 2025
3-4 year olds - 15-30 hours
Q: The headline is 15 free childcare a week - but lots of people have been asking about the details - and they say it's not all it seems. Is that right?
15 Hours A Week
In England, you get 570 hours of free childcare a year. If you used 15 hours a week this would last for for 38 weeks. That's still a long way short if you do a full time job. If you work 9-5 each day which would mean you need at least 40 hours of care and probably more because, to take into travel time, you might need 50 hours a week. So the free childcare still doesn't get you through the week.
Although it is certainly true that the rise of working from home, has made things easier for parents with younger children, as you can use the 30 hours just to cover the fewer hours you are now not at home.
Q: Does everyone qualify for the free childcare?
The scheme is only open to working parents
You need to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum Wage,
Working parents must individually earn more than £8,670 but less than £100,000. For couples, the rules apply to both parents, so both must earn at least £8,670 and neither can earn more than £100,000.
Double Your Free Childcare
Parents of children between the ages of three and four can get an additional 15 hours of funded childcare a week, if they work and meet the following conditions.
Be in work
Earn a minimum of the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the minimum wage
Earn less than £100,000.01 a year
Each parent must fit the criteria. But this can lead to a situation which may sound unfair as it would mean that if each parent earns £100,000 they would still get the full 30-hour free childcare but if only 1 parent works and the household income was much lower, they wouldn't get the full 30 hours of free childcare. So richer parents get more than poorer ones, although the argument would be if one parent is at home - they don't need the childcare in the same way.
Although that has some justification for parents, it does ignore the benefit on the child of having the input from childcare and mixing and socialising with other children.
Q: How To Get The Free Childcare
To get the the first 15 hours, you just contact the nursery. But not all nurseries offer the places and many might be full. - so apply early. So if you are feeling romantic - before you buyythe box of chocolates, it might be worth calling up the nursery and checking their waiting list. However, for the extra 15 hours, you need to apply for the extra hours through the Gov.uk website.
Q: Some people on Tax Credits may want to know how that benefit can also help Working tax credit is a means-tested government payment to help with day-to-day expenses for working people on low incomes. But they are being replaced by Universal Credit. The childcare element of working tax credit is designed to help parents on low incomes who are in work pay for childcare, to help them stay in employment.
Q: Can you get extra help from Universal Credit?
You might be able to get extra help through Universal Credit. The 'Child Element' can be worth £288 per child per month.
In addition if you are on Universal Credit you can apply for a refund of up to 85% of your childcare costs through a registered supplier, up to a maximum of £1,014 for one child and £1,739 for two or more children.
What other help is there, even if you are not on benefits?
Even if you’re not entitled to benefits, you might still qualify for Tax-Free Childcare instead which gives eligible families an extra 20% towards their childcare costs. This operates like a savings account in which for every 80 pence you put in, the government will add an extra 20 pence. It's giving you back the basic rate of tax - which is why it gets the name - 'Tax Free'. You need to be in work to qualify and earn £100,000 or less
Extra Sources:
Which? has its own guide here https://www.which.co.uk/money/tax/tax-credits-and-benefits/tax-free-childcare-and-other-ways-to-save-a8Zon6j5ERJt#:~:text=Whether%20you're%20working,%20not%20working,%20on%20a%20low
The government has it's own website here https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs#:~:text=You%20can%20get%20help%20with%20the%20cost%20of
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