30 hours free childcare - can I apply early?

runmichellerun

Hello. My daughter turns 3 on 15th January 2021. She currently goes to nursery 3 days a week as both my husband and I work. According to the government website we are entitled to claim for her 30 hours free childcare, but we wouldn't get the benefit of it until the term after Easter 2021. I have been told by a friend that there is a way of claiming so that we get the benefit earlier. Does anyone know anything more about this please? Thank you.

sheramber

Ask the friend who told you about it.

runmichellerun

sheramber said:

Ask the friend who told you about it.

She heard it from a friend of a friend. It's tenuous, so thought I'd ask on here.

Mrsn

As far as I’m aware the rules are fairly concrete, she would not be eligible for the funding until April 2021 as the rules clearly state the term after your 3rd birthday. I appreciate you feel you are missing out for the sake of 15 days but I don’t believe they’re any exceptions to that.

runmichellerun

Mrsn said:

As far as I’m aware the rules are fairly concrete, she would not be eligible for the funding until April 2021 as the rules clearly state the term after your 3rd birthday. I appreciate you feel you are missing out for the sake of 15 days but I don’t believe they’re any exceptions to that.

That's what I thought. Thank you

JGB1955

There will be people  missing out by 1 day.  There has to be a cut-off somewhere.  Children born on 1 September will have to wait a year longer to go to school than those born the previous day.  It's just the way it works.

izoomzoom

There is funding for 2y olds, although LAs are pretty good about forwarding the eligibility code to qualifying families.
This is the criteria -  https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs/free-childcare-2-year-olds

Rambosmum

JGB1955 said:

There will be people  missing out by 1 day.  There has to be a cut-off somewhere.  Children born on 1 September will have to wait a year longer to go to school than those born the previous day.  It's just the way it works.

My son! We missed out on his free hours by 1 day,  but such is life. We miss out on my daughters by 18 days. 

LudaMusser

My daughter isn’t old enough for the free childcare yet but I found out last week something I didn’t know, it’s only during term time so 38 weeks a year but still a hell of a saving. We currently pay £520 a month for two days a week but the government pay £100 of that 

sheramber

Some providers will let you  stretch it out over 52 weeks if you use less hours in the week.

https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/30-hours-free-childcare-what-parents-need-know?gclid=Cj0KCQiAzsz-BRCCARIsANotFgN2hyzWbrqTsGHrbQdPTuuoyp0ZezjEbCXSfrEX6C9tvo-2nKRh2N4aAt65EALw_wcB

• The actual government funded entitlement is for 1140 hour per year. This means that if you take up your full 30 hours per week, government funding will only over this for 38 weeks of the year. However, your provider may choose to deliver a ‘stretched offer’ i.e. fewer hours per week over more weeks of the year: for example, 22 hour per week over 52 weeks or the year, or just under 24 hours per week over 48 weeks of the year. Speak to your provider about how they can offer the hours and what works best for all of you.