Childcare cost help

PerfectMess

Currently on maternity leave looking into the help available for childcare when I return to work. 

Our childcare costs are not expected to be huge thanks to the new help announced last year. Can I ask if we can build a pot of tax free childcare to use in the future? I see you aren’t allowed to claim while on maternity so could we build a pot now for the future when I am hopefully on maternity for a second currently hypothetical child? Or is it a yearly account that must be used within a certain amount of time?
Also the 15/30 free hours are these only available while actually working too or can we claim these throughout maternity leave? As child 1 won’t start nursery until 1yr rather than 9 months are we able to claim hours in advance to use as we need childcare over 51 weeks not 38?

sheramber

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/03/15/how-to-claim-15-hours-free-childcare-code/

• From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents with a child from 9-months-old. 

You can apply one month before your start date for working.

You can continue to claim free child care for  an exsisting  child when temporay away from work on maternity leave for a subsequent child, but you can only  apply  for the newborn 31 days before you return to work.