THIS year is a big one for parents with the Government rolling out a major expansion of free childcare.
The extra support, announced in last March’s budget, will eventually see 30 hours of free childcare offered to eligible parents of children between nine months and three years old by September 2025.
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Some parents will start receiving the extra free childcare this month while others will have to wait a bit longer.
It comes as The Sun exclusively revealed some parents are being stung by shock new fees despite the roll-out.
But there are extra changes coming beyond the expansion of childcare, namely an uprating in the childcare element of Universal Credit and key dates if you want to claim free childcare.
Here are all the key dates you need to know about.
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April
The childcare element of Universal Credit increased on April 8 but some might not have started claiming it until now.
The payments have been made upfront since June last year, in a major win for The Sun’s Make Universal Credit Work campaign.
The most you can claim is now £1,015 a month, from £951 before, and £1,739 for two or more children, from £1,630 before.
Bear in mind though, the amount you will get off each month varies depending on what your income is during each assessment period.
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May 12
From May 12, eligible working parents whose children will be aged between nine and 23 months old on August 31 can apply to receive 15 hours free childcare.
It comes as part of phase two of the Government’s roll-out of extra free childcare for parents.
The Government is encouraging parents to get applications in early to ensure they can secure a place with a provider.
It comes after working parents of two-year-olds started receiving 15 hours free childcare from the start of this month.
June 15 – July 31
You can apply for 15 hours free childcare through your childcare provider when your child is one year and 36 weeks old.
Meanwhile, you can apply for 30 hours free childcare from when your child is two years and 36 weeks old.
But depending on when that is, you will start receiving the free childcare help from different dates.
For example, if your child turns three between April 1 and August 31, you can start getting free childcare on or after September 1.
In this case, the Government says you need to apply between June 15 and July 31.
September
The same parents who applied for extra free childcare from May 12 will be able to start claiming it from September.
If you are looking to start claiming the 15 hours free childcare hours from September 1, you will have to apply by August 31.
October 15 – November 30
By applying the same rule that you can apply for 15 hours free childcare from when your child is one year and 36 weeks old and 30 hours from when your child is two years and 36 weeks old, you may have to apply between October and November this year.
For example, if your child is turning either of these ages between September 1 and December 31, you should apply between October 15 and November 30.
You will then start receiving your free childcare from the following January 1.
How can I apply for free childcare?
You can apply for free childcare hours on the GOV.UK website.
Once your application has been approved, you’ll get a code to give to your childcare provider.
You can currently apply for 30 hours free childcare on the Government’s website and from when your child is two years and 36 weeks old.
You should check with your childcare provider to find out the exact date your 30 hours of free childcare will start.
Crucially, you have to reconfirm your eligibility every three months.
You can check if you qualify for free childcare via the Childcare Choices page on the Government’s website.
What other childcare help is available?
There are several tax breaks and grants designed to help with the cost of childcare.
You can usually use them for care like registered childminders, nannies, playschemes, nurseries, and holiday clubs.
It’s worth checking out the Government’s childcare costs calculator to figure out which scheme will save you the most money though, as not all can be claimed at the same time.
Free childcare for two-year-olds
Parents living in England and claiming any of the below benefits can access some free childcare for two-year-olds:
- Income support
- Income-based jobseeker’s allowance (JSA)
- Income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit (where household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments)
- Tax credits (where household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax)
- Pension Credit (guaranteed element)
Two-year-olds can also get free childcare if they:
- Are looked after by a local authority
- Have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- Get disability living allowance
- Have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order
You may have to pay for extra costs like meals, nappies or trips.
You should contact your childcare provider or local council to find out more.
Tax-free childcare
Those not on Universal Credit or Tax Credits may qualify for tax-free childcare.
You can get up to £500 every three months – up to a maximum of £2,000 a year – for each of your children.
If your child is disabled, you can claim more – £1,000 every three months, up to £4,000 maximum per year.
Anyone eligible can sign up by creating an online childcare account via the Government’s website.
Child benefit
You can get child benefit if you’re responsible for a child aged under 16, or if they are under 20 and in approved education or training.
Child benefit is currently worth £24 a week for the eldest child or only child, worth £1,248 a year.
For each subsequent child, parents get £15.90 a week – or £826.80 a year.
The cash is paid every four weeks and there’s no limit to how many children you can apply for.
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Bear in mind though, those who earn more than £50,000 a year may need to pay back some of their child benefit through the High Income Child Benefit Charge.
The minimum threshold through which you have to start paying this back is £60,000 after it rose earlier this month.
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