30 Hours - help with childcare costs

Working parents of 3 and 4-year-old children could receive up to, an additional 15 hours of funded early education per week.  This is called the Extended Entitlement and is in addition to the 15 hours of universal entitlement for all 3 and 4-year-olds, who are not yet attending a school reception class.  This means that some families could receive up to  30 hours of funded education over, no less than 38 weeks (or 1140 hours per year). 

Unlike the universal entitlement parent/carers must apply for a validation code.  Once a code has been given, children may take up the extended entitlement place from the start of the following school term but must be registered in a childcare provision by the termly statutory headcount/census date. It is worth asking your childcare provider about the headcount/census date to ensure you don’t miss out on funding!

What are the criteria?

Each parent (or lone parent) earns at least the minimum equivalent of 16 hours per week at the national minimum wage or national living wage, this equates to earning at least:

  • £120 per week (or £6000 a year) for each parent aged 25 years and older
  • £112.80 per week (or £5800 a year) for each parent aged 21-24 years.

Some families:

  • Could be eligible where one or both parents are unable to work due to maternity leave, paternity leave, statutory sick, shared parental or adoption leave.
  • Where one parent meets the earnings criteria but the other parent is unable to work due to being disabled, having carer responsibilities or they have been assessed for having limited capacity to work.
  • Where one parent is in the 'start-up period' (newly self-employed) they do not need to demonstrate they meet the income criteria for 12 months.

You will not be eligible if:  

  • Either parent earns more than £100,000 a year.
  • Either parent is a non-EEA (European Economic Area) national and subject to immigration control and has no recourse to public funds.

How do I apply?

You should apply online to HMRC https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs  who check and confirm eligibility. Further information can be found at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Who to contact

Contact Name
HMRC
Telephone
03001234097 03001234097
Website
30 hours childcare costs - Gov.uk website
Scan to visit this website

Actions

Save to Shortlist

Last Updated

Last updated:

Skip back to top of page