21/07/2017

Working parents in England with a 3 or 4 year old child can now apply for the 30 hour free childcare offer, which will double the 15 hours of free childcare currently available to parents and save eligible families up to £5,000 pa in total when it commences in September. 

Eligible parents among those benefiting from 30 hours free childcare may also qualify for the Tax-Free Childcare scheme launched across the UK on 21 April for working parents of children under the age of 4 and disabled children under 17 years of age.

The Scheme will be rolled out to all qualifying parents in the UK by the end of 2017, when it will cut childcare costs by up to £2,000 per year for each child under 12 years old and £4,000 per year for disabled children under 17 years old.

Eligible parents must be working and each of them must expect to earn at least £120 per week. Neither must have an income above £100,000 pa.

To save time and reduce form-filling, parents will can apply for all their children at the same time as soon as their youngest child becomes eligible, while English parents can apply for both the 30 hour childcare offer and Tax Free Childcare simultaneously.

All parents can explore their options on HM Revenue & Custom’s website ‘Childcare Choices’, which provides access to the interactive Childcare Calculator to help them identify which offers are best for them and, if appropriate, make their application. Information for parents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is also available from this weblink.

‘Early years entitlements: operational guidelines for local authorities and providers’ aims primarily to help providers and local authorities understand how best to deliver the free offer.