Free childcare: Two week warning issued for parents to avoid £2000 mistake

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The Department for Education (DoE) has warned parents in opposition to making a mistake over the subsequent two weeks that would price them almost £2000 value of free childcare.

All working parents will probably be entitled to 15 hours of free childcare from 1 April underneath plans introduced by the federal government.

Currently, 30 hours of free childcare a week is obtainable solely to working parents with youngsters aged three to 4 and incomes lower than £100,000 a 12 months.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt promised the growth of childcare help in his 2023 spring Budget, saying: “they amount to the most significant improvements to childcare provision in a decade.”

However, the DoE has issued a clarification to The Independent for parents wanting to profit from the brand new help scheme.

The deadline to apply for free childcare starting in April is 31 March. If you miss this deadline, you’ll have to wait till the subsequent deadline of August 31 to apply.

This would additionally imply you wouldn’t begin receiving your entitlement till 1 September, probably lacking out on 5 months of free childcare – value a mean of £1,980.

How do I apply for free childcare?

To apply for free childcare, you and your youngster should meet sure eligibility standards. The variety of hours of free childcare you will get will fluctuate relying on the age of your youngster.

If your youngster is 2, you’ll be able to stand up to 15 hours of free childcare. You can apply from when your youngster is one 12 months and 36 weeks.

If they’re aged three to 4, you’ll be able to stand up to 30 hours, and you’ll apply from when your youngster is 2 years and 36 weeks.

There are three deadlines to concentrate on:

Unfortunately, in case your youngster turns two or three after a deadline, even when simply by in the future, you’ll not be eligible to obtain the related free childcare entitlement for them till the start of the next time period.

The DoE recommends making use of early, no less than by round 4 weeks earlier than the deadline, to avoid any points receiving your entitlement code.

If you apply in time however don’t obtain your code till after the deadline, you’ll nonetheless have the opportunity to take up your entitlement and should converse to your childcare supplier about this.

If you meet the deadline however are unable to take up a free area due to a technical situation, it’s possible you’ll have the opportunity to apply for compensation.

However, when you miss the deadline, you’ll “not be able to take up the new childcare entitlement from April,” says a spokesperson for the DoE, even when your youngster is eligible.

“Instead, they would need to apply and then would be eligible for the entitlement from the term that begins 1 September.”

From September 2024, the 15 hour free childcare growth will proceed to embrace youngsters 9 months and up.

For full particulars of eligibility and the way to apply, go to the federal government’s web site.