Latest news with #freechildcare
BBC News
02-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
How can working parents get 15 and 30 hours of free childcare?
Eligible working parents of children from nine months old can now apply for 30 hours of free childcare a week in England from September. The government hopes the scheme will get more parents back to work, but there are serious concerns about the number of staff and places childcare arrangements vary in other parts of the UK. How expensive is UK childcare? The average cost of full-time nursery (50 hours a week) for a child under two in England is £12,425 in 2025. That's a fall of 22% from 2024, according to the Coram Family and Childcare charity, as the government funded hours scheme is the most expensive place in Great Britain for under-twos, at £15, cost of a full-time place for three and four-year-olds went up in all three nations. How does free childcare in England work? In England, all three and-four year olds are eligible for 15 hours of government funded childcare, regardless of their parents working status. Other help is also available, but this depends on the age of your child and whether you are working or receiving certain parents can get:15 hours of childcare paid for by the government for children aged between nine months and 23 months old (increasing to 30 hours in September30 hours of childcare paid for by the government for three and four-year-oldsTo qualify for the new hours, the majority of parents must earn more than £9,518, but less than £100,000 per on certain benefits can get:15 hours of free childcare for two-year-oldsIf you do not work, you might still be eligible for 30 hours of free childcare if your partner works, or you receive some benefits (for example maternity or paternity leave).UK government: Childcare choicesUK government: Childcare calculator How do you apply for 15 or 30 hours of free childcare? Parents can apply for 15 hours of childcare from when their child is 23 weeks old, and for 30 hours once their child is two years and 36 weeks entitlement starts at the beginning of the term after your child reaches the qualifying government website has details of the deadlines to apply for each age childcare hours are designed to be used over 38 weeks of the year - during school term some providers will stretch them over 52 weeks if you use fewer hours per week. What is not covered by the free childcare hours? The government is increasing the hourly rate it pays childcare providers offering free in many cases, this rate does not cover the full cost of the childcare. So, some providers charge for extras like meals, nappies, sun cream or to research from the Pregnant Then Screwed charity, almost a quarter (23%) of parents it surveyed said they couldn't afford to access free childcare hours because of top-up February, the Department for Education (DfE) wrote to nurseries saying parents should be able to opt out of paying for these extras, "to ensure no family is priced out".However, some providers say they use these payments to subsidise the cost of the free hours for three and four-year-olds. More than 5,000 nurseries have signed an open letter to the DfE asking for the new rules to be delayed. Are there enough childcare places? The DfE says an additional 35,000 staff and 70,000 places will be required to meet demand by September education regulator Ofsted has warned that access to childcare in England has declined since 2020 and improvements have not been evenly spread across the average, so-called "childcare deserts" have lower household incomes and higher levels of deprivation than other government offered a cash incentive of £600 to those who become childminders (or £1,200 for those joining via an agency) which ended in March. Childcare staffing rose by 6% across 2024 as a whole, however the number of childminders - those providing early years care in homes - has continued to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows the total population of zero to five-year-olds fell by 1% per year from 2018 to 2022, the number of childcare places increased by 44,400 between 2023 and 2024, according to DfE figures. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said early years had been her "priority from day one". However, nursery bosses argue the government's updated funding rates for 2025 will not offset rising Early Years Alliance charity said about 185 nurseries of 1,100 it surveyed said they were "likely" to withdraw from the scheme within the next 12 months "due to unsustainable financial pressures".In April, the government announced the first 300 school-based nurseries, which it says will provide 4,000 extra places by September 2025. What childcare help is available in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? All three and four-year-olds and some two-year-olds in Scotland are entitled to 30 hours a week of funded childcare during term time (or 22 hours a week if used across the year), regardless of their parents' working parents in Wales can get 30 hours of childcare for three and four-year-olds, and the government says it is expanding support for Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme (NICSS) provides a 15% discount on childcare to qualifying working parents with pre-school-age children. The scheme will be extended to include primary school-age children from September. How does tax-free childcare work? Parents may be entitled to other support, including the UK-wide tax-free childcare every £8 you pay into an online childcare account, the government adds £2 (up to £2,000 per child per year, or £4,000 for disabled children).You can use the money to pay for approved childcare, for example:Childminders, nurseries and nanniesAfter-school clubs and play schemesYour childcare provider must be signed up to the who qualify for free childcare hours can save in the tax-free scheme as much is child benefit worth and who can claim it?
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Expansion of free childcare rolls out today – here's who is eligible
The government's expansion of free childcare will empower women to have larger families, according to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. Starting Monday, working parents of children aged nine months and older can apply for up to 30 hours of free childcare per week starting from 1 September, continuing until their child reaches school age. Ms Phillipson highlighted the scheme's potential to provide working mothers with greater flexibility in balancing their careers and family lives. She said: "They will be able to make choices about the career that's right for them, the hours that they want, but also [have] the freedom to think about family size and how many children they want to have, with support from the Government around childcare hours." The initiative, originally introduced by the previous Conservative government, represents a significant investment in childcare support and is expected to facilitate a "generational shift" for working women, according to the education secretary. The expanded access to free childcare aims to alleviate financial burdens and offer greater freedom in career and family planning. The expansion of funded childcare began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds. Working parents of children older than nine months are currently able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. The Labour Government announced up to to 4,000 childcare places are set to be rolled out at new or expanded school-based nurseries in England from September. Ms Phillipson said she had been 'flat out to make sure we've got as many places available as possible'. The Department for Education (DfE) has approved the first round of funding for 300 school-based nursery projects across England. Each successful school, which were able to apply for up to £150,000, will receive the amount of funding they bid for to repurpose or extend existing spaces and deliver childcare provision. The first 300 school-based nurseries will offer an average of 20 places per site and up to 6,000 new places in total, with up to 4,000 set to be available by the end of September, the DfE said. It comes after schools were able to bid for a share of £15 million funding in October to deliver up to 300 new or expanded nurseries across England. Labour said in its manifesto that it would open an additional 3,000 nurseries through 'upgrading space' in primary schools. Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, said: 'Parents often struggle with finding good quality childcare, and many will welcome this investment, especially as parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon.' The announcement comes as Labour is under increased pressure to scrap the tory era two-child benefit cap policy. This prevents parents from claiming universal credit or tax credit for their third or more child. Charities have warned it could bring child poverty to record high by 2029.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Labour's childcare drive will let women have more children, education minister says
The government's expansion of free childcare will empower women to have larger families, according to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. Starting Monday, working parents of children aged nine months and older can apply for up to 30 hours of free childcare per week starting from 1 September, continuing until their child reaches school age. Ms Phillipson highlighted the scheme's potential to provide working mothers with greater flexibility in balancing their careers and family lives. She said: "They will be able to make choices about the career that's right for them, the hours that they want, but also [have] the freedom to think about family size and how many children they want to have, with support from the Government around childcare hours." The initiative, originally introduced by the previous Conservative government, represents a significant investment in childcare support and is expected to facilitate a "generational shift" for working women, according to the education secretary. The expanded access to free childcare aims to alleviate financial burdens and offer greater freedom in career and family planning. The expansion of funded childcare began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds. Working parents of children older than nine months are currently able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. The Labour Government announced up to to 4,000 childcare places are set to be rolled out at new or expanded school-based nurseries in England from September. Ms Phillipson said she had been 'flat out to make sure we've got as many places available as possible'. The Department for Education (DfE) has approved the first round of funding for 300 school-based nursery projects across England. Each successful school, which were able to apply for up to £150,000, will receive the amount of funding they bid for to repurpose or extend existing spaces and deliver childcare provision. The first 300 school-based nurseries will offer an average of 20 places per site and up to 6,000 new places in total, with up to 4,000 set to be available by the end of September, the DfE said. It comes after schools were able to bid for a share of £15 million funding in October to deliver up to 300 new or expanded nurseries across England. Labour said in its manifesto that it would open an additional 3,000 nurseries through 'upgrading space' in primary schools. Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, said: 'Parents often struggle with finding good quality childcare, and many will welcome this investment, especially as parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon.' The announcement comes as Labour is under increased pressure to scrap the tory era two-child benefit cap policy. This prevents parents from claiming universal credit or tax credit for their third or more child. Charities have warned it could bring child poverty to record high by 2029.
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
How working parents can save £7,500 a year by applying for 30 hours of free childcare from TODAY as rules change on who can access it
An expanded free childcare rollout for under-fives begins today - meaning parents could save up to £7,500 per child a year, according to the Government. Eligible working parents of children aged nine months before September can apply from today to received up to 30 hours per week of free childcare in England. Working parents of children older than nine months can currently get 15 hours of funded childcare a week, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week in September. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said in an interview in today's Daily Mail that women can choose to have more children thanks to the policy change. But how exactly is the system changing and who is eligible? Read MailOnline's Q&A for a breakdown on the new rules for free childcare: What is changing to free childcare? From today, working parents of children who turn nine months old before September 1 can apply to access up to 30 hours of free childcare per week, until their child is old enough to start school. Working parents of children older than nine months are currently able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. What are the new entitlements for free childcare? The entitlements are different based on four main factors as follows: your child's age and circumstances whether you're working your income (and your partner's income, if you have one) your immigration status Firstly, it depends on your child's age: Under nine months: You get no free childcare Nine months to two years old: You get 15 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year. From September, this will increase to 30 hours per week of free childcare. Three to four years old: You get 30 hours per week of free childcare for 38 weeks of the year. This is not changing in September. You will not be eligible if your child does not usually live with you. What qualifies as someone who is working? You can usually get free childcare for childen aged under five for working parents if you - and your partner, if you have one - are: in work or starting a new job on sick leave or annual leave on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave What about if you're on benefits? The Government says you may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you are on carer's leave or if you get any of the following benefits: Incapacity Benefit Severe Disablement Allowance Carer's Allowance Limited Capability for Work Benefit contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance What income is required to qualify? Over the next three months you and your partner - if you have one - must each expect to earn at least: £2,539 before tax if you're aged 21 or over (equivalent to £195 per week) £2,080 before tax if you're aged 18 to 20 (equivalent to £160 per week) £1,570 before tax if you're under 18 or an apprentice (equivalent to £120 per week) This is the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week on average. However, you will not be eligible if you or your partner have an expected adjusted net income of over £100,000 in the current tax year. What if you're self-employed or your income varies? You can use an average of how much you expect to earn over the current tax year if you work throughout the year but do not get paid regularly; or you're self-employed and do not expect to earn enough in the next three months. The Government gives an example as follows: 'You're eligible if you're 21 or over and do not have a regular income but earn £10,158 a year. This is the same as earning £2,539 every 3 months on average.' If you're self-employed and started your business less than 12 months ago, you can earn less and still be eligible for free childcare for working parents. If you have more than one job, you can use your total earnings to work out if you meet the threshold. This includes earnings from any employment and self-employment. If you're both employed and self-employed, you can use just your self-employment income if this would make you eligible. What income doesn't count toward minimum earnings? Certain types of income will not count towards the minimum amount you must earn to be eligible. These include dividends; interest; income from investing in property; and pension payments. What must your immigration status be to qualify? You - and your partner if you have one - must have a National Insurance number. The person who applies must also have at least one of the following: British or Irish citizenship settled or pre-settled status, or you have applied and you're waiting for a decision permission to access public funds (a UK residence card will state whether you cannot do this) When can you apply for 30 hours of free childcare? The Government says the deadline for applying for 15 hours of free childcare has already passed, so you will now be applying for 30 hours instead. If you're already getting 15 hours of free childcare, you'll automatically get 30 hours from September as long as you're still eligible. You'll need to confirm your details are up to date and give the code to your childcare provider. Also, check with them to find out the exact date your free childcare starts. You can apply for the 30 hours from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns nine months old: When your child turns 9 months old When you can get your hours from Deadline for applying Between 1 September and 31 December 01-Jan 31-Dec Between 1 January and 31 March 01-Apr 31-Mar Between 1 April and 31 August 01-Sep 31-Aug The date you return to work and whether you're on a certain type of leave will also affect when you can apply for free childcare. Click here for the full breakdown. How can you apply? Visit the Government website to go through the eligibility criteria to see what you can get by clicking here, and then create a childcare account to apply. You will need to provide different amounts of information based on your circumstances, and the process is said to take about 20 minutes. How much could the change be worth to families? Ministers say the scheme could save families up to £7,500 per child a year. Won't this increase demand for nurseries? The Labour Government announced up to to 4,000 childcare places are set to be rolled out at new or expanded school-based nurseries in England from September. The Department for Education has approved the first round of funding for 300 school-based nursery projects across England. Each successful school, which were able to apply for up to £150,000, will receive the amount of funding they bid for to repurpose or extend existing spaces and deliver childcare provision. The first 300 school-based nurseries will offer an average of 20 places per site and up to 6,000 new places in total, with up to 4,000 set to be available by the end of September, the DfE said. It comes after schools were able to bid for a share of £15million funding in October to deliver up to 300 new or expanded nurseries across England. Labour said in its manifesto that it would open an additional 3,000 nurseries through 'upgrading space' in primary schools. What has the Government said about it? Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said women will be given added 'freedom' to have more children by the expanded government-funded childcare. She told the Daily Mail that the scheme would give working mothers more freedom to balance work and family life. 'They will be able to make choices about the career that's right for them, the hours that they want, but also [have] the freedom to think about family size and how many children they want to have, with support from the Government around childcare hours,' she said. 'That brings huge benefits to working women and this is a generational shift in terms of the new funding that's been put in place.' Ms Phillipson also said she had been 'flat out to make sure we've got as many places available as possible'. Who introduced the scheme? The scheme was originally introduced by the previous Conservative government, but is coming into force under the existing Labour government. What else is the Government doing with nurseries? Ministers have launched a consultation on how the Government can help nurseries to make better use of outdoor space for play and learning. The Government's early years framework only formally recognises indoor space in its requirements for how many children nurseries and childcare providers can take on at any one time. The consultation will look at whether safe outdoor space can be included in meeting those requirements.
