Do you qualify for additional childcare? – Parents across Bath and North East Somerset are being urged to check whether they are entitled to receive additional funded childcare from September.
Support for some working families with 3 or 4 year old children is being doubled, with an increase in early education and funded childcare to 30 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year (or the all year round equivalent).
Eligibility for the entitlement will include households where:
- both parents are working or one parent is working in lone parent families. This will be defined as earning the equivalent of 16 hours per week on national minimum wage, with a maximum of £100,000 per year
- and can include self-employment, but earning less than £100,000 per year
- both parents are employed but one or both of them are temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave
- both parents are employed but one or both of them are temporarily away from the workplace on statutory sick pay
- one parent is employed and one parent has substantial caring responsibilities based on specific benefits received for caring
- one parent is employed and one parent is disabled or incapacitated based on specific benefits.
Cllr Paul May (Conservative, Publow and Whitchurch) Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “The aim of the scheme is to help working parents and support more people in getting into work. It is important that all eligible parents apply for the extension in funded childcare or early education before the deadline of 31st August, 2017.”
To apply, you must complete an online form on the Childcare Choices website: www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
If you are eligible you will be given an eligibility code. You must get your code by 31st August, 2017 if you want to take your extended entitlement in the Autumn term. If you do not apply and receive a code by 31st August to start in the autumn term, you will be unable to access any additional childcare until January 2018.
