Free childcare hours

Can someone pleaseeee help me understand these free hours. I am looking to find a job and to send my Jan 2022 and April 2023 babies to nursery given that from September 2024 they should both be eligible for the free hours provided I’m in work. Do I have to work a minimum amount of hours eg. I could do 16 part time or do I need to be doing full time? Or do I just have to earn over £183 a week? From the picture, does it mean if I start a job on 30th September 2024 that I can still claim the free hours from then, or would I only be able to claim them from the next term which would be January? The wordings confusing me!! TIA
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You’re right on both counts! If you don’t start work until end Sept you won’t qualify until the term after (January). It doesn’t matter how many hours you work - as long as you meet the minimum threshold of £183 a week.

If you start work on or before 30th September and both of your children are 9 months or older on that date then you can claim straight away. If you start 1st October or later or your baby turns 9 months after 30th September it won’t be until January.. I think! It’s so bloody confusing isn’t it x

I will say though if you’re looking for a nursery from September you’ll be very very lucky to get a place - mine is booked up for the next 2 years….

See this is why I’m so confused - @Clarice @Yasmin you’ve both said different things about the start date 😩 The wording makes no sense to me. It’s the fact it says “term starting on (or after) 1st September” for a starting work date of 30 September that is making me think I could claim right away.

@Clarice our nursery of choice has space available

Sorry you’re right I didn’t look at the screenshot - looks like if you started work dead on 30 September you can still claim. My bad.

@Clarice no worries - that’s how I’m reading it but wasn’t sure if I was understanding it correctly or not!

My baby was born October 23 and lots of the mums in our group are going back to work on 30th September rather than in October at a year so they can claim right away x

@Yasmin ahh that makes so much sense! Thank you for your help.

Do you claim UC? As they will help pay towards costs of childcare x

I think you might have to work at least 16hrs pet day and meet the minimum income (someone might want to correct me on the hours)

The childcare choices website will Give you everything you need to know. In a childminder and I always direct my families to that website

@Thao that feels familiar but I’ve not read that anywhere this time around, only that you need to earn over £183 per week so I’m not sure.

@Hannah thank you, I’ll give that a look.

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