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You get 15 hours funding if your child is between 9 months and 2 years old. 30 hours if your child is between 3 to 4. It’s only term time within 38 weeks of the year. You also have to meet a certain income you need to look on the government website it tells you all about it
https://www.gov.uk/check-eligible-free-childcare-if-youre-working?step-by-step-nav=f517cd57-3c18-4bb9-aa8b-1b907e279bf9
You do not get to claim it back as you already get the free hours. You need to pay for any extra from your own pocket. Im not sure why they would let you claim it back either but someone else may have more on that. For many providers - they have to go for a minimum of 2 full days and it has to include a mon or a fri. The better nurseries have more requirements.. as you kinda get a bit cheaper to like the £65-75 a day nurseries you get more leeway on stuff as they need to lower their bar, to fill spaces.
@Kady so is that including half terms? And what if you take in your own nappies and food. Am not paying extra if I don’t need to if she taking them in. And also what about additional hours do I pay out of pocket and claim back or not?
Hey, I'm on UC and I get 15 hours free hours and I claim anything over that back through UC but up to 85%. The 15 free hours are stretched over the term because mine is in an all year nursery, depends how long the holidays are during the term is depends how many hours, ie the April - August term had a lot of holiday so mine only got 8 hours free a week but the September - December term has less holidays so she's getting 11 hours a week now. I have to pay a £22 surcharge/month which covers things like snacks, toys, suncream, drinks. Also some nurseries don't accept just the free hours, you have to put them in for like an additional session or something that you pay for
You'd have to speak to the individual nursery for their policy as every single one is different. Ours only provides 6hrs funded a day but they're open 10 and as the funding doesn't cover anything else, we pay 50 quid a day on top of his free hours but they feed him 3 meals a day and provide extra curricular activities. Local Authority run nurseries are different again and some provide food you pay for, some require a packed lunch. It's honestly down to each individual setting how they work it. UC may give you money back for child care costs but again, you'd just have to apply for it and see what you get. Some nurseries also stretch it. Ours stretch it to 48 weeks of the year hence the 6hrs a day funding only. No one on here will be able to answer for your nursery unless their children go to it.
They’re not free hours. They’re funded hours. It’s rare to find a preschool/nursery setting that won’t charge you supplementary fees on top as the funding they get from the gov doesn’t actually cover the cost for them. My son was going for 14 hours a week before the summer holidays and I paid £17 a week still which is very cheap. Some places are more.
To add to the above regarding the 85% universal credit childcare payment : you only get this if you're working a sensible number of hours e.g if you're only working 16 hours they won't pay for full time childcare. Also I asked in my journal and they said that they will give you 85% back for the supplementary charge that is normally charged on top of the free hours, as long as it is not optional. My nursery specifically says this is a compulsory charge and UC are happy to give me 85% of it back.
I think a lot of people are seeing the hours as free, they aren’t free. There will always be an additional payment, whether that’s through nappies, wipes, food etc. You’ll need to speak to the nursery that you are choosing, and check with them how they are working it out. For example, I know my previous nursery did stretch funding so it didn’t cover all of the hours so there was additional, and at the childminder my little one goes to, it’s not stretched and term time only so any half terms etc, I’ll pay the full amount.
Lol at you saying you're "not paying extra". The nursery will tell you what you are paying.. and you will pay it or lose your place. Including half terms? Our Nursery doesnt have half term. The hours apply all year i think 51 to 52 weeks for most nurseries. If our child is sick.. on holiday.. if we want the time with her for bank holidays.. we still pay for her to be at nursery if thats a day she would usually be there. If you take in your own nappies, the fees are the same. The idea of claiming back i can only assume is because you are spending your UC on Childcare.. but what you get back will vary. It isnt if you pay for more hours you get it all back. And i think its the same as other claim backs so month by month or up to three months.
Speak to Tania she seems clued up :D Im not on UC but I understand the free hours bit.
But also i think the consensus is after reading all the above js This information varies so greatlyyy between providers. Your BEST BET is to find your provider... and talk to them about their individual policys and ways of working. They will be able to answer all your questions. One size doesnt fit all by any means.
Yes it gets "stretched" not all providers offer free only hours either. And many require an additional surcharge for those free hours as that only covers childcare. Not the food nappies toys etc.. and it is only for term time. So there may be a fee still per free session. Like a tenner.. or less. Stretched to 52 weeks a year thats 11hours a week which equates to two half days. These cant be added together to make one full day for most providers.