Funded childcare for eligible working parents, including those of foster children
Working Families Entitlement (children aged from 9 months)
Working parents of children aged from 9 months up to their third birthday can claim up to 1140 hours of funded childcare over a year, for example 30 hours a week for 38 weeks. The offer can be ‘stretched’ so that fewer hours per week are taken over more weeks. 30 hours is the maximum number of hours available per week.
Parents of children aged from 9 months will need to meet the criteria and receive a valid eligibility code to be eligible for the working families entitlement. Children become eligible in the funding period after they turn 9 months old.
Working Families Entitlement (2 year olds)
Some families will qualify for both the supported families and the working families entitlement. In this instance, families will receive 570 hours supported families entitlement and 570 hours working families entitlement per year.
Working Families Entitlement (3 and 4 year olds)
Working parents of 3 and 4 year olds can claim up to 570 hours over a year, in addition to the universal entitlement, making a total of 1140 hours a year, for example 30 hours a week for 38 weeks. The offer can be ‘stretched’ so that fewer hours per week are taken over more weeks. 30 hours is the maximum number of hours available per week.
Parents of 3 and 4 year olds will need to meet the criteria and receive a valid eligibility code to be eligible for the working families entitlement of up to 570 hours a year. Children become eligible in the funding period after their third birthday.
Apply for working families entitlement
Funded childcare will end when a child is on roll in Reception at a state-funded school or academy.
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Access to high quality, inclusive provision
You can find the provision that is ordinarily available in Somerset’s early years settings for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities in the Somerset Graduated Response.
Eligibility for the working families entitlement (except for children in foster care)
Working families will need to meet the following criteria to be eligible for up to 30 hours a week of funded childcare:
- Each earns or expects to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum or Living Wage over the coming 3 months.
Please see GOV.UK for full eligibility criteria.
This means parents do not have to actually work for 16 hours a week but must earn at least the equivalent wage.
Who will not qualify
Families will not meet the criteria when:
- either parent has an income of more than £100000
- one parent is not in paid work
- either parent is a non-EEA national and subject to immigration control (and has no recourse to public funds)
How to apply (except for children in foster care)
Applications for the working families entitlement are made directly to the government and not through the Local Authority.
To apply, visit Best Start in Life website or the Government Gateway website to set up or sign in to your government gateway account. HMRC checks parents’ eligibility using the information supplied.
You should apply around a month before the funding period your child will become eligible, but no later than the day before the funding period starts. You will receive an 11-digit code, confirming your eligibility, from HMRC. Codes must be reconfirmed to make sure continuing eligibility. If you apply for a code too early, you will need to make sure you reconfirm the code for it to be eligible.
If you have any problems applying for the working families entitlement, please phone the HMRC Helpline on 0300 123 4097.
You can apply for the working family entitlement hours on the Best Start in Life website. You will need:
- your National Insurance Number, and your partner’s National Insurance Number (if applicable)
- child’s legal name and correct date of birth
- a government gateway account
Eligibility for children in foster care
Children in foster care will be eligible if:
- the foster parent is engaging in paid work other than as a foster parent, and this is consistent with the child’s care plan
- in single foster parent families, the foster parent holds additional paid employment outside of their role as a foster carer
- and in 2-foster-parent families, both partners hold additional paid employment outside of their role as a foster carer or one partner is working outside their role as a foster carer and the other is on certain forms of family leave from work (including maternity, paternity and shared parental leave) or in receipt of certain forms of statutory pay in connection with sickness or parenting
How to apply for children in foster care
Applications from foster carers are processed by the Local Authority, and not through the Best Start in Life website.
Foster carers should discuss with their social worker whether they meet the eligibility criteria.
If the claim is successful, the foster carer will receive a ‘400’ code generated by the Local Authority , which usually lasts for 3 months.
Apply for working family funded childcare for foster children
How do foster carers reconfirm?
Foster parents, like all other parents accessing the working families entitlement, are required to reconfirm their eligibility every 3 months. They will keep the same eligibility code after reconfirming. Reconfirming is through the Local Authority and not by Best Start in Life.
The Local Authority will need to be satisfied that the placement is still ongoing, that accessing the working families hours is still consistent with the child’s care plan and that the foster parents are still engaging in paid work outside their role as a foster parent.
What to do if you are successful – all children
If you are successful, you will receive an 11-digit code to take directly to a participating childcare provider. They will need your:
- 11-digit eligibility code (begins with 500)
- child’s legal name and correct date of birth (please take birth certificate if possible)
- parent’s name and their National Insurance number
They will then gain your written permission to verify the code with the Local Authority. Once the code is verified, a place can be confirmed for the funding period after your child becomes eligible.
Please present your code to all providers that you are accessing working families entitlement funding with. They will ask you to complete a parent’s declaration form to indicate who you are claiming the hours with. Please keep your copy for your records.
When can I start using my working family entitlement hours?
| If your child’s birthday (or date they become 9 months) falls between: | You need to apply, get a code and contact your childcare provider before: | Once your place is confirmed you can start using your working family hours from: |
|---|---|---|
| If your child’s birthday (or date they become 9 months) falls between:1 September and 31 December | You need to apply, get a code and contact your childcare provider before: 31 December | Once your place is confirmed you can start using your working family hours from: 1 January (Spring) |
| If your child’s birthday (or date they become 9 months) falls between:1 January and 31 March | You need to apply, get a code and contact your childcare provider before: 31 March | Once your place is confirmed you can start using your working family hours from: 1 April (Summer) |
| If your child’s birthday (or date they become 9 months) falls between:1 April and 31 August | You need to apply, get a code and contact your childcare provider before: 31 August | Once your place is confirmed you can start using your working family hours from: 1 September (Autumn) |
If you become eligible after the start of a funding period, you must wait until the following period to access your working families entitlement place. To be able to use your working families entitlement you will need to have made a successful application and received a code by the deadlines given. If you miss the deadline, you cannot use the working families funded hours. Three and four year olds will still be able to use the universal hours. For example, if you do not apply and receive a code by 31 August deadline you cannot use your working families hours in September, you will need to wait until 1 January.
Transferring to a new provider
If you move your child to a new provider, you must give your code to the new provider to ensure there are no changes to your eligibility. Please also give them details of hours claimed at the previous provider. You will need to complete a new parent’s declaration form as well with your new provider. The entitlement cannot be claimed at a new provider during the grace period.
Reconfirming your working families entitlement eligibility
You will need to reconfirm you are still eligible for the working families entitlement using your Childcare Government Gateway account, even if you have not yet taken up your place. You will be reminded to do this 4 weeks before the reconfirmation deadline. You need to check your details are up-to-date and it is important you let HMRC know if your circumstances have changed, as they will be checked against other systems.
If you miss the reconfirmation deadline, your eligibility will lapse. You should go into your childcare account and reconfirm. However, you may have to pay for any childcare used.
You can sign in to your childcare account on GOV.UK.
What happens if you reconfirm and are no longer eligible
If you are no longer eligible for the working families entitlement, you will enter a grace period where you may be able to retain your childcare place for a short period of time.
You will not be able to claim the working families entitlement if you start at a provider when you are already in your grace period.
| Parent receives ineligible decision on reconfirmation | Grace period end date |
|---|---|
| Parent receives ineligible decision on reconfirmationBetween 1 January and 10 February | Grace period end date 31 March |
| Parent receives ineligible decision on reconfirmationBetween 11 February and 31 March | Grace period end date 31 August |
| Parent receives ineligible decision on reconfirmationBetween 1 April and 26 May | Grace period end date 31 August |
| Parent receives ineligible decision on reconfirmationBetween 27 May and 31 August | Grace period end date 31 December |
| Parent receives ineligible decision on reconfirmationBetween 1 September and 21 October | Grace period end date 31 December |
| Parent receives ineligible decision on reconfirmationBetween 22 October and 31 December | Grace period end date 31 March |
If the grace period has expired and you have either not met the eligibility criteria or not reconfirmed your code, you will have to pay for any childcare accessed beyond the grace period end date that was previously funded by the working families entitlement. This does not affect your universal entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds or the supported families funding for 2 year olds entitlement.
You can reapply for the working families hours if you meet the eligibility criteria again in the future.
Your entitlement to the working families hours will stop when your child:
- reaches compulsory school age
- is on roll in Reception in a state-funded school or academy