Free nursery hours

It’s the term following them turning 9 months so if they turn 9 months in Feb, it would be from the next term so 1sr April

Also you can only apply at 23 weeks if your going back within 30 days of applying or 31days because I tried it

At the moment it is from the next term after they turn 9 months, they have been changing some of the small print so keep an eye it might change closer to the time x

As above it’s all done on terms, as funding can’t start part way through a term regardless of when they’re 9 months old. So the hours won’t kick until the April term.

Baby will start in April and you can apply between Jan - March

They start the term after they turn 9m so in your case it's April in take x

The funding is confusing but as others have said its the term after they turn 9 months. My daughter turned 9 months in January and only gets the currently 15 hours funding this month. Every 3 months you reapply. It does help even the 15 hours. Basically halved my bill even with food added ontop. Works out like £40 a day instead of £78.

For us it wasn't until 22nd April the funding as it begins after the half term holiday according to the nursery so they charged us full rate until then. Then even with the funding they wouldn't allocate it properly in the hours needed so gave 1 until 6 as funded hours so if I need the morning slot I have to pay its ridiculous and then food and extra costs on top it eas more or less being charged all over again.

You'll get the hours the term starting after baby turns 9 months, so April. You'd have to pay full price before that or have them start later unfortunately,.or maybe you'd be eligible for 15 hours. Make sure you get the tax free gov account sorted too as that helps a lot and doesn't have an age limit. Worth checking as well about any other fees like food and resources, because funded hours does not mean free childcare

Also aside, can i just ask why is this term time BS in place? Not only does it confuse things for full time nurseries like mine, but why should u have to pay full price for such a long time just because by chance ur baby wasnt born on start of term months?! So u end up playing full price for a while! Like u shud be able to claim that extra payment back. They keep trying to help the nursery costs but just keep making such a shit show of it in the UK and such a confusing faff

@Duvaraka if my baby was born 2 days earlier, it would save me thousands. It is a ridiculous system which is not really fair. But it will help once I do get the funded hours.

As others say funding will kick in in April, also just in case you aren’t aware it only covers term time, so you still have to pay full for the school holidays etc some nurseries allow you to spread it across but you would need to check. Oh and as someone else mentioned check your nursery re extra fees, the funding doesn’t cover the nurseries costs so a lot charge for ‘consumables’.

How does a 9m old get 30hrs? I have an older child and can only get 15. I find the system so confusing. We only use 15 hours but still pay £400 a month.

@Yog as of September all 9 months and over will be upped automatically to 30 hours x

@Duvaraka id just be grateful for getting the help. Not everyone receives funding.

@Paige so not if you’ve already returned to work? It’s so confusing!

As soon as baby is 23 weeks you can apply. If you’ve already returned then you still have to wait unfortunately. You can try it but it didn’t work for my mate and she returned when baby was only 3 months old.

@@SamI would give them a call, whenever I have spoken to them they have been pretty helpful. I called before 31 days of returning to work as my nursery wanted the code before end of December and they gave me a temp code but then I had to call back once it was within 31 days and they issued me a new code which confused the nursery a little so if you can and dates etc work out, I would try to do it within 31 days of returning to work

@Georgia oh wow ok that’s really helpful! I didn’t realise you could call them! Thank you