The 30 Hour Entitlement FAQs Please note – the information contained in this document is based on the current Department for Education consultation document and may be subject to change.

Question What is the 30 hour entitlement?

Eligibility Who is eligible for the 30 hours?

Answer From September 2017 working families of 3 and 4 years olds will receive a total of 30 hours of funded childcare per week. This comprises:  The universal 15 hours that is available to all 3 and 4 year olds.  An additional 15 hour entitlement for working families.

The consultation proposals are that additional hours will be available to families where: • both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family); •

each parent has a weekly minimum income equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage or living wage; and

•

neither parent has an income of more than £100,000 per year.

Parents will also be eligible in the following circumstances:

Will children who are not eligible for the 30

•

One parent is employed and one parent has substantial caring responsibilities (based on receipt of specific benefits);

•

One or both parents are temporarily away from work (paternity / maternity / adoption leave or statutory sick pay); or

•

One parent is employed and one parent is disabled (based on receipt of specific benefits

Yes.

hours continue to receive the funded 15 hours of early education? Who checks if a child is entitled to 30 hours?

The Local Authority will carry out the eligibility checks, when a child is due to start at a setting and at regular points during each term.

Will providers know who is eligible during the summer 2017 term?

This will depend on the launch date of the Government’s eligibility checking website. (Feb 16)

Is the £100,000 upper earnings limit for individuals or households?

The limit applies to an individual’s earnings. So if each parent earns £99,000 the family would still be eligible for the 30 hours entitlement.

How will the eligibility checking process work?

A process will be developed when the final guidance has been confirmed.

Do parents / carers have to take all of their 30 hours entitlement?

No they can take any number of hours up to the 30 hours maximum.

Delivery Do providers have to deliver the 30 hour entitlement?

No. It is at the discretion of the provider whether they deliver the 30 hours. However we expect demand from families to be high and it is likely that this will shape their childcare decisions.

Can the provider offer a limited number of 30 hour places.

Yes but the school will require a clear admissions policy, in case spaces are oversubscribed.

What happens if my school only has a small number of eligible children?

This is at the discretion of the school but the school may want to consider