Parents face New Year's eve deadline for £7,500 free childcare scheme

The Government scheme provides eligible families with up to 30 hours of free childcare per week for children aged nine months to four years.

According to official guidance, the support can be worth up to £7,500 per year per child, depending on childcare costs and usage.

Parents who submit their applications by the deadline will be able to access the free hours once their child becomes eligible.

The scheme applies to childcare provided by registered providers, including nurseries, schools and playschemes.

Eligibility depends on employment status and earnings, with both parents required to be working or due to start work shortly.

Single parents must also meet the employment criteria to qualify for the free hours.

Minimum earnings thresholds apply and vary depending on the applicant’s age.

Parents aged 21 or over must expect to earn at least £2,539.68 before tax over the next three months.

This is equivalent to approximately £195.36 per week.

Those aged 18 to 20 must earn a minimum of £2,080 before tax over three months, or around £160 per week.

Parents under 18, as well as apprentices, face a lower threshold of £1,570.40 before tax, equating to roughly £120.80 per week.

The Government has said the earnings requirements broadly reflect working around sixteen hours per week at the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage.

Parents are required to apply online through a childcare account.

Applicants must provide their National Insurance number, and partners must also submit theirs if applicable.

Self-employed parents are asked to supply a Unique Taxpayer Reference number if they have one.

Information about children is also required, including the UK birth certificate reference number, although this is not mandatory.

Applicants must state the date they started work or when they expect to begin a new job.

The Government guidance allows parents to provide an approximate start date if employment began more than three months ago.

Once an application is approved, parents receive an eleven digit code confirming their eligibility.

This code must be passed to the childcare provider to enable the free hours to be applied.

However, the free childcare hours only become available when the child turns nine months.

Access to the scheme depends on when a child reaches that age.

Parents whose child turns nine months between September 1 and December 31 must apply by December 31 to receive support from the start of the next term.

Those whose child reaches nine months between January 1 and March 31 have until March 31 to submit their application.

Parents are required to log into their childcare account every three months to confirm that their details remain correct.

Failure to reconfirm details can result in losing access to the free childcare hours.

The Free Childcare for Working Parents scheme forms part of wider Government plans to expand childcare support and increase workforce participation.

Officials have said the system is designed to support working families while ensuring assistance is targeted at those in employment.