You can apply for the Childcare Offer if:
- You live in Wales
- Your child is 3 to 4 years old. Entitlement to the Offer ends once your child starts in reception year at school (usually the September after their 4th birthday).
- Both parents, or a partner that lives with a parent, work or are in education or training (some benefits are also eligible; please see below)
- The sole parent in a lone-parent family is working or is in education or training
- You earn at least:
- £183.04 per week if you are 21 years old or older
- £137.60 per week if you are 18-20 years old
- £102.40 per week if you are under 18 years old
- £102.40 per week if you are an apprentice
(These rates are based on 16 hrs per week at current the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage and will change annually)
- You earn less than £100,000 per year (gross) per parent.
Parents in education and training:
Parents in education and training may also be eligible to access the Offer. To be eligible, a parent must either:
- Be enrolled on either an undergraduate, or a postgraduate course, (including those delivered via distance or online learning), that is at least 10 weeks in length.
- Be enrolled on a course which is delivered at a Further Education Institution or school based sixth form college, that is at least 10 weeks in length.
What evidence do you need to provide?
For those who are employed:
- Last 3 months of payslips if paid monthly
- Last 12 weeks of payslips if paid weekly
- Latest SA302 Tax return if self-employed
- Newly self-employed form if you have become self employed within the last 12 months and have not completed a tax return
For those in education and training:
- Evidence of enrolment on an eligible course that clearly shows the institution name, the start date and the title and length of the course.
For those in receipt of qualifying benefits:
- Letter from the DWP stating which qualifying benefit you are currently receiving
- Universal Credit letter that states that the payment is because you have limited capability for work
Exceptions to eligibility:
Where one parent meets the eligibility criteria and the other parent is in receipt of one of the following benefits, that child may still be able to access the offer:
- Incapacity benefit
- Carers allowance, or the Carers element of Universal Credit
- Severe disablement allowance
- Long term incapacity benefit
- Employment and support allowance
- National insurance credits on the grounds of incapacity for work or limited capability for work
- Universal Credit where the individual has been assessed as having limited capability for work
Families where both parents are in receipt of the above benefits will not be able to access the offer.
Kinship Carers:
Family and friends carers (also known as Kinship carers) are those who have taken responsibility for a child or stepchild who is not their own because:
- The child has no parents or has parents who are unable to care for the child;
- It is likely that the child would otherwise be looked after by a local authority because of concerns in relation to the child’s welfare
Kinship carers can access the Offer as long as they meet the parent eligibility, criteria, they are caring for a child who is the correct age to receive the O and the child lives with them.
Please note – there are other circumstances which may be eligible to receive funding via the Offer. Please contact the team if you would like to discuss your particular circumstances.