Who’s eligible for scheme?

PARENTS are eligible for the government-funded childcare if:

■ all parents, or co-habiting couples, are working and earn the equivalent of 16 hours at National Living Wage or National Minimum Wage (NMW), up to £100,000 per parent;

■ one parent is employed and one parent has substantial caring responsibilities based on specific benefits received for caring;

■ both parents are employed but one or both parents are temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave;

■ both parents are employed but one or both parents are temporarily away from the workplace on statutory sick pay; ■ one parent is employed and one parent is disabled or incapacitated based on receipt of specific benefits;

■ parents are self-employed or on zero-hours contracts, providing they can meet the minimum earnings criteria over a three-month period.

Where one or both parents are newly self-employed and have not yet met the minimum hours eligibility criteria, an initial start-up period will be allowed of up to 12 months before the parent needs to provide evidence that they are earning the equivalent of 16 hours at NMW per week.

Parents will need to provide evidence that they are self-employed in order to qualify.