Parents could miss out if they don’t apply by December 31
A warning has been issued to parents looking to save money on childcare. Liverpool City Council posted on X on Monday, December 23 to warn families a deadline is fast approaching.
Working parents and those with children who have turned or are turning nine-months-old between September 1 and December 31 may be eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare from January. However, parents only have a week to the deadline and must apply for their Childcare Choices code by December 31.
The codes can combined with the universal 15 hours to make 30 hours childcare when your child turns three or four. When a parent applies, they will receive a code to give to their childcare provider.
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Codes need to be renewed every three months and parents will need to remember to login to their account to check when their reconfirmation dates are, so that they can renew their code on time. If they don’t, they will need to reapply.
If they are eligible, parents can apply on the government website. They will need:
- National insurance number (or unique taxpayer reference if self-employed)
- The date they started or are due to start work
- Details of any government support or benefits they receive
- The UK birth certificate reference number (if they have one) for their child
People may find out they’re eligible straight away, but it can take up to seven days, the government said. Once parents receive their code, they’ll need to take it to their childcare provider, along with their National Insurance number and their child’s date of birth. The childcare provider will process the code to provide their place.