By Rachel Lawler
The government has announced that working parents of children aged four-years-old can now apply for 30-hours of funded childcare to use from September onwards.
The offer gives eligible families an additional 15 hours of funded childcare on top of the existing 15 hours offer, which is currently available to all families in England. Parents of children aged three have already been able to apply to access the offer online.
30-hours and tax-free childcare
Parents with a child born on or before 1 April 2013 can now apply for the 30-hours offer online, as well as tax-free childcare. By the end of the year, all eligible parents will be able to access the offer. Both tax-free childcare and the 30-hours can be accessed online using the government’s Childcare Services website.
The government claims that more than 150,000 parents have used the Childcare Services website since its launch earlier this year.
However, since the Childcare Services website launched in April, parents and providers have reported a number of technical issues when using the site. Problems have included applicants wrongly told they are unable to apply, issues logging in and delays when making payments.
Parents who are experiencing problems accessing the website are encouraged to contact HMRC on 0300 123 4097.