Childcare Offer for Wales - Who is eligible for the offer?
To access the childcare element of the offer parents and guardians must:
- Have a child that is 3 or 4 years old
- Live in Powys
- Both parents /co-habiting couples must be working or in education or training in a two-parent family, or the sole parent in a lone parent family (please see guidance for parents in education or training below)
- Earn a weekly minimum equivalent of 16 hours at the national minimum wage or national living wage
- OR be in receipt of specific caring benefits, provided the other parent meets the income requirement (see exceptions below)
- Earn less than the maximum income of £100,000 per annum per parent
If you meet the eligibility above, you will be able to check your eligibility and apply online for the Childcare Offer for Wales by completing an online application.
Where parents have separated but do not share equal custody of the child, the parent with primary custody will be eligible to take up the offer (if they meet the eligibility criteria). Where parents share equal custody one parent will need to be nominated as the lead parent for the offer. Only one parent will be eligible to apply for that child.
Parents, guardians, step-parents and live-in partners will all need to meet the eligibility criteria in order for a child living within that household to be able to take up the offer.
What happens if I or my partner loses our job?
Should a parent fall out of eligibility, a temporary exemption period of 8 weeks will be granted during which they will be able to continue to access the offer.
Exceptions to eligibility:
Parents who are temporarily away from the workplace either because of sickness or because of parental leave, including:
- maternity leave,
- statutory shared parental paid leave
- adoption leave, will remain eligible to receive the offer as they are considered to be employed.
In order to be eligible for the Childcare Offer for Wales at least one parent must be employed (Working 16 hours a week) or in education. If one parent meets the parental eligibility criteria, then the other parent can be in receipt of any of the following benefits.
- Incapacity benefit;
- Carers allowance, or the Carers element of Universal Credit;
- Severe disablement allowance;
- Long term incapacity benefit;
- Employment and support allowance (ESA); or
- 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.
If both parents are unemployed or not in education but both parents are in receipt of one of the above benefits, they are not eligible for the Childcare Offer for Wales.
A single parent applicant will not qualify for the Childcare Offer for Wales if they are solely in receipt of one of the above benefits. A single parent applicant must be employed (Working a minimum of 16 hours a week) or in education to be eligible for the Childcare Offer for Wales.
Family and friends carers (also known as Kinship carers) are those who have taken responsibility for a child or step-child 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 earnings criteria to be classed as 'working', live in the eligible area and are caring for a child who is the correct age to receive the offer.
Guidance for Parents in Education or training
- A parent in education or training can be a parent who is either: - enrolled on a Higher Education (HE) undergraduate or postgraduate course that is at least 10 weeks in length. This includes courses delivered via distance learning. - enrolled on a course that is at least 10 weeks in length and which is delivered at a Further Education (FE) Institution. This includes courses delivered via distance learning. (Parents in education or training should evidence their eligibility by providing evidence of formal enrolment on a relevant HE or FE course. Where a parent has applied and been offered a place on relevant HE or FE course, but has not yet been able to enrol, they should provide evidence of a formal offer of a course place)
- Your child must also be 3 or 4 years old and live in Wales in order to receive the offer.
A parent in education or training who meets the eligibility criteria would be able to access the Offer from the point at which their course commences.
In two parent households you can access the offer if:
- both parents are in education or training
- one parent is employed and the other is in education or training
- one parent in education or training and one parent has substantial caring responsibilities. This is based on specific benefits received for caring;
- both parents are in education or training but one or both parents have formally suspended their studies for reasons relating to maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave or parental leave
- one parent is employed or in education or training (and meets the parental eligibility criteria) and one parent is disabled or incapacitated. This is based on the parent being in receipt of, or having an underlying entitlement to, one of the following qualifying benefits listed above.
In single parent households
The sole parent in a single parent family must be in education or training. The only exception to this is where:
- the parent is in education or training (and meets the parental eligibility criteria) but has formally suspended their study for reasons relating to maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave or parental leave or due to long term sickness.
Contacts
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