On Apr. 19, UK GVT amended regulations relating to childcare support.
UK GVT published the Childcare (free of charge for working parents) (England) (amendment) (no. 2) regulations 2024 (StIn 2024/527), amending the Childcare (free of charge for working parents) (England) regulations 2022 (StIn 2022/1134).
Amendments
Extends period in which a parent can request a determination of eligibility for free childcare prior to starting work or upon returning to work after employment leave.
Regulation 2(2) amends reg 7 of the principal regulations which defines an employee.
Previously, a person could be treated as an employee during the period of 31 days before the person expects to start work, that 31-day period is extended.
In most cases a person can be treated as an employee from whichever of Jan. 1, Apr. 1 or Sep. 1 immediately precedes the date on which they expect to start work.
However, where a person expects to start work in January, April or September, they can be treated as an employee from the start of the preceding term for this purpose.
A child will be eligible for childcare from whichever of Jan. 1, Apr. 1 or Sep. 1 is the first date after (instead of on or after) the day on which a declaration has effect.
