Shropshire self-employed parents warned not to miss out on hundreds of free childcare hours
Self-employed parents in Shropshire are being warned not to lose out on hundreds of hours of free childcare hours, with the deadline just days away.
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The scheme offers 15 free childcare hours per week for children over nine months old, and 30 hours for three-year-olds.
Those with children who have turned nine months or three years old between 1 January and 31 March 2025 may be eligible for free hours from April. However, missing the 31 March deadline to apply could mean waiting until September to access the free hours.
For parents of three-year-olds entitled to 30 weekly hours, this could mean losing out on almost £4,000 worth of childcare support over the next five months, based on average childcare costs.
Mike Parkes, technical director at GoSimpleTax explains: “The pressures of working for yourself can be overwhelming, so it’s important not to let opportunities for support slip through the cracks. Many self-employed parents may not realise they are entitled to the free hours, but the earnings threshold for eligibility is £2,379 before tax over a three-month period. This is equivalent to earning the National Minimum Wage for 16 hours a week.
“There is flexibility too: people who are newly self-employed can apply even if they earn less, and those with irregular income can use averaged from projected earnings. Self-employed people who have more than one job can combine their earnings.
“To apply, self-employed parents must use their unique taxpayer reference (UTR) to request a childcare code. If you’ve recently become self-employed and haven’t registered for self-assessment tax yet, it’s important to request a UTR as soon as you can. Parents that are already receiving free childcare need to reconfirm their eligibility every three months.
“The hours are a crucial lifeline for many self-employed parents. Missing the application window could mean forfeiting hundreds of hours of free childcare worth thousands of pounds. Every parent should check if they are eligible to ensure they’re not missing out on support that helps to reduce the challenges of juggling business demands with family responsibilities.”
