To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to enable those on apprenticeships to claim 30 hours of free childcare under the Childcare Act 2016.
Answered on
25 July 2016
Parents on apprenticeships with three- and four-year-olds are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare under the Childcare Act 2016 in the same way as other working households. They will need to be earning the equivalent of 16 hours work per week at the apprentice national minimum wage rate.
The national minimum wage rates are set out at the GOV.UK website.
Apprentices will need to meet the other eligibility criteria in addition to the minimum earnings requirement in order to qualify. The key eligibility criteria are set out in a policy statement issued in December 2015, which is attached to this answer.
We will set out the eligibility criteria in more detail in forthcoming regulations, and these will be subject to affirmative debates in both Houses.