Working Parent Entitlement

From April 2024 the Working Parent Entitlement will be available for children aged 2 and above. This will extend to children under 2 in September 2024. More information about the expansion is available.

Children are eligible when their household meets the following eligibility criteria: 

  • both parents are working or one parent is working in lone parent families. This is defined as earning the equivalent of 16 hours per week on national minimum wage/national living wage, but less than £100,000 per year. This applies for self-employed and zero hour contracts.
  • both parents are employed but one or both of them are temporarily away from the workplace on parental, maternity, paternity, adoption leave or on statutory sick pay.
  • one parent is employed and one parent has substantial caring responsibilities based on specific benefits received for caring.
  • one parent is employed and one parent is disabled or incapacitated based on specific benefits.
  • Children in the care of or previously in the care of Trafford Council may also be eligible for 30 hours, to arrange this parents / carers should contact their Trafford social worker.

The Working Parent Entitlement can be claimed by eligible families alongside Tax Credits, Universal Credit, Tax Free Childcare and other schemes to help pay for any additional childcare. 

Applying for the Working Parent Entitlement

HMRC determine eligibility as per the above criteria through the Childcare Choices Service. Eligible families are issued with an 11 digit 'eligibility' code that must be given to the provider for validation, prior to taking up a place. Families must reconfirm their eligibility every 3 months. Information about how to apply is available on the Childcare Choices Service website.

Receiving the Working Parent Entitlement

Children can receive up to 15 hours per week the 1 January, 1 April or 1 September after both of the following conditions are met:

  1.  the child has reached the age of eligibility
  2. the child’s parent / carer has a current positive determination of eligibility from HMRC, i.e. a valid eligibility code.

Children cannot take up a  place without a valid code or start a new place if their code is in the grace period, your provider will check your code for you.