Working Parents Able to Receive Ongoing Childcare Support Benefits
As parents attempt to return to work amidst the coronavirus pandemic, two new government initiatives may provide necessary aid for those in need of childcare support.
The new Job Support Scheme (JSS) and Self-employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) programmes in the UK are available to working parents who may be in need of childcare benefits. These programmes began on 1st November in order to replace parts of the UK’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which expired on 31st October.
The JSS and SEISS were created in order to provide childcare entitlements for families, such as 30 hours of free weekly childcare and tax-free childcare for eligible children ages 3 and 4.
The new programmes come at a time when data shows that many parents are attempting to return to work and re-enroll their children in traditional childcare settings. According to data from Ipsos MORI, 94 per cent of parents who utilised formal childcare before the pandemic had either already returned to using it or were planning to do so by January 2021.
Prior to the pandemic, working parents were required to meet a minimum income threshold in order to qualify for those benefits. This threshold is usually equal to 16 hours’ worth of work a week at the national minimum wage. However, in order to accommodate parents whose income may have unexpectedly dropped during the pandemic, the government has continued to offer flexibility for this support.
This article is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to be exhaustive, nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as professional advice. Content by Zywave, Inc provided by TH March.
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