Sunderland's Family Hubs

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Worrying about money can affect your mental wellbeing and our ability to manage money can be difficult with the increasing cost-of-living pressures. Find out how to look after your mental health when dealing with money issues, plus get money advice including where to get more support if needed in the links below. Did you know that if you are pregnant or have children, whether you are in or out of work Together for children have there own employment advisors, please contact your local hub for more support.

Money advice

Sunderland Council financial wellbeing support hub.

Disability Access Fund (DAF) is a one off payment that is given to any registered early years provider who is providing an early education place for any two, three or four year old who successfully claims Disability Living Allowance. The Disability Access Fund (DAF) will help providers to make reasonable adjustments in their settings, either to support the individual child, or for the benefit of all children attending the setting. Eligibility for Disability Access Fund (DAF)2, 3 and 4 year olds will be eligible for the DAF if they meet the following criteria:<ul><li>the child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and;</li><li>the child attends an early years provider for the funded entitlement</li></ul>Please note: Four year olds in primary and infant school reception classes are NOT eligible for DAF funding.  Children become eligible for funded early education at different points in the year depending on when they turn 2.   EntitlementEarly years providers offering funded places to children who are eligible for DAF funding will be entitled to receive a one-off payment for each child.  The DAF is not based on an hourly rate and is an additional payment.A provider can apply for the funding at any point in the academic year, however DAF funding is allocated only once in a 12 month period.  Applications for further payments can only be made after the yearly anniversary of any previous payment. If the child attends more than one setting only the main setting will receive the payment.  The child's parents will choose which setting will receive the funding and this will be recorded on the parental declaration form.If a child moves settings within the year the new setting will not be eligible to receive a payment until 12 months after the first payment was made. Identifying eligible childrenEarly Years providers are responsible for identifying eligible children.  Parents of children qualifying for Disability Living Allowance are required to provide documental evidence of this entitlement.  This is usually a benefits award letter from the DWP, sent to parents, naming the child for whom the benefit is paid.  Providers need to make an electronic copy of this evidence and submit it with the DAF application on the Provider Portal. Claiming DAFClaims for Disability Access Funding are to be made through the Provider Portal.  A completed application form and copy of evidence of DLA will need to be submitted via the portal. A link to the portal is below. Further InformationA Frequently Asked Question document is linked below

Disability access fund (DAF)

PDF document with Frequently Asked Questions

Families Information Service

The Max Card is designed to make days out more financially accessible for families of children with additional needs.The card offers free or discounted entry to great attractions. So what is the Max Card?Max Card is a national scheme and its aim is to provide a sense of community through stimulating learning experiences and enjoyable days out for everyone.It is the UK’s leading discount card for foster families and families of children with additional needs.  Families simply show their Max Card upon entry to a participating venue in order to obtain free or discounted admission.The scheme is designed to help these families save money on great days out at castles, zoos, bowling alleys and more.To find out which venues are included in the Max Card scheme, visit the Max Card website. How can I obtain a Max Card?If you are a parent/carer of a child with additional needs, and live in Sunderland you simply need to sign your child up to the Disabled Children's Register using the Max Card/Sunderland Disabled Register form (Link below) Max Cards are issued when a parent registers their child or children on the Sunderland Disabled Children Register.  For further assistance please contact Families Information Service either by telephone or email. How can I renew a Max Card?If a family require a card to be renewed, this can be done by using the Max Card renewal form (Link below)

Max Card - Sunderland disabled children's register

Please use this link if you wish to register your child/children on Sunderland Disabled Children's Register for the first time.

If you wish to renew your Max Card, please use this link.

There are a number of ways that the goverment can help you and your family with chidcare costs.  Whether you have toddlers or teens, you could get support.  Information about some of the schemes are below:TAX FREE CHILDCARE<ul><li>for working families in the UK, including self-employed</li><li>with children under 12 (or under 17 if disabled)</li><li>for every £8 you pay in, the government will add an extre £2, up to £2,000 per child per year, or £4,000 if your child has a disability. </li></ul>You can use Tax Free Childcare at the same time as 15 hours funded childcare and 30 hours funded childcare.You can't use it with Universal Credit, Tax Credits or Childcare Vouchers (Childcare voucher schemes are closed to new entrants)TAX CREDITS<ul><li>for working families in the UK</li><li>with children under 16 (or under 17 if disabled)</li><li>claim back up to 70% of childcare costs, up to a cap</li></ul>You can't claim Tax Credits at the same time as Universal Credit or Tax-Free ChildcareUNIVERSAL CREDIT<ul><li>for working families claiming Universal Credit</li><li>with children under 16</li><li>claim back up to 85% of eligible childcare costs, up to a maximum of £1014.63 per month for one child, and £1,739.37 per month for two or more children</li></ul>The childcare element of Universal Credit can but used alongside the 15 or 30 hours childcare offers.  You can't claim Universal Credit at the same time as Tax Credits and Tax-Free Childcare15 HOURS CHILDCARE - 2 YEAR OLDS FOR FAMILIES IN RECEIPT OF ADDITIONAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT<ul><li>for families in England receiving some forms of support (eligibility criteria applies)</li><li>with 2 year old children - can start the term after your child's 2nd birthday</li><li>15 hours of funded childcare or early education for 38 weeks</li><li>a total of 570 hours per year, that you can use flexibly with one or more childcare provider</li></ul>15 HOURS CHILDCARE - 3 &amp; 4 YEAR OLDS<ul><li>for all families in England</li><li>with 3 and 4 year old children</li><li>15 hours of childcare or early education for 38 weeks</li><li>a total of 570 hours per year, that you can use flexibly with one or more childcare provider</li></ul>WORKING PARENTS ENTITLEMENT <ul><li>for working families in England (eligibility criteria applies)</li><li>15 hours of childcare or early education for 38 weeks for 2 year olds </li><li>30 hours of childcare or early education for 38 weeks for 3 and 4 year old children - NOT for children in Reception</li><li>a total of 1,140 hours per year for eligible 3 and 4 year olds, that you can use flexibly with one or more childcare provider</li></ul>Note: for the 15 and 30 hour childcare schemes, some providers will allow you to 'stretch' the hours over more weeks, using fewer hours per week.  Check with the provider of your choice to see what they are able to offer.

Help paying for Childcare

For more detailed information about all of these schemes and to check to see if you are eligible or to get an estimate of how much help you can get

Adult reading a picture book with toddler

All children aged 3 - 4 years are currently entitled to 15 hours per week funded childcare over 38 weeks, or less hours per week over more weeks up to a maximum of 570 hours per year. This is known as the Universal entitlement.What is the 30 hours offer?The new 30 hours of funded childcare is known as the extended entitlement.  It is an additional 570 hours per year for 3 and 4 year olds of working parents.  This means that eligible children can access up to 1140 hours of government funded childcare per year.Who is eligible?To qualify, each parent (or the sole parent in a single parent family) needs to:<ul><li>earn, on average, a weekly minimum equivalent of 16 hours at National Minimum wage or National Living Wage;</li><li>earn less than £100,000 per year</li></ul>Self-employed parents or parents on zero hours contracts will be eligible if they meet the average earnings criteria. Eligibility in families where parents do not workFamilies where one parent is not in paid employment, or neither parent works, will ususally not be eligible for the additional hours.  There are however the extended entitlement will be available for families where:<ul><li>Both parents are employed but one (or both) is temporarily away from<ul><li>parental leave</li><li>maternity leave</li><li>adoption leave</li><li>sick leave</li></ul></li><li>One parent works and one parent is in receipt of benefits relating to significant caring responsibilities</li><li>One parent works and one parent is in receipt of specific benefits relating to disability or incapacity</li></ul>Foster carers are eligible for the extended entitlement if they meet the earning or carer criteria for their own children.Foster carers may be able to claim 30 hours for the children that they foster if both foster parents work outside of their fostering role.  There is no minimum earning criteria for this  For more information see the attached information "30 Hours Childcare for Foster Children".Parents who are studying or in training will not be eligible unless this is combined with paid work which meets the minimum average earnings threshold.When to apply?The date you can apply depends on your child's birthday. Your child is eligible:<ul><li>from the term following their 3rd birthday until they reach compulsory school age</li><li>as long as they are not in a Reception class</li></ul>Applications for each term will need to be made by the relevant deadline dates:Spring Term - 31st DecemberSummer Term - 31st MarchAutumn Term - 31st AugustPlease note: Summer Term start dates can sometimes fluctuate depending on when Easter falls however the deadline dates or applications does not change.

30 Hours Childcare

For more detailed information about this scheme and to check to see if you are eligible.

Toddlers building blocks on a table with 2 adults

Tax Free Childcare is a Government initiative for working families, including the self-employed, who have children under 12 (or under 17 if disabled). You can get up to £500 every three months, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year per child.  If you child has a disability, you can get up to £1,000 every three months up to a maximum of £4,000 a year per child.If you are eligible you will create a childcare account and for every £8 you pay in, the government will add an extra £2.You can use your childcare account to pay for children provided by: <ul><li>childminders</li><li>nurseries</li><li>nannies</li><li>before and after school clubs</li><li>holiday clubs </li></ul>The childcare provider you use must be registered with Ofsted and signed up to the Tax Free Childcare scheme.

Tax Free Childcare

What is it?Two, three and four year old children attending a funded place at an early years education setting such as a nursery school, nursery class, private nursery or childminder may be eligible to receive Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP). Children must receive free Early Years Education to attract EYPP funding. Children do not need to access their full Early Years Education entitlement to be eligible as providers will be paid on a pro-rata basis.How much is the funding?It is an additional £359 per year (63p per hour) for each child for the setting to spend on supporting their development, learning and care.Who is Eligible?If parents receive one of the following benefits<ul><li>Income Support </li><li>Income based Jobseekers Allowance </li><li>Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get) </li><li>Income related Employment and Support Allowance Child Tax Credit (providing they are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)</li><li>Working Tax Credit Run-on, paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999</li><li>The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit Or if the child: </li><li>Is cared for after by the local authority or has been in care for at least one day</li><li>Has been adopted from care</li><li>Has left care through special guardianship or child arrangements order (previously a residence order) If a parent’s circumstances have recently changed, we would recommend that they submit additional information in the form of their Universal Credit statement, tax credits or benefit letter from HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) or DWP (Department of Works and Pensions) to demonstrate their entitlement when the EYPP application is made.</li></ul>How can an application be made? Parents and carers should speak with the staff at their child's nursery education provider and ask to provide the relevant information. The provider will share this information with Together for Children Sunderland, who will check eligibility using the Department of Education's Eligibility Checking Service. The nursery education provider will be informed whether the parent is eligible or not. How is the funding paid to the nursery education provider? Payments for eligible children will be made to nursery education providers on a termly basis.

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)

Mam and toddler playing with wooden toy train