THIRTY hours of free childcare is now available for parents of three and four year olds.

The increase from 15 hours aims to help support working families the cost of childcare and enable parents, where they wish, to return to work or increase their hours.

Halton Cllr Tom McInerney, board member for children, young people and families, said: “We want to make sure everyone knows what they are entitled to."

Parents are encouraged to apply in good time before the end of November if they want to start claiming from January 2018.

To be eligible for the additional 15 hours from January 2018, certain criteria must be met.

The child must be three or four years old before December 31, 2017, and Working parents must have applied for the additional hours and been issued with an eligibility code.

Once parents have applied and been informed they are eligible for the additional 15 hours and have been issued with an eligibility code, they need to take the code to their childcare provider who then have to verify this information and date before a child can take up the additional hours.

Parents will also need to re confirm eligibility every three months.

Parents who are already claiming 30 hours free childcare are reminded that they must re-confirm eligibility every three months, by logging into their government gateway account.

They will receive an email reminder in their government secure emails account approximately 4 weeks before their expiry date.

For more details childcare-support.tax.service.gov.uk