With the Autumn school term around the corner, the launch of the Wraparound childcare (WAC) scheme this Autumn 2022 school term is great news for Service personnel and their families. New resources are now available to help Service families check if they are eligible to claim WAC funding.

The WAC scheme will help eligible Service families with children aged 4 to 11 years old to claim up to 20 hours per week of funding for each child attending before and after school care during term time. WAC is known as ‘Out of School care’ in Wales and ‘School Aged Childcare’ in Scotland.

“Since having children my wife has had to put her own career within the NHS on hold, having to settle for a role which offers the greatest flexibility when it comes to hours around childcare. With the financial implications removed, my wife can now afford to apply for jobs that she really wants to do”. Petty Officer James in the Royal Navy

The WAC scheme delivers on the Government manifesto commitment and is one of many steps that Defence is taking to make the Armed Forces a more modern, inclusive, and family friendly employer. The UK roll-out comes after six successful pilots, where families listed employment, financial, educational and wellbeing as benefits of the new offer.

For more information, including why WAC is important for current and future Service families, you can read the previous Defence Connect or GOV.UK announcement in July 2022.

Could the WAC scheme help your family?

n Follow these steps to check if you are eligible and if it’s the right scheme for you.

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1. 1. RECORD: Personnel should make sure each child is recorded on JPA.
   2. READ: Service families should visit the Discover my Benefits webpage (www), and specifically read the:

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1. 1. Is eligible to claim WAC funding.
   2. Will financially benefit from having a Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) account OR a salary sacrifice childcare voucher scheme. To make an informed decision about which scheme suits them best, you can use the childcare calculator on GOV.UK.
   3. Frequently asked questions.
   4. Also visit the Royal Navy Forum WAC group area will provide tailored updates, information, resources and a discussion section.

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1. 1. CHECK: Using these resources, Service families should check to see if your family:

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1. 1. is eligible to claim WAC funding.
   2. Will financially benefit from having a Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) account OR a salary sacrifice childcare voucher scheme. To make an informed decision about which scheme suits them best, you can use the childcare calculator on GOV.UK.

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1. 1. APPLY: If your family is eligible and you choose to claim WAC funding, create a TFC account for each child on GOV.UK.

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In early September 2022, there will be another announcement and details of virtual information sessions for Service families. These will explain the next steps, including how to register and submit claims for the WAC scheme. Personnel can also look at the WAC DIN – 2022DIN01-079 and the WAC portal on Defence Connect.

Original article can be found here

. Royal Navy Internal Communications: Can you cla… | Defence Connect (mod.uk)