PART 2Interpretation

Definitions4.

(1)

In these Regulations—

the Act” means the Childcare Act 2016;

adjusted net income” has the meaning given in section 58 of the Income Tax Act 20072;

care plan” has the meaning given in regulation 5;

F1Chief Inspector” means His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills;

childcare provider” has the meaning given in regulation 6;

F2childminder” means a person registered as—

(a)

an early years childminder with domestic premises under section 37(1) or 37A(1) of the 2006 Act;

(b)

an early years childminder without domestic premises under section 37(2A) or 37A(1A) of the 2006 Act;

(c)

an early years provider other than a childminder under section 37(2) or 37A(2) of the 2006 Act in respect of early years provision which would be early years childminding, at least some or all of which is on domestic premises, but for section 96(5) of the Act;

the Commissioners” means the Commissioners for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs;

declaration” means a declaration under section 1(2)(e) of the Act;

early years childminder agency” has the meaning given in section 98(1) of the Childcare Act 20064;

employee” has the meaning given in regulation 7;

the First-tier Tribunal” means the tribunal established under section 3(1) of the Tribunal, Courts and Enforcement Act 20075;

foster parent” has the meaning given in regulation 8;

inspection report” means—

(a)

in relation to an early years childminder agency, a report under section 51E of the Childcare Act 20066;

(b)

in relation to a childcare provider, a report under any of the following—

  1. (ai)

    F3section 162A of the Education Act 20026 (whether by the Chief Inspector or by a body approved by the Secretary of State for the purposes of section 162A of that Act);

  2. (i)
    section 5 of the Education Act 20057;
  3. (ii)
    section 50 of the Childcare Act 20068;
  4. (iii)
    section 109 of the Education and Skills Act 20089;

F4limited capability for work” means limited capability for work under—

(a)

regulation 39 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013, or

(b)

regulation 40 of the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016;

F4limited capability for work and work-related activity” means limited capability for work and work-related activity under—

(a)

regulation 40 of the Universal Credit Regulations 2013, or

(b)

regulation 41 of the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016;

looked after by a local authority” has the meaning given in regulation 9;

partner” has the meaning given in regulation 10;

relevant tax year” means, in relation to a declaration, the tax year in which the declaration is made;

F5responsible local authority” means—

(a)

in relation to a child who meets the description in regulation 9(1)(a), the local authority who looks after the child, or

(b)

in relation to a child who meets the description in regulation 9(1)(b), (c) or (d), the English local authority for the area in which the child may be a qualifying child of working parents;

review” means a review under regulation 36;

F6...

F7specified benefit” has the meaning given in regulation 11A;

tax year” has the meaning given in section 4(2) of the Income Tax Act 2007.

(2)

The following table—

(a)

sets out the expressions of the Act used in these Regulations, and

(b)

shows where in that Act each of those expressions is defined.

Expression used in these Regulations

Location of definition in the Act

“childcare”

sections 1(9) and 2(8)

“English local authority”

section 2(8)

“parent”

section 1(9)

“qualifying child of working parents”

section 1(2)

“young child”

section 1(9)

Meaning of “care plan”5.

A “care plan” is any of the following—

(a)

a care plan within the meaning given in regulation 2(1) of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 201012;

(b)

arrangements recorded in writing under regulation 3(5) of the Arrangements for Placement of Children (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 199613;

(c)

a child’s plan prepared under regulation 5 of the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 200914;

(d)

a care and support plan maintained under section 83 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201415.
Annotations:
Commencement Information

I2Reg. 5 in force at 1.12.2022, see reg. 1(b)

Meaning of “childcare provider”6.

(1)

A “childcare provider” is an early years provider—

(a)

who is not an excluded provider, and

(b)

to whom section 40 of the Childcare Act 2006 (duty to implement Early Years Foundation Stage) applies.

(2)

An excluded provider is any of the following—

(a)

an independent school, other than an Academy school, that does not meet the standards prescribed under section 157(1)(b) of the Education Act 200216 (which relate to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at independent schools);

(b)

an early years provider any English local authority has reasonable grounds to believe—

(i)

does not actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, or

(ii)

promotes as evidence-based views or theories those contrary to established scientific or historical evidence and explanations.

(3)

In this regulation—

Academy school” has the meaning given in section 1A of the Academies Act 201017;

early years provider” has the meaning given in section 96(3) of the Childcare Act 2006.

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I3Reg. 6 in force at 1.12.2022, see reg. 1(b)

Meaning of “employee”7.

(1)

An “employee” is any of the following—

(a)

a person in employment under a contract of service F8...;

(b)

a person who is the holder of an office (including an elected office);

(c)

a person in an engagement to which a relevant Chapter applies;

(d)

a person who expects, in relation to a declaration, to be a person mentioned in any of paragraphs (a) to (c) within F9the applicable period.

(2)

In this regulation—

F10applicable period” means, in relation to a person (“P”) who expects to become a person mentioned in any of paragraph (1)(a) to (c) on a date in the period specified in the first column of the table, the period specified in the corresponding second column of the table.

P expects to become a person mentioned in any of paragraph (1)(a) to (c) in the period—

Applicable period—

(i)

beginning with 1st February and ending with the next 30th April

begins with 1st January immediately preceding the start of the period specified in the first column and ends with the next 30th April

(ii)

beginning with 1st May and ending with the next 30th September

begins with 1st April immediately preceding the start of the period specified in the first column and ends with the next 30th September

(iii)

beginning with 1st October and ending with the next 31st January

begins with 1st September immediately preceding the start of period specified in the first column and ends with the next 31st January;

office” has the meaning given in section 5(3) of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 200318;
relevant Chapter” means any of Chapters 7 to 10 of Part 2 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 200319 (which relate to agency workers and workers’ services provided through intermediaries or managed service companies).

Meaning of “foster parent”8.

(1)

A “foster parent” is any of the following—

(a)

a person who—

(i)

is approved as a local authority foster parent in accordance with regulations made by virtue of paragraph 12F of Schedule 2 to the Children Act 198920, and

(ii)

has a child placed with the person under section 22C(5) of that Act21;

(b)

a person who—

(i)

is an authority foster parent within the meaning given in article 27(3) of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 199522, and

(ii)

has a child placed with the person under article 27(2)(a) of that Order;

(c)

a person who—

(i)

is a foster carer within the meaning given in regulation 2 of the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009, and

(ii)

has a child placed with the person pursuant to a permanence order under section 80 of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 200723;

(d)

a person who—

(i)

is a local authority foster parent within the meaning given in section 197(1) of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 201424, and

(ii)

has a child placed with the person under section 81(5) of that Act.

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I5Reg. 8 in force at 1.12.2022, see reg. 1(b)

Meaning of “looked after by a local authority”9.

(1)

A young child is “looked after by a local authority” if the child is any the following—

(a)

a child who is looked after by a local authority within the meaning given in section 22(1) of the Children Act 198925;

(b)

a child who is looked after by an authority within the meaning given in article 25(1) of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;

(c)

a child who is looked after by a local authority within the meaning given in section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 199526;

(d)

a child who is looked after by a local authority within the meaning given in section 74(1) of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.

(2)

Despite paragraph (1), a young child is not looked after by a local authority during any period the child is—

(a)

being looked after by an English local authority for the purposes of providing a brief respite for the person with whom the child normally lives,

(b)

placed with a foster parent (see regulation 8), or

(c)

placed with any other person pursuant to arrangements made under—

(i)

section 22C(2) of the Children Act 1989,

(ii)

article 27(2)(a) of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995,

(iii)

regulation 8(1) or 11 of the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009, or

(iv)

section 81(2) of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.

Annotations:
Commencement Information

I6Reg. 9 in force at 1.12.2022, see reg. 1(b)

Meaning of “partner”10.

(1)

A person is a “partner” of another person if—

(a)

the person is—

(i)

married to, or the civil partner of, the other person, and

(ii)

a member of the same household as the other person, or

(b)

the person is living together with the other person as if they were a married couple or civil partners.

(2)

Despite paragraph (1), a person is not a partner of another person if either person is—

(a)

under 16 years of age,

(b)

serving a sentence of imprisonment, or

(c)

remaining with a third person in a pre-existing relationship of a kind mentioned in paragraph (1).

F11(3)

A person is not a member of the same household as, or living together with, another person if—

(a)

the person is absent, and

(b)

the absence exceeds, or is expected to exceed, 6 months.

Meaning of “person in the United Kingdom”11.

(1)

A “person in the United Kingdom” is any of the following—

(a)

a person who is—

(i)

ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, F12...

(ii)

not a person taxed as if they were not so resident by virtue of double taxation arrangements F13, and

F14(iii)

not a person subject to immigration control;

(b)

a person who is—

(i)

a resident of an EEA State or Switzerland,

(ii)

in paid work in the United Kingdom, and

(iii)

not a person subject to immigration control;

(c)

a person who has been granted—

(i)

refugee permission to stay or temporary refugee permission to stay under rule 339QA of the Immigration Rules, or

(ii)

temporary humanitarian permission to stay under rule 339QB of the Immigration Rules;

(d)

a person who has been granted, or deemed to have been granted, outside the Immigration Rules—

(i)

discretionary leave to remain27, or

(ii)

leave to remain under the destitution domestic violence concession28;

(e)

a person who—

(i)

has been deported, expelled or otherwise removed by compulsion of law from another country to the United Kingdom, and

(ii)

is not a person subject to immigration control.

(2)

In this regulation—

a person subject to immigration control” has the meaning given in section 115(9) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 199929;
double taxation arrangements” means arrangements that have effect under section 2(1) of the Taxation (International and Other Provisions) Act 201030;
the Immigration Rules” means the rules laid before Parliament under section 3(2) of the Immigration Act 197131;

paid work” means work done for payment or in expectation of payment and does not include being engaged by a charitable or voluntary organisation, or as a volunteer, in circumstances in which the payment received by or due to be paid to the person is in respect of expenses.

F15Meaning of “specified benefit”11A.

(1)

A “specified benefit” is any of the following—

(a)

carer’s allowance under—

(i)

section 70 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 199216, or

(ii)

section 70 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 199217;

(b)

carer’s assistance given in accordance with regulations made under section 28 of the Social Security (Scotland) Act 201818 except a young carer grant given under the Carer’s Assistance (Young Carer Grants) (Scotland) Regulations 201919;

(c)

the carer element20 under—

(i)

regulation 29 of the Universal Credit Regulations 201321, or

(ii)

regulation 30 of the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 201622;

(d)

credits for incapacity for work or limited capability for work under—

(i)

regulation 8B of the Social Security (Credits) Regulations 197523, or

(ii)

regulation 8B of the Social Security (Credits) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 197524;

(e)

employment and support allowance under—

(i)

section 1 of the Welfare Reform Act 200725, or

(ii)

section 1 of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 200726;

(f)

long-term incapacity benefit under—

(i)

regulation 11(4) or 17(1) of the Social Security (Incapacity Benefit) (Transitional) Regulations 199527, or

(ii)

regulation 11(4) or 17(1) of the Social Security (Incapacity Benefit) (Transitional) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 199528;

(g)

long-term or short-term incapacity benefit under—

(i)

section 30A, 40 or 41 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 199229, or

(ii)

section 30A, 40 or 41 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 199230;

(h)

severe disablement allowance under—

(i)

section 68 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 199231, or

(ii)

section 68 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992.

When periods begin and end12.

A period of time described in these Regulations in a manner set out in the table is calculated in accordance with the corresponding rule.

If the period is described as—

then the period—

beginning F16or ending with a specified day

includes that specified day.

being within a specified number of days of a specified day

does not include that specified day.

ending before a specified day

does not include that specified day.