How are government-funded childcare hours changing?

From September 2025, working parents of children under the age of five will be entitled to 30 hours of government-funded childcare a week.

Currently, 15 hours of government-funded childcare is available for all children from the age of nine months. 30 hours of government-funded childcare is available for children aged three to four, if parents are working.

What are funded childcare hours? 

Funded childcare hours are government-subsidised hours of childcare for parents of young children. They’re available to be used in registered childcare settings. The UK government provides these hours to support families by providing their children with early years education in a structured environment.

How do I qualify for these hours?

To qualify, you need to be working or starting a new job, on sick or annual leave, or on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave. The amount you earn must be at or more than the value of the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week on average.

You don’t qualify if your adjusted net income is over £100,000 a year. Adjusted net income is your total taxable income before any Personal Allowances and certain tax reliefs are deducted such as, trading losses, donations to charities through Gift Aid and pension contributions.

If you’ve been self-employed for less than 12 months and you earn less, you may still qualify. Income that doesn’t count includes dividends, interest, income from property investments or pension payments.

You apply via the Government website to receive your childcare code, which you need to give to your registered provider. When you have your account set up and the code is active, you need to reconfirm your eligibility every three months.

What other financial support is available for parents?

  • Tax-free childcare – You can get up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to be used to help with the cost of registered childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every three months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year). It can be used in addition to funded childcare hours.
  • Child Benefit – You can receive Child Benefit if you’re responsible for raising children under the age of 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training. From April 2025, rates increased as follows:
    • First or eldest child: From £25.60 a week to £26.05 a week
    • Any additional child: From £16.95 a week to £17.25 a week

What you can do next

If you are struggling with debts call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.

Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.

If you’re behind on regular payments or falling into debt, BudgetSmart has hundreds of easy actions you can take to improve your monthly budget and bring you back onto the path to clearing your debts.

Copped Enough

Copped Enough
What the police take home is criminal

Bedfordshire Police Federation Calls for Urgent Action on Police Pay and Welfare.

Today, on International Workers’ Day, Bedfordshire Police Federation is backing the national launch of Copped Enough: What the Police Take Home is Criminal — a hard-hitting campaign exposing the crisis in policing that is endangering officers’ lives and putting public safety at risk.

This is a day that celebrates the dignity of labour and the right of every worker to fair pay and safe conditions — yet police officers in Bedfordshire have, while face spiralling trauma, violence and risk while losing a fifth of their pay in real terms since 2010.

The campaign calls on the public to support police and their families by joining a “digital picket line” in protest at www.polfed.org/campaigns/copped-enough

The Reality for Our Officers:

  • Nationally, 10,000 officers will resign every year by 2027 — forcing the government to spend £9.9 billion recruiting and training their replacements just to stand still.
  • Real-terms police pay has dropped over 20% since 2009.
  • 1 in 3 officers struggle to afford food, rent or heating.
  • 35% of police officers in England and Wales have five or less years’ experience today, a third more than in 2020.

Locally, Bedfordshire Police Federation warns the crisis is deepening, with recruitment and retention issues already impacting policing in our communities.

Stephen Bozward, Chair of Bedfordshire Police Federation, said:

“Our officers are overworked, underpaid and under threat while their real income continues to shrink. We have officers using food banks, struggling with mental health, and feeling forced to leave the job they love.

Police Officers put up with more than most but too many have just Copped Enough. Without urgent action to restore fair pay and protect welfare, we face a dangerous loss of experience and a direct threat to the safety of our communities.”

The Campaign Calls for Immediate Action on Three Key Areas:

  1. Restore Police Pay
    • Urgent, fully funded action on fair pay
    • Full recognition of an army-style “P-Factor” allowance recognising the unique risks of policing
    • Implement a binding, independent pay review system to remove political interference
  2. Stop the Mass Exodus of Experienced Officers
    • Provide a retention package to keep skilled officers in policing
    • Develop a workforce plan focused on retention, not just recruitment
    • Support work-life balance, including protecting rest days, improved parental leave and transition support
  3. Protect Officers on the Frontline
    • Enforce stronger sentencing for assaults on police officers
    • Fund police treatment centres centrally
    • Provide robust mental health support, including mandatory national recording of suicides and attempted suicides

Bedfordshire Police Federation stands united with the national campaign and calls on local MPs, chief officers, and community leaders to back police officers by delivering the fair pay and support they urgently need.

For further information, please contact Bedfordshire Police Federation:

bedfordshire@polfed.org
01234 842405

Serve and Protect Fixed Cash ISA | Guaranteed Tax-Free Return of 4%

Serve and Protect ISA

Serve and Protect Credit Union have launched a Fixed Cash ISA for the 2025/26 tax year giving employees within the Police, Prison, Military, Fire and Health Services the opportunity to earn a guaranteed tax-free return of 4% AER (Annual Equivalent Rate).

  • Minimum effort, maximum return: Start depositing from as little as £5 and up to a maximum of £20,000 for the 2025/26 tax year.
  • Attractive returns: Enjoy a guaranteed tax-free return of 4% AER, allowing you to earn more from your savings effortlessly.
  • Safety assured: Rest easy knowing your savings are protected up to £85,000 by the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme). 

For people, not profit.

Serve and Protect Credit Union prides itself on being more than just a financial institution. As a not-for-profit, by opening an account, you can make a real impact to the lives of those who serve and protect our nation. Your support provides crucial funds to help fellow colleagues seeking affordable credit. 

For more information or to apply please visit: https://serveandprotectcu.co.uk/save/cash-isa/

Woburn Safari Park Special Offer

Reduced entry fees for Police Staff and volunteers of Bedfordshire Police. To redeem, show the below flyer and your Police ID at entry.

Woburn Safari Park flyer for Bedfordshire Police

Keep on top of your pensions – find your missing pension pots with PayPlan

With the availability of private pensions, along with workplace pensions, it can be hard to keep track of the pensions in your name, especially if you’ve moved jobs multiple times.

If you’ve worked in any roles where you earned over £10,000 per year, were over 22 years old, were classed as a worker, and lived in the UK, then you’ll most likely have been enrolled in a workplace pension scheme.

With planning for the future and retirement at the forefront of many people’s minds, finding all your pension pots will help you to understand the approximate value of your retirement fund and can help you make educated decisions about the additional amount you need to save.

How can I find my lost pension pots? 

Check through your paperwork and emails

Have a look through your letters and emails, most pension providers send a yearly statement that shows the value of your plan and estimated retirement value. You may have employment paperwork detailing your pension scheme too. If you paid into a private pension, you should be able to see your provider name on previous bank statements.

Reach out to your previous employers

If you’re struggling to find any statements, you can reach out to your previous employers to ask for details of the pension scheme you were enrolled in. To save time, make sure you have your employment details ready, including the dates you worked for the business and your National Insurance number.

Contact your pension provider

If you know your pension provider but don’t have any details of your plan, you can contact them directly to get access to your account. You’ll most likely need to provide them with two forms of ID, your date of birth and an idea of when you think you enrolled in the plan for them to be able to access your details.

Use the Pension Tracing Service

The Pension Tracing Service will help you find pension contact details on GOV.UK or you can contact them by phone or post.

What are the next steps after finding my pension pots?

Once you’ve located your pension pots, you’ll have a much better idea of how much is currently in your retirement fund and what your potential retirement fund will be.

We recommend ensuring all your contact details are up-to-date with each provider and storing the details for each one safely and securely for future reference.

You may choose to consolidate your pensions. We recommend speaking to a financial advisor to make an informed decision about what would be best for you

What you can do next

While thinking about your pension pots and retirement, you may be worried about debts and their impact on your future. Our team is available to offer free debt advice

If you are struggling with debts call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.

Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.

Tips for teaching children about money: building the foundation for financial success with PayPlan

Helping children learn about money is one of the most valuable life skills you can give them. Understanding how to manage money from an early age can set them up for a strong start in life, building habits that lead to financial stability in the future.

Below we’re sharing some practical tips you can use when teaching your children about money:

1. Start early

It’s never too early to start! Even young children can grasp basic concepts like saving, spending, and sharing. Use play money, toys, or games to introduce them to these ideas.

2. Set a good example

Children learn by watching and getting involved. Let them see you handling money. If you budget, save and make wise spending choices, they’re likely to follow in your footsteps.

3. Use pocket money to teach budgeting skills

Giving your children a small amount of pocket money can teach them the skills to manage it. Teach them to divide it into categories such as saving, spending and giving. By encouraging them to save a portion for future occasions, you’ll be setting a good foundation.

4. Make saving fun

Set a savings goal and reward your children for reaching milestones. You could use saving envelopes where they can tick off once they’ve filled each envelope. You could also open a savings account for them and, if there’s an app available, check it together to track their progress and celebrate growth.

5. Talk about needs vs. wants

Explore the difference between needs (things such as food, housing and clothes) and wants (things such as toys, games and days out). Learning how to prioritise needs before wants is a vital life skill and will help them make better financial decisions as they grow.

6. Teach the value of earning

Encouraging your children to take on small jobs to earn money, such as household chores or helping family and friends, is a great way to teach responsibility and the link between effort and reward.

7. Talk about money

Let your children ask you questions about money and offer simple answers using the opportunity to teach where appropriate. Money can be a cause of stress for many, especially if you’re struggling with debt, and talking about it can be hard. However, children learn very little about money during school, so it’s important to equip them with the skills they need at home. When they’re old enough to understand, opening up about debt and how hard some people struggle can be beneficial. By helping children as they get older learn how to manage credit and how easy it can be to fall into debt, if they take out more credit than they can repay. You can teach them how easy it can be to fall into financial trouble, especially when they take on more credit than they can repay. As they grow older, showing them how to manage credit responsibly helps them make smarter financial choices and avoid common pitfalls.

Teaching children the basics of money management early on equips children with a skill that will serve them throughout their lifetime and encourage them to pass those skills on to the next generation.

What you can do next

If you are struggling with debts call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.

Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.

Police Insure

New from Police Insure

GP24 New App Available Now

There has been a major update for the GP24 App and Digital Booking System available through your Group Insurance Scheme.

The new app will allow you to choose an appointment time to suit your needs and integrate with any other HealthHero services in your scheme.

Please take the time to download the App by visiting https://philipwilliams.gp24.co/or scan the QR Code using access code GP24

How to save the web app

On first use, click Reset Password to create an account

and Use code BD25 to register

iOS Device

In the Safari web browser navigate to the web app link above. Then click the icon shown left

and select ‘Add to Home Screen’ and then ‘Add’.

Android Device

In the web browser navigate to the web app link above. Then click the icon shown left and select ‘Add to Home Screen’.

Laptop/Desktop – PC

Right click with the mouse to display the menu and select ‘Create Shortcut’.

How to check if you could pay less council tax

If you’re currently paying council tax for your home in England, depending on your circumstances you may be able to receive a discount or not pay it at all.

You may be able to get:

  • A discount, for example, for single-person occupancy or for an empty property
  • Council Tax Reduction (CTR) if you’re a low-income household
  • Other reductions dependent on your circumstances

If you think you might be eligible for a discount or a reduction, it won’t happen automatically, so you’ll need to make sure you apply. It would be a good idea to also check you’re on the correct council tax banding which you can do here. You can challenge your banding if you think it’s incorrect.

Guidance is different if you live in Scotland or Wales – find out more here:

Council Tax discounts

If you’re the only adult in the household, you can receive a 25% discount on your council tax bill.

Some people in a household aren’t counted for in the council tax bill, including anyone under 18, students, people with learning difficulties or anyone who has a severe mental impairment. If everyone in the household meets this criteria, there’ll still be a council tax bill, but it will have a 50% discount. You don’t pay council tax if everyone in your household is a student or severely mentally impaired.

If you or your partner are receiving the ‘guaranteed’ part of Pension Credit, you may be eligible for a full reduction on your council tax bill, up to 100%. 

A ‘second adult rebate’ discount may be available if an adult you live with is on a low income or receiving certain benefits.

If someone moves out of your household and this entitles you to a discount, you need to tell the council. Even if you tell the council after the moving out date, you’re entitled to the discount from the moving date.

If you own another home

Your local council may give you a discount if you have another home that you don’t live in, such as one that needs repair work or is empty. If your property is unoccupied and undergoing major repair work or structural alterations to make it habitable, then you may be exempt from paying council tax for up to 12 months.

If you have a holiday or second home, you may qualify for a 50% discount if it’s owned by someone who can’t live there due to needing to be in another location for work.

If you have an annexe connected to your home, you’ll receive a 50% discount if it’s used by people who live in the main household or immediate family members. If you have a dependant family member who lives there, you don’t need to pay council tax on the property. They must be over 65 years old or have a physical or mental disability. If the annexe is empty, you don’t need to pay council tax for it.

If you live with a disabled individual

If you or someone you live with is disabled, your council will charge you the rate for the next lowest council tax band. For example, if your house is in band D, you will be charged for band C instead.

You must evidence that your home is adapted for a disabled individual and that the individual lives there. For example, there is an extra bathroom or kitchen to meet their needs, and there is enough space for a wheelchair.

Council Tax Reduction (CTR)

Low-income households may be able to receive a council tax reduction. If you receive benefits or have other people living in the home with you, this may affect the amount your council tax is reduced by.

You’ll have to submit details of your income and circumstances to the council so that they can evaluate if you qualify for CTR. If you’re awarded it, your bill will be reduced accordingly.

Discretionary Reduction

If you’re really struggling to pay your council tax bill and don’t qualify for any of the reductions, you can contact your local council directly about a ‘discretionary reduction’. They will ask for evidence of your circumstances to show that you’re suffering financial hardship and can’t afford your bill, then review on a case-by-case basis.

How you pay can reduce the monthly amount

The total year’s amount will stay the same, but you can choose to split your bill over 12 months instead of the usual ten, which will reduce your monthly cost. If you contact your local council, they will alter your payment schedule. Alternatively, you can choose to pay in full.

What you can do next

If you are struggling with debts call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.

Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.