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Help with childcare costs

Funded childcare for 2-year-olds

Some 2-year-olds can get up to 15 hours of funded early education until the term after their third birthday. After this they may get funded childcare for 3 and 4-year-olds.

Find out if you're eligible for funded childcare

Your 2-year-old can get funded childcare if you get any of these benefits:

  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
  • child tax credits, and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
  • the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

2-year-olds can also get funded childcare if they:

In addition to this criteria, we will also consider applications for children where the council has received a Section 23 notification from Health.

If you’re a non-EEA citizen who cannot claim benefits

Your 2-year-old may get funded childcare if you are getting support under the Immigration and Asylum Act and have:

  • claimed asylum in the UK and are waiting for a decision (known as ‘part 6’)
  • been refused asylum in the UK (known as ‘section 4’)
  • a UK ancestry visa
  • temporary protection status under Section 12 of the Nationality and Borders Act
  • pre-settled status with no qualifying right to reside

A 2-year-old you care for may also get funded childcare if your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, and you have any of the following:

  • support from your us because you have ‘a child in need’, for example they have a disability or a child protection plan
  • the right to live in the UK because you’re the main carer of a British citizen (known as a ‘Zambrano Carer’)

Your 2 year-old may get funded childcare if you have leave to remain with ‘no recourse to public funds’ on family or private life grounds. This is subject to the following maximum income thresholds:

  • £26,500 for families outside of London with one child
  • £34,500 for families within London with one child
  • £30,600 for families outside of London with two or more children
  • £38,600 for families within London with two or more children
  • A maximum capital threshold of £16,000 in all areas

Funding is available from the term after your child turns 2. You can find more information on the Childcare Choices website.

Born on or in between Eligible for funding from
1 January to 31 March Summer term (April onwards)
1 April to 31 August Autumn term (September onwards)
1 September to 31 December Spring term (January onwards)

If you’re eligible, the funded early education and childcare must be with an approved childcare provider.

Apply

Apply online

If you need help with your application you can:

Using your 15 hours funded childcare

You can use your funded 15 hours:

  • over a minimum of 2 days or a maximum of 5 days a week
  • for a maximum of 10 hours a day
  • over 38 weeks or pro-rata over a maximum of 52 weeks per year
  • anytime between 6am to 8pm, depending on the sessions offered by your chosen provider
  • with one childcare provider only
  • without paying for additional services

Claim your 15 hours funded childcare

If your application is approved, you will receive a reference number. Give this to your chosen childcare provider.

Guidance for parents

Read our guide on Funded Early Education Entitlement for 2, 3 and 4 year olds (PDF, 201.64kB) for more information and advice.

This guide is also available in:

Privacy notices for education services

Find out what we do with the information you give us when you use our education services.

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