New childcare offers to support working families

From April 2024, childcare support for working families is changing.

• From April 2024, eligible 2 year olds can receive 15 hours of funded childcare for 38 weeks
• From September 2024, the term following a child turning 9 months, children can receive 15 hours of funded childcare for 38 weeks
• From September 2025, from the term following a child turning  9 months old to school age can receive 30 hours of funded childcare for 38 weeks

Applications for these offers is through the Childcare Choices website, applications for those families who will be eligible from 1 April 2024, can apply from 2 January 2024. For families with younger children who will be eligible from September 2024, applications can be made from 10 June 2024.

Two year old funding for families who get additional government support

Some families are eligible for 15 hours funded a week across the school year (38 weeks) with a childcare provider. Your child will be learning and playing with other children. This could also give you time (15 hours a week) to study or look for work.

You will need to meet one or more of the following criteria for your child to be eligible:

• 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
• 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:

• are looked after (in the care of) a council
• have an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP)
• get Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• have left care under an adoption order
• special guardianship order
• or a child arrangements order

Evidence such as official documentation confirming the above will need to be supplied as part of your application.

To confirm your eligibility and get your code, register on the portal.

If you are having trouble applying on the portal, complete the PDF application form and email it to the EEF Team.

Please note, this will take longer to process.

We have started using new methods to let potentially eligible parents know about 2 year old funded places, so instead of the usual letter, you may receive an email or text from us. You will still need to complete an application and get your code before you are able to arrange your funded place with a childcare provider.

If you are eligible, you will be issued with a code to take to your childcare provider (nursery etc). When your child can start their funded place will depend on their date of birth. Please see the table below for an explanation of start dates.

You can also apply 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 either:
• 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 2 year old you care for may also get funded childcare if you have: 

• the right to leave to remain with ‘no recourse to public funds’ on family or private life grounds
• support from your local council 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’)

Applications for families who are consider no recourse to public funds need to email [email protected] for further details and an application form.

• Hong Kong's British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(O)s) granted leave to remain with no recourse to public funds. BN(O)s will also be entitled if the child has SEND, an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or they are a looked after or previously looked after child. For further information on these criteria, please see Help paying for childcare: Help paying for childcare: Free education and childcare for 2-year-olds - GOV.UK

Other support available

• Healthy Start 
• Household Support Fund 
• Disability Living Allowance 
• Tax Free Childcare 

Early years funding for Ukrainian refugees

Applications for 2 year old funding will need to be made via the CitizenPortal. If the parent/carer is on a low income and in receipt of one or more of the qualifying benefits, the claim can be made on the grounds of income/benefits. If they haven’t been awarded, they would need to apply under ‘other eligibility’ and attach documentation to support the claim. These applications will be manually assessed on an individual basis.

We are currently awaiting further clarification on what documentation/evidence is acceptable, but believe that they may be in receipt of Biometric Residence Permits. We will update this page when we have more information.

Providers will also need to ask for ID evidence to confirm the date of birth/legal name of the child e.g. birth certificate/passport etc.

All 3 and 4 year old Ukrainian children will be able to access the universal 3 and 4 year old funding from the start of the funding period following their 3rd birthday. Applications for 30 hours (extended entitlement) needs to be made via HMRC in the usual way.