New childcare offers to support working families
Following the recent government announcement, for eligible homes, where all adults work 16+ hours in paid employment:
- From April 2024, 2 year olds can receive 15 hours of funded childcare for 38 weeks
- From September 2024, children aged 9 months to 3 years can receive 15 hours of funded childcare for 38 weeks
- From September 2025, children 9 months old to school age can receive 30 hours of funded childcare for 38 weeks
Applications for these offers will be done on the Childcare Choices website, and more information about when people can apply will be available on the website shortly.
Existing 2 year old funded place childcare offer
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
To confirm your eligibility and get your code, register on the portal.