Help with childcare costs

Funded childcare for 2 year olds

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Your 2-year-old can access up to 570 hours of funded early education and childcare a year, if you receive one of the following eligible 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
  • tax credits, and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
  • support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
  • 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 Credits)

To see if you are eligible, you can create an account on our Parent Portal and apply for 2-year-old funding. You will need your National Insurance number (NINo) or National Asylum Support Service (NASS) number.

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

  • are looked after by a local authority
  • have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan
  • receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

A 2-year-old you care for may also get free childcare if you’re a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits or if your immigration status says you have ‘no recourse to public funds’. You must live in England and your household income must be no more than:

  • £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

You cannot have more than £16,000 in savings or investments.

For more information and how to apply visit our Family Information Directory.

If you're a working parent of a 2-year-old please visit Childcare Choices for more details and how to apply.