Two Year Old Funding

Upcoming changes from April 2024 - The funding is based on the same criteria as the 30 hours for 3 and 4 year olds. Parents should register on the Childcare Choices website (https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/) and go through the Government Gateway in the same way. The rules are the same as in eligible the term after the child’s second birthday, both parents need to be working and the individual income needs to be ore that 16,400 and less that 100,000. The website will be available for checking from January 2024.

Your 2-year-old can get free childcare if you live in England and get one of the following 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.


• 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 free childcare if they:

• Are looked after by a local authority.


• Have a statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan.


• Get Disability Living Allowance.


• Have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order.

Non-EEA citizens who cannot claim benefits

Your 2-year-old may get free 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 free childcare if your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, and you have either:

• Leave to remain with ‘no recourse to public funds’ on family or private life grounds.


• The right to live in the UK because you’re the main carer of a British citizen (known as a ‘Zambrano Carer’).

Child's birthday and applicable claim dates

If your child is eligible, you can start claiming the term after they turn 2. The date you can claim will depend on when their birthday is:

Child’s birthday between:	When you can claim:
1 January and 31 March	From the 1 April following their 2nd birthday
1 April and 31 August	From the 1 September following their 2nd birthday
1 September and 31 December	From the 1 January following their 2nd birthday

Click here to apply for 2 year old funding