Free early education for 2 year olds

Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Eligibility
  3. How to apply
  4. When your child can start their free place
  5. Where your child can get free early education

Overview

You may be eligible for 15 hours free childcare per week if your child is 2 years old and you receive certain benefits or support.

In April 2024 this 15 hour support was extended to include many working families.

From September 2025 working families with children aged 9 months up to 3 years old will be able to access 30 hours per week.

The free childcare support usually covers 38 weeks of the year (term time), although some childcare providers may allow you to 'stretch' the hours over 52 weeks, using fewer hours per week.

You may be able to access further support. The Childcare Choices website contains a useful tool that will tell you what you could get based on your specific situation.

Eligibility

Please see www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for full details, but in summary the following groups are eligible for 15 hours free childcare per week from the government once their child turns 2 year old.

Working families

  • both you and your partner are working (or the sole parent is working in a sole parent family)
  • you, and your partner, expect to each earn a minimum of the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national minimum or living wage
  • you, or your partner, don't individually expect to earn £100,000 or more adjusted net income 
  • you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave
  • you, or both you and your partner, are on statutory sick
  • either you or your partner are employed and the other parent has either substantial caring responsibilities and / or disability

Families receiving additional government support

If you get any 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
  • the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
  • the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

Other eligible families

If your child:

  • gets Disability Living Allowance
  • have a current statement of special educational needs (SEN) or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC) 
  • is looked after by a local authority
  • has left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or an adoption order

For full eligibility please check the government's Childcare Choices website.

How to apply

Working families

If you are eligible for this support as you are a working family you will need to apply for a code from Childcare Choices.

Apply for 15 hours free childcare

You will give this code to your chosen childcare provider.

Your child would be eligible from the start of the term after their 2nd birthday, and you must apply for a code by the end of the month before a new term starts.

Once you have applied and you have received your code, you will need to re-confirm eligibility every three months to keep getting your 15 hours free childcare.

Re-confirm your eligibility

Other eligible families

Please complete the following form:

Apply for free early education for 2 year olds

When your child can start their free place

  • If your child's 2nd birthday falls between 1 January and 31 March, they will be entitled to a free place from the start of the summer term (after Easter)
  • If your child's 2nd birthday falls between 1 April and 31 August, they will be entitled to a free place from the start of the autumn term (early September)
  • If your child's 2nd birthday falls between 1 September and 31 December, they will be entitled to a free place from the start of the spring term (early January)

Where your child can get free early education