Funded childcare places

Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) Funding

There are two ways that eligible parents and carers can access 2-year FEEE funding. Please see the funding streams below to determine which one will apply to you:

1. Working Parent Entitlement

From April 2024, the government will be expanding the current ‘Working Parent Entitlement’ childcare offer in three phases:

1. From April 2024 - working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 FEEE hours (570 hours per year).
2. From September 2024 - working parents of children aged 9 months old will be able to access 15 FEEE hours (570 hours per year).
3. From September 2025 - working parents of children aged 9 months old will be able to access 30 FEEE hours (1,140 hours per year).

Parents and carers are entitled to use their 570 or 1,140 hours over 38 weeks of the year (term time) or some providers will allow you to ‘stretch’ the hours over more weeks, using fewer hours claimed per week.

What is the eligibility criteria?

You, and any partner, must expect to earn (on average) at least £183 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage).

If you, or your partner, are on maternity, paternity, or adoption leave, or you’re unable to work because you are disabled or have caring responsibilities, you could still be eligible.

You can’t get either 15 or 30 hours childcare if you, or your partner, each individually expect to earn £100,000 adjusted net income or more.

How can parents check if they are eligible?

You can check your eligibility and get further information on the scheme online.

If you have any questions or are having difficulties in applying, please call the HMRC on 0300 123 4097.

2. Families receiving some additional forms of government support

What is the eligibility criteria?

Your 2-year-old can get free childcare if you live in England and are in receipt 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)

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
• get Disability Living Allowance
• have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangement order

If you are a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits

If your immigration status says you have ‘no recourse to public funds’, you may still get free childcare for your 2-year-old. You must live in England and your household income after tax 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.