2 year grant
Some children may be entitled to 15 hours free childcare through the 2 year grant. See below for the eligibility criteria:
The qualifying benefits are:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit – if you and your partner are on a low income from work (this usually means a combined income of less than £15,400 a year after tax)
- tax credits and you have an annual income of under £16,190 before tax
- the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act
- the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Even if you are not receiving a qualifying benefit your 2-year-old can still get free childcare if any of the following apply:
- they’re looked after by a local council
- they have a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- they get Disability Living Allowance
- they’ve left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order
You can go to www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for more information, or call in for an application form which we can assist with.
All funding starts the term after your child is 2. For example if your child turned 2 in November, their funding would start in January.
3 year grant
All 3 year old children are entitled to 15 hours free childcare per week. This starts the term after they are 3. For example if your child turns 3 in February, the grant will start after Easter.
You can go to www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for more information, or call in and we can assist you.
