If you live and work in England you may be entitled to 30 hours funded childcare support from the term after your child turns nine months old, until they start school. Over the next three months you and your partner (if you have one) must each expect to earn at least the equivalent to the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week.
You can usually get funded childcare for working parents if you (and your partner, if you have one) are:
- in work or starting a new job
- on sick leave or annual leave
- on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave.
If you’re not currently working
You may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you are on carer’s leave or if you get any of the following:
- Incapacity Benefit
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Limited Capability for Work Benefit
- contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance.
Your immigration status
To be eligible for funded childcare for working parents, you (and your partner if you have one and if they live with you) must have a National Insurance number.
The person who applies must also have at least one of the following:
- British or Irish citizenship
- settled or pre-settled status, or you have applied and you’re waiting for a decision
- permission to access public funds – your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this.
How to apply
Apply online the term before you want the funding to start.
Your entitlement
If you are eligible, HMRC will issue you with a code which you must give to your childcare provider. Children will be eligible to claim from the term after they turn nine months old or the term following the date the eligibility code was issued (whichever is later).
The eligibility code must have a validity start date on or before the following dates:
- Autumn Term - on or before 31 August
- Spring Term - on or before 31 December
- Summer Term - on or before 31 March.
You must reconfirm your code every three months by logging into your childcare account.
Funding is paid directly to the childcare provider.
For further information about eligibility please contact HMRC’s Customer Interaction Centre on 0300 123 4097.
Complete a childcare search of Ofsted registered providers in Warwickshire
If you are not eligible for the working parent offer you will still receive the 15 hour entitlement for all three and four-year-olds from the term after your child turns three until they start school, irrespective of your income level, benefit status, or family circumstances.
If you or your child receives some additional forms of support, you may be eligible for 15 hours early learning for two-year-olds