There are different types of early years funding: 15 hours universal funding that all 3&4 year olds receive, 15 universal hours for 2 year olds meeting the below criteria and 15/30 hours extended/expanded funding for working families of 9 month - 4 year olds. You may be eligible for funding for your child depending on your families circumstances.

Children aged 2 will receive 15 hours of funding from the term after they turn 2 if you live in England and receive 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 if £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)

Children can also receive this funding if they

• are looked after by the 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.

You may receive a golden ticket or will need to complete the online checker below:

Funded early education for 2-year-olds - Suffolk County Council

Working Families Early Years Funding

Children aged 9 months-3 years may receive 15 hours of funding from the term after they turn 9 months. Children aged 3 and 4 may receive an additional 15 hours of funding. From September 2025 this will increase to 30 hours.

Eligibility Criteria:

• You live in England
• Both parents must be working, or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family
• Each parent (or lone parent) earns on average £167 per week, this is equal to 16 hours at National Minimum or Living Wage).
• Each parent (or lone parent) must have an annual income of less than £100,000

You will need to apply for this funding yourselves at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk 

When to apply for 15 hours free childcare

You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old.

When your child is 9 months old	When you can get your hours from	When to apply
1 September to 31 December	Term starting on or after 1 January	The term before 1 January
1 January to 31 March	Term starting on or after 1 April	The term before 1 April
1 April to 31 August	Term starting on or after 1 September	The term before 1 September

When to apply for 30 hours free childcare

You can apply from when your child is 2 years and 36 weeks.

Your child’s 3rd birthday	When you can get your hours from	When to apply
1 September to 31 December	Term starting on or after 1 January	The term before 1 January
1 January to 31 March	Term starting on or after 1 April	The term before 1 April
1 April to 31 August	Term starting on or after 1 September	The term before 1 September

You must apply for a code by the end of the month before a new term starts. For example, if the term starts on 1 September you must apply by 31 August. Providers may ask for a code before this deadline.

It is your responsibility to ensure you apply for your code before the deadlines and to ensure you renew your code every 3 months. 

If you have any questions about funding, please speak to Diane/Natasha