Eligibility
Working parents
If you live and work in England you may be entitled to 30 hours funded childcare support from the term after your child turns 9 months old, until they start school.
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
The amount of funded childcare you can get depends on:
- your child’s age and circumstances
- your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)
- your immigration status
If you are not eligible for the working parent offer you will still receive the 15 hour entitlement for all 3 and 4 year olds from the term after your child turns 3 until they start school, irrespective of your income level, benefit status, or family circumstances.
If you or your child receive some additional forms of support, you may be eligible for 15 hours early learning for 2 year olds under a separate scheme and you should speak to your local council and/or provider in the first instance. If you are eligible, you should still apply for the working parent entitlement, but you will receive 15 hours from each scheme (up to a maximum of 30 hours in total).
Your earnings
Over the next 3 months you and your partner (if you have one) must each expect to earn at least:
- £2,539.68 before tax if you’re aged 21 or over (equivalent to £195.36 per week)
- £2,080 before tax if you’re aged 18 to 20 (equivalent to £160 per week)
- £1,570.40 before tax if you’re under 18 or an apprentice (equivalent to £120.80 per week)
This is equivalent to the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average.
This table may help you identify if you meet the required income threshold:
| Your age | Yearly | 3 months | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 and over | £10,158 | £2,539.68 | £195.36 |
| 18 to 20 | £8,320 | £2,080 | £160 |
| Under 18 or an apprentice | £6,281 | £1,570.40 | £120.80 |
You can earn up to £100,000 adjusted net income per year and be eligible. If you or your partner have an expected adjusted net income over £100,000 in the current tax year, you will not be eligible.
You can use an average of how much you expect to earn over the current tax year if:
- you work throughout the year but do not get paid regularly
- you’re self-employed and do not expect to earn enough in the next 3 months
If you have a partner who lives with you, they must also earn between these two amounts.
If you’re self-employed and started your business less than 12 months ago, you can earn less and still be eligible for funded childcare for working parents.
If you have more than one job, you can use your total earnings to work out if you meet the threshold. This includes:
- earnings from any employment
- earnings from any self-employment
If you’re both employed and self-employed, you can use just your self-employment income if this would make you eligible. For example, if you expect your average self-employed earnings over the tax year to be more than you’ll get over the next 3 months as an employee.
Certain types of income will not count towards the minimum amount you must earn to be eligible. These include:
- dividends
- interest
- income from investing in property
- pension payments
How it works with maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave
If you are on some form of parental leave and applying for an older child, who is not the subject of the parental leave, you can apply online at GOV.UK.
If you are applying for the child that is the subject of the parental leave, you can also apply online but the date that you return to work from parental leave will affect when you can take up the childcare. The below dates apply:
| Date of returning to work | When you can apply from | When you can access your entitlements from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October to 31 January | 1 September to 31 December | 1 January |
| 1 February to 30 April | 1 January to 31 March | 1 April |
| 1 May to 30 September | 1 April to 31 August | 1 September |
If one parent is starting or returning to work, while the other parent remains on parental leave until a later date, you will only be eligible to apply once both parents have either returned to work or have a start or return to work date within one month of the start of term (that is, 30 September, 31 January or 30 April).
If you are on paid annual leave and receiving your salary as normal, this counts as having returned to work for the purposes of eligibility for the working parent entitlement.
Starting a new job
Parents who are planning to start new work can also apply online. The following dates apply:
| Date of starting work | When you can apply from | When you can access your entitlements from |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October to 31 January | 1 September to 31 December | 1 January |
| 1 February to 30 April | 1 January to 31 March | 1 April |
| 1 May to 30 September | 1 April to 31 August | 1 September |
If you are starting work more than one month after the start of term, you will be able to apply to start using the entitlements from the start of the following term.
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
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