If you are eligible for 15 hours for working parents and receive a code from HMRC, please get this code checked with a childcare provider as soon as possible. This is to ensure your code is valid and you can take up your funded place. You will also need to renew your code every 3 months through HMRC.
If you have a 2 year old, you may be eligible to receive up to 15 hours of childcare a week.
This is available to:
- working parents and will extend to 30 hours from September 2025
- parents receiving some form of government support
How childcare funding can help you and your child
Funded childcare will enable your child to develop their early learning and childhood experiences and prepare them for school.
It also enables you to get back into work, education, or training or focus on other priorities.
When your child can start
If eligible, your child can start their funded place from the term after their second birthday. See table below for further clarification.
Turns 2 years on or in between |
Eligible for funding from |
|---|---|
1 January to 31 March |
1 April |
1 April to 31 August |
1 September |
1 September to 31 December |
1 January |
When the 2 year old funding comes to an end in the term after your child's third birthday, they will move automatically to 15 hours under the 3 & 4 year old funding which has no eligibility criteria. Working parents will get an additional 15 hours, totalling 30 hours if they are eligible for it.
See 3 and 4 year old childcare funding.
The funding hours explained
Parents eligible for 15 hours a week can get this over 38 weeks in the year, up to a maximum of 570 hours a year. It is common for a place to be delivered over 3 days a week where each session lasts for 5 hours. Alternatively, over 5 days a week where each session lasts for 3 hours.
The funding is flexible, and some providers may offer the 'stretched entitlement'. This means a child can attend for less hours a week but across more weeks during the year, including some holidays.
The childcare provider you register your child with will discuss with you how you can access your funded hours.
What is not covered
Meals, consumables (such as nappies and cream), activities, trips, additional hours are not covered under the scheme, and your provider may charge for these.
Before your child starts their funded place, you will need to sign a contract with your childcare provider. Here any charges should be made clear and agreed upon before you take up your funded place.
Where you can access a place for your child
This depends on whether you are a Hammersmith and Fulham (H&F) resident or not, and whether you are trying to access a place within or outside the borough.
H&F residents
If you are a H&F resident, you can access a place with an Ofsted registered nursery, preschool or childminder in the borough who has signed up with us to be part of the scheme.
However, if you would like to access a place in another borough, you will need to speak with them to see if this is possible and if so, the process you will need to follow. Some council's and providers may prioritise places for families living in their own boroughs.
Non-H&F residents
If you are not a H&F resident but would like to access a place in our borough, first speak with the childcare provider you are interested in to see if this is possible.
We will need to check your eligibility even if this has already been checked and confirmed by your own council. This is because H&F will pay for the place and so we need to carry out our own checks.
Working parents
Applications for working parents are managed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). If your child secures a place in H&F, the H&F early years team will liaise with your childcare provider to fund that place.
Eligibility criteria for working parents
To be eligible for 15 hours for working parents, you and any partner you live with
- must each expect to work at least 16 hours a week at the National Minimum Wage
- cannot earn more than £100,000 each a year
If you, or any 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.
See Check you're eligible for free childcare if you're working on GOV.UK
Make an application as a working parent
You will need to apply through HMRC to obtain an eligibility code which you must then give to the registered H&F childcare provider you would like to use. Please ask your childcare provider to check the code is valid when they receive it. They should not wait to check it when your child starts as you may lose your place.
To apply you will need your national insurance number (or unique taxpayer reference if you are self-employed), the date you started or are due to start work, details of any government support or benefits you receive and the UK birth certificate reference number (if you have one) for your child.
Apply for 2 year old funding on GOV.UK if you are working
Please note if you are:
- a foster carer, there is a separate application process to obtain a code. Speak to your social worker to find out more
- applying for a place for September 2024 and will be starting a new job before the end of September call HMRC on 0300 123 4097 to receive a code.
HMRC set application deadlines for each term. It is advised you apply no later than 6 weeks before the start of a new term, to allow for any issues with codes coming through.
Parents receiving some form of government support
Applications for parents receiving some form of government support is managed by the H&F early years team. Applications should only be made to us by H&F residents or those who would like a place in H&F
Eligibility criteria for parents who receive some form of government support
If you receive any of the following benefits you may be eligible:
- 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
- tax credits, and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
- the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Alternatively, if any of the following applies to your child:
- is looked after by a local authority
- has a statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan
- receives Disability Living Allowance
- has left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order.
If your immigration status says you have 'no recourse to public funds', you may still get 15 hours for your 2 year old. You must live in England and your household income must be no more than:
- £34,500 for families within London with one child
- £38,600 for families within London with two or more children
You cannot have more than £16,000 in savings or investments.
Make an application as a parent who receives some form of government support
Parents receiving some form of government support will need to make an application through the H&F parent portal. Please note you will not be able to apply until your child reaches 21 months of age.
Apply for 2 year old funding through H&F if you receive government support
Please note, each term H&F set a 'headcount date' and your child will need to be registered and attending by that date, otherwise they may have to wait until the following term to start their place. The childcare provider can advise you of the headcount date for the current or upcoming term.
Parents who are eligible for both 2 year old funding schemes
Some parents may find they are eligible for the 2 year old funding for working parents and for those receiving some form of government support. This does not entitle you to an additional 15 hours. Your entitlement will remain at 15 hours.
Please give the 15 hours code for those receiving some form of government support to your childcare provider to claim the funding. By using this code, your eligibility will remain for the full duration of the 2 year old funding.
However, we advise you keep re-confirming your working parent code every 3 months when prompted. This will prevent you from re-applying in full when your child turns 3 years old, to access 30 hours for working parents.
Please note:
You will need to keep reconfirming your code if you are using Tax-Free Childcare.
If you are no longer eligible for the working parent entitlement in the term after your child turns 3 years old, but you were eligible and had a valid code in the term before, your grace period will be honoured. This means your child can access a 30 hour place for a short period. However, this is only if you re-confirm your code before your grace period expires and your child remains with the same provider.
Before your child starts their funded place
Ensure your code is valid
Before your child starts their funded place you will need to ensure your childcare provider has checked that your code is valid so you can access the funded place.
You will also need to ensure you renew your code every 3 months on GOV.UK.
Sign the Parental Declaration Form
You will need to sign a Parental Declaration Form with your childcare provider. This is so your childcare provider can access the funding from the council.
You will also need to agree to conditions of the place.
This includes that the information you have given is correct and you understand that:
- the place is based on regular attendance
- you will inform your childcare provider of any planned holidays and absences.
Your childcare provider will share this information with the council, and the council will also check whether your childcare provider can get an Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) payment to support your child. This is based on your personal circumstances.
See Get extra funding for your early years provider on GOV.UK
The amount of EYPP is £378 for the financial year 2024/25.
Check your child's start date and whether your child can access the funded place for the whole term
Each term the council sets a 'headcount date' and your child will need to be registered and attending by that date to access funding for the whole term. Your childcare provider can advise you of the headcount date for the current or upcoming term.
If your child starts after the headcount date you may still be able to access your funded place, but it may only be for part of the term.
Additional schemes for working parents
In addition to claiming 15 hours funding, you may be able to access further schemes, to help pay for additional hours or services from your childcare provider.
- Tax-Free Childcare on GOV.UK
- Universal Credit childcare costs on GOV.UK (if you claim Universal Credit)
Students
If you are a student, you may be able to receive support with your childcare costs from the government, your school, sixth form, college, university or training provider.
See Help with childcare costs while you study
Help identifying what you can get and when
To find out what childcare schemes you can access now, and in the future, you can use the eligibility checker on the Childcare Choices website. You will also be able sign up to receive updates on how and when to apply for support with your childcare costs.
Your childcare options
To find childcare that meets your needs, including information on childcare and funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) see our guide to Childcare options for under 5's.
Contact details
For working parents
If you have a question about applying for 15 hours if you are working, or to discuss your eligibility or your HMRC code, contact the Childcare service helpline on GOV.UK
For parents receiving some form of government support
If you receive some form of government support and have a question about a new or current application you have made or would like to make through H&F, email our early years funding officers.
To contact our early years funding officer email renee.daley@lbhf.gov.uk or our early years team email eyfservice@lbhf.gov.uk