Who is eligible for two year old funding?

Economic criteria

If your child is in receipt of:
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
If you are in receipt of one of the following benefits:
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Universal Credit and household earnings are no more than £15,400 per year
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credits, with an annual household income of no more than £16,190
• Working Tax Credits, with an annual household income of no more than £16,190
• Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (paid for 4 weeks after a family stops qualifying for Working Tax Credits)
• Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act and you have a NASS number
Please note that you are not eligible if you claim working tax credits and child tax credits at the same time.

If you receive one of the benefits listed above your child may be eligible and you can apply for the funding, please go to Apply online.
See below for more information about how you can use your two year old funding hours.

APPLY ONLINE for Two Year Old Funding

Additional Criteria

Children are also entitled to a free place if:

• they are looked after
• they have a current Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
• they have left care under a Special Guardianship Order, Child Arrangements Order or Adoption Order
• they have arrived in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme or the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.

If your child meets one of the criteria above, please go to Apply via post.

Non-EEA citizens who cannot claim benefits criteria
Children are also entitled to a free place if:
• they are the child of a family with no recourse to public funds and
• their household income is under £26,500 for families with 1 child, or under £30,600 for families with 2 or more children within the household. 

If you meet the one of the criteria above, please go to Apply via post.
See below about how you can use your two year old funding hours.

APPLY via POST for Two Year Old Funding (Opens in New Window)

Privacy Information for Two Year Old Funding applications

What is my child entitled to?

Eligible children can receive up to 570 hours of free early education per year. This can be used in many different ways such as 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year, or less hours per week for more than 38 weeks of the year. Your childcare setting will have more information about what they can provide to you.
You can use your hours in the following ways:
• a maximum of two childcare settings in one day
• a maximum of 10 hours in one day
• a maximum of 15 hours over one week
• taken between 6am – 8pm any day of the week
You do not have to take up the full 15 hours. It is important to check when your chosen setting offers free hours to make sure you can take them at a time which suits you.

Where can my child take up the free places?

The childcare settings must be registered with Worcestershire County Council to offer free places and include:
• pre-schools
• day nurseries
• school nurseries
• independent (private) schools
• funded childminders
• wrap around care
If your child attends two registered settings, you must complete a Parent Declaration Form for both settings, which must contain accurate information about the number of hours your child attends at each.

Frequently Asked Questions about 2 year old funding

Search for settings that offer Two Year Old Funding places

New Action 1

Enter text

Search for childcare