Free education and childcare for 2 year olds if you get extra support

Your 2 year old can get 15 hours of free childcare a week if you live in England and you or your child get some extra support.

You’ll get these 15 hours for 38 weeks of the year. You may be able to get free childcare for more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks.

The childcare must be provided by a registered provider, such as a registered nursery, playscheme or school. This is known as ‘approved childcare’.

There are:

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Who is eligible

You’ll be eligible if you get any of the following extra support:

  • you get Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax (not including benefit payments)
  • you get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • you get the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • your child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan, also known as EHCP
  • your child gets Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • your child has left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

If you’re a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits

If your immigration status says you cannot claim benefits you may still get free childcare for your 2 year old.

Your household income after tax must be no more than:

  • £26,500 for families outside of London with one child
  • £34,500 for families within London with one child
  • £30,600 for families outside of London with two or more children
  • £38,600 for families within London with two or more children  

You cannot have more than £16,000 in savings or investments.

If you’re working

If you get extra support and you work, you may qualify for an extra 15 hours of free childcare. Find out more about childcare if you’re working.

If you qualify for both schemes, you should apply for this one first.

Things you may have to pay for

Your childcare provider might ask you to pay for things like:

  • food
  • nappies
  • extra hours
  • activities or trips

These must be optional extras. If you do not want to pay for them, your provider should agree on an alternative with you.

You can still get the free childcare if you do not pay for any optional extras.

When to apply

You can apply close to the date of your child’s 2nd birthday.

When you can get your hours from will depend on when in the year your child turns 2 years old.

When your child turns 2 years old When you can apply from When you can get your hours from
Between 1 September and 31 December 1 September 1 January the following year
Between 1 January and 31 March 1 January 1 April the same year
Between 1 April and 31 August 1 April 1 September the same year

How to apply

To apply, you need to contact the early years team or Family Information Service at your local council.

Other help you may be able to get

If you are not eligible for this support, you may be able to get:

Part of Get childcare: step by step

  1. Step 1 Find out if you can get help with childcare costs

    1. Check what help you could get with childcare costs

    You can only get help with 'approved childcare'.

    1. Find out what 'approved childcare' is

  2. and Find where you can get childcare

    1. Find a nursery school place
    2. Find a registered childminder
    3. Search for free early education and childcare

  3. Step 2 Get help paying for childcare

    You can get help with childcare costs for children under 18. You might be able to apply for:

    You could also get free childcare when your child is aged 9 months to 4 years. You might be able to apply for:

    You can only get childcare vouchers if you have already joined a scheme.

    1. Check the rules for childcare vouchers

  4. Step 3 Check what to do if your circumstances change

    1. If you're getting Universal Credit, tell government straight away if your circumstances change

    If you're getting free childcare if you're working or Tax-Free Childcare you have to confirm if your details are up to date every 3 months.

    1. Sign into your childcare account to find out when you next have to check your details

    Your eligibility for support with childcare costs might also change.

    1. Check if your eligibility for help with childcare costs has changed

  5. Step 4 Check what to do when your child reaches school age

    1. Apply for a primary school place
    2. Find before and after school and holiday clubs

    You might be able to use Tax-Free Childcare to pay for childcare like wraparound care, after school clubs or other activities.