3 and 4-year-olds: 30 hours free early education for eligible working families (extended entitlement)

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All three- and four-year-old children in the UK receive 15 hours of free childcare per week. Some children may also be entitled to an additional 15 hours of free childcare, otherwise known as the '30 Hours Childcare' or 'Extended Entitlement'. This entitlement would overall amount to 1,140 hours of funded childcare. 

 

Am I eligible?

These additional 15 hours is exclusively for working families that meet the eligibility criteria.

You, and any partner, must each expect to earn (on average) at least £152 per week (equal to 16 hours at the National Minimum or Living Wage).  

If you, or your 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. 

You can't get 30 hours free childcare if either you, or your partner, each individually expect to earn £100,000 or more. 

Check if you are eligible:30 hours free childcare | Childcare choices 

How can I apply?

You must apply directly to Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) (not the Local Authority or the Childcare Provider) on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/apply-30-hours-free-childcare

In order to apply you will need the following information to hand for you and (if relevant) your partner: 

  • your National Insurance Number (N.I.N)
  • if you're self-employed, your Unique Taxpayer Reference 
  • the date you started, or are due to start work 
  • details of any other government support you get 

Note:  If you are also applying for Tax-Free Childcare, you will only apply to HMRC once for both schemes. 

When can my child start using these hours and when do I need to apply?

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

Your child turns 3 between 1 September to 31 December: 

When they can get 30 hours from

Recommended time to apply

Deadline for applications 

1 January

15 October to 30 November

31 December 

 Your child turns 3 between 1 January to 31 March: 

When they can get 30 hours from

Recommended time to apply

Deadline for applications  

1 April

15 January to 28 February

31 March 

Your child turns 3 between 1 April to 31 August: 

When they can get 30 hours from

Recommended time to apply

Deadline for applications

1 September

15 June to 31 July

31 August

Note:       

  • You can apply outside of these recommended dates but you might not receive your code in time.

  • You must have a valid code by the end of the month before a new term starts.

  • You have to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months. If you apply more than 3 months before the term starts, you’ll have to reconfirm your eligibility in your account in order to keep your code valid.

How would I know if my application is successful?

If eligible, HMRC will set up a secure account for parents and the parent will receive an eligibility code to their secure account. 

Multiple birth siblings will each have their own code.

Note: Please note that if you are eligible, you will have to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months to keep your extended entitlement active.

How do I use the code?

Parents will take their code to an approved childcare provider (nursery or childminder) of their choice to show they are eligible for the additional 15 hours’ free childcare.  Your early years provider will also need to see a copy of your child’s birth certificate (if not already [provided) and will ask you to sign a declaration form 

Your childcare provider will then validate your code and allocate your place. 

Can my child claim these hours at any childcare provider?

The 30 hours free childcare or extended entitlement can used at settings that are registered to accept these hours, such as: 

  • nursery classes in primary schools 
  • private nursery schools 
  • private or voluntary pre-schools or playgroups 
  • private or voluntary day nurseries 
  • nursery units of independent schools 
  • childminders 

Not all childcare providers are registered to accept the 30 hours.

Click on the Westminster list of childcare providers offering 30 hours free childcare.

What happens if my circumstances change and I loose eligibility?

There is a “grace period” – this means your child will be able to keep their place for a short period. 

Once the “grace period” has lapsed, your child will be entitled to the universal 15 hour entitlement. 

What do I do if there is a problem with my account?

Contact the 'Childcare Choices Service(which should also be used if you have any queries): 
 
Tel: 0300 123 4097  

Further information

Does my child have to take up the full 30 hours? 

It is the parents’ choice whether you wish to take up the full extended entitlement and this should be discussed with your chosen provider.  You may be attending a provider who provides all year round care and therefore the entitlement will be stretched over the full number of weeks that the provider operates. 


Can I share my 30 hours across more than one childcare provider? 

You can use the additional 15 hours a week for your child to attend a breakfast club, after school club or with a childminder. 


How flexibly can I use my 30 hours childcare and can I use it across more than one provider?

Your child is entitled to access up to 30 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year, which is equivalent of a total of 1140 hours per year.  This entitlement can be stretched over the full number of weeks a provider is open.  You may be able to choose a different pattern of attendance depending on which school / childcare provider you choose to use. 


There are some conditions related to flexibility: 

  • no session is to be longer than 10 hours 
  • no minimum session length (subject to the requirements of registration on the Ofsted Early Years Register) 
  • not before 6:00am or after 8:00pm 

Your first choice of school/childcare provider might not be able to offer the full 30 hours.  In that case you can nominate up to three childcare providers for the delivery of their entitlement, but the government has set a maximum of two sites that can be used in a single day to deliver the childcare. 

You are also able to use the 15 hours’ extra hours before and after school and during school holidays, again depending on which school / childcare provider may offer this and you choose to use (including childminders). 


Do all schools and childcare providers have to deliver the 30 hours free childcare?

It is not the law nor compulsory for schools or childcare providers to offer the additional 15 hours over and above the current 15 hours’ entitlement for all 3 and 4 year olds.  It is the school / childcare providers’ individual choice whether they provide places for the additional 15 hours, not the choice of the Royal Borough. 

The local authority has a duty to ensure your child can access a place but such places cannot be guaranteed at a particular provider. 

There may be good reasons why the School/ Provider does not offer the additional 15 hours: 

  • They may not have any spare nursery places for 3 & 4 year olds or the capacity to create new places or operate for longer hours. 
  • Some schools / childcare providers that already offer a flexible choice for parents may review what they currently provide and feel the impact of changing what they offer to include the additional 15 hours free childcare would be detrimental to their current service. 
  • There may be a cost / sustainability factor for them to take into consideration. 

 

Related Links

  1. Childcare Choices
  2. Childcare Calculator

Related Advice

  1. Tax-Free Childcare – information for parents and carers
  2. Government schemes to help with childcare costs
  3. 3 and 4-year-olds: 15 hours free early education and childcare for every child
  4. 2 year olds: 15 hours free childcare for working families

Related Pages

  1. Early years and childcare
  2. Financial support and advice

Page last reviewed: 14/03/2024

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