Early education and childcare for 3 and 4 year olds

Early education and childcare for 3 and 4 year olds
30 hours additional childcare

30 hours additional childcare

You can claim up to 15 additional hours if you meet the eligibility criteria, on top of the 15 hours of Universal Entitlement.

Funding

Funding can be taken over 38 weeks (term time), 47.5 weeks, 51 weeks or 52 weeks.

Your childcare provider can explain how they would claim the funding – whether it is used over term time or if they 'stretch it' over a longer period of time throughout the year.

This will change how many hours you can claim in the week - but a stretched offer may be more suitable. Please ask your childcare provider for further details.

When to apply

You need to have applied for and received an eligible code from HMRC before the start of the funding block in which your child will be eligible.

You will be given a start date for this code which will match the day you apply.

This date must be before the end of the previous funding block.

We are unable to fund codes that have been issued after the deadline. These codes will be eligible for the next full funding block.

Date of child's third birthday	Date you need to apply by	Date child becomes eligible for the 30-hour entitlement (if parents have had eligibility confirmed)
1 January to 31 March	31 March	Start of term beginning on or following 1 April
1 April to 31 August	31 August	Start of term beginning or following 1 September
1 September to 31 December	31 December	Start of term beginning or following 1 January

Please allow time for HMRC to process your code and for your provider to validate it. The 30-hour code application deadlines have been set by the Department for Education.

We recommend you apply at least 3 weeks before the deadline date, in case of any delays when receiving your code.

Your childcare provider may have set their own deadline for validating 30 hour codes prior to the beginning of each term. This is particularly the case for funded places beginning in September with providers who are closed for the Summer holidays.

Please talk to your childcare provider about when you should provide them with your 30-hour code, in order to ensure your child will receive the funding.