What is 2 year old Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE)?

Please contact the Family Information Service on 0113 378 9700, who will be able to confirm whether the chid is eligibile for the 2 year old funding.

Your 2-year-old can get free childcare if you live in England and get any of the following benefits:

  • 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
  • the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (or both), and your household income is £16,190 a year or less before tax
  • the Working Tax Credit 4-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

 

2-year-olds can also get free childcare if they:

  • are looked after by a local authority
  • have an education, health and care (EHC) plan
  • get Disability Living Allowance
  • have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

Combined Frequently Asked Questions
for Parents


Applying for the working parent childcare
entitlements


Applications are now open for eligible working parents of 2-year-olds to receive 15
hours free childcare, starting from April 2024.
It’s the first step in our promise to expand the 30 hours free childcare scheme for
eligible working parents from the term after their child turns nine months until they
start school.
From April 2024, eligible working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15
hours childcare support.
From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible
working parents with a child from 9-months-old.
From September 2025, this will be extended to 30 hours for eligible working parents
with a child from 9-months-old up to school age.
We’re making the biggest investment by a UK government into childcare in history,
doubling the amount we expect to spend over the next few years from around £4
billion to around £8 billion each year.
1. How do I apply?
You need to meet our eligibility criteria before you can claim 15 hours free childcare.
You apply online here on Gov.uk.
You’ll need to make sure you have the following information to hand before starting
the application:
• your national insurance number (or unique taxpayer reference if you are selfemployed).
• the date you started or are due to start work.
• details of any government support or benefits you receive.
• the UK birth certificate reference number (if you have one) for your child.
Issued: 08.02.2024
2
You may find out if you’re eligible straight away, but it can take up to 7 days.
Once your application has been approved, you’ll get a code for free childcare to give
to your childcare provider.
Applications are open from now until 31 March. If you miss the deadline you won’t be
able to start using the new entitlements from 1 April. We encourage all parents to
apply as soon as possible once they have receive their code.
Eligible parents are also able to access Tax-Free Childcare through the same
application system. However, you don't need to apply for Tax-Free Childcare to be
eligible to apply for the 15 hours of free childcare.
2. What happens once I receive my code?
You’ll need to take the code to your childcare provider, along with your National
Insurance Number and your child’s date of birth.
Your childcare provider will check the code and then allocate your child a place if
available.
We recommend parents speak with their chosen provider about when they will be
able to offer them a place.
We know that some providers are able to amend invoices if they have issued them
before a parent has received their code, so we recommend you speak to your
provider if you are in this situation.
If your chosen provider doesn’t have a place available, we advise that you explore
other providers in your local area.
Your local authority can provide support for finding a free place in your area.