What is FEEE?

To learn all about the Free Funded Childcare you need to visit the Childcare Choices website - From September 2025 this has now changed to the Best Start in Life hub - Please see the link below.

https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/

Working parents

If you live and work in England you may be entitled to 30 hours funded childcare support from the term after your child turns 9 months old, until they start school. 

You can usually get funded childcare for working parents if you (and your partner, if you have one) are:

• in work or starting a new job
• on sick leave or annual leave
• on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave

The amount of funded childcare you can get depends on:

• your child’s age and circumstances
• your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)
• your immigration status

If you are not eligible for the working parent offer you will still receive the 15 hour entitlement for all 3 and 4 year olds from the term after your child turns 3 until they start school, irrespective of your income level, benefit status, or family circumstances.

If you or your child receive some additional forms of support, you may be eligible for 15 hours early learning for 2 year olds under a separate scheme and you should speak to your local council and/or provider in the first instance. If you are eligible, you should still apply for the working parent entitlement, but you will receive 15 hours from each scheme (up to a maximum of 30 hours in total).

Your earnings

Over the next 3 months you and your partner (if you have one) must each expect to earn at least:

• £2,539 before tax if you’re aged 21 or over (equivalent to £195 per week)
• £2,080 before tax if you’re aged 18 to 20 (equivalent to £160 per week)
• £1,570 before tax if you’re under 18 or an apprentice (equivalent to £120 per week)

This is equivalent to the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average.

This table may help you identify if you meet the required income threshold:  

You can earn up to £100,000 adjusted net income per year and be eligible. If you or your partner have an expected adjusted net income over £100,000 in the current tax year, you will not be eligible. 

You can use an average of how much you expect to earn over the current tax year if:

• you work throughout the year but do not get paid regularly
• you’re self-employed and do not expect to earn enough in the next 3 months

If you have a partner who lives with you, they must also earn between these two amounts.  

If you’re self-employed and started your business less than 12 months ago, you can earn less and still be eligible for funded childcare for working parents.

If you have more than one job, you can use your total earnings to work out if you meet the threshold. This includes:

• earnings from any employment
• earnings from any self-employment

If you’re both employed and self-employed, you can use just your self-employment income if this would make you eligible. For example, if you expect your average self-employed earnings over the tax year to be more than you’ll get over the next 3 months as an employee.

Certain types of income will not count towards the minimum amount you must earn to be eligible. These include:

• dividends
• interest
• income from investing in property
• pension payments

How it works with maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave

If you are on some form of parental leave and applying for an older child, who is not the subject of the parental leave, you can apply online at GOV.UK.

If you are applying for the child that is the subject of the parental leave, the date that you return to work from parental leave will affect when you can take up the childcare. The below dates apply: 

Parents in this situation will need to apply online. Your application may show as ‘pending’ but you will then receive a letter in the post within 1 to 2 weeks, enabling you to access your entitlement. 

If one parent is starting or returning to work, while the other parent remains on parental leave until a later date, you will only be eligible to apply once both parents have either returned to work or have a start or return to work date within one month of the start of term (that is, 30 September, 31 January or 30 April).

If you are on paid annual leave and receiving your salary as normal, this counts as having returned to work for the purposes of eligibility for the working parent entitlement.

Starting a new job

Parents who are planning to start new work can apply. The following dates apply: 

To apply, you will need to start your application on GOV.UK as normal. If it is more than 31 days before the date on which you are starting work, you will then need to call HMRC’s childcare service helpline to be guided through the rest of the process to receive your code. 

If you are starting work more than one month after the start of term, you will be able to apply to start using the entitlements from the start of the following term.

Your immigration status

To be eligible for funded childcare for working parents, you (and your partner if you have one and if they live with you) must have a National Insurance number. 

The person who applies must also have at least one of the following:

• British or Irish citizenship
• settled or pre-settled status, or you have applied and you’re waiting for a decision
• permission to access public funds - your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this

If you’re not currently working

You may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you are on carer’s leave or if you get any of the following: 

• Incapacity Benefit
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Limited Capability for Work Benefit
• contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance

Still not sure if you're eligible? 

If you visit the link below you can use the eligibility checker to find out.

https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/eligibility-checker

What do i do if i am not eligible?

Your 2-year-old can get funded early learning 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

Your benefits will not be affected if you take up the 15 hours early learning offer.

2-year-olds can also get funded 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 

No income thresholds apply.

If your child is in receipt of 15 hours of early learning for families receiving some additional forms of support, you may also be eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP). EYPP is paid to childcare providers and gives them additional funding to support learning and development for children. You can see if you’re eligible for EYPP on GOV.UK and speak with your provider or local council to apply.

If you and your partner (if you have one) are working, you may also be eligible for an additional 15 hours under the working parent entitlement.  If you’re a working parent and you’re not eligible for 15 hours early learning for families receiving additional forms of support, you may still be eligible for 30 hours under the working parent entitlement.  

Government funding is intended to pay for 15 or 30 hours a week of high quality, flexible childcare. The 15 or 30 hours must be able to be accessed free of charge to parents.

Government funding does not cover

• meals
• nappies
• additional hours
• additional activities, such as trips

So you might be asked to pay for these things. However, these charges must not be mandatory, or a condition of accessing a funded place and you can speak to your provider about what alternative options they may have.

If you’re not eligible for 15 hours early learning for families receiving additional forms of support, you may be able to get childcare if you’re working under a separate scheme.

If you meet both sets of eligibility criteria, you must apply through the 15 hours early learning for families receiving some additional forms of support scheme.

Non-UK citizens

If you’re a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits and your immigration status says you have ‘no recourse to public funds’, you may still get free childcare for your 2-year-old. You must live in England and 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.

Still not sure if you're eligible?

Eligibility checker tool can support you.

https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/eligibility-checker

You can apply for the 2 year old funding by visiting the Leicestershire County Council Website

https://leicestershire.cloud.servelec-synergy.com/synergy/Two_Year_Old_Funding.aspx

You create an account and can apply. 

If you are unsure we can do this as an assisted application at the Nursery  - we must however ensure that your code is Valid before attending for sessions.

 If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please call the leicestershire County Council 2 Year Old Funding Helpline on 0116 305 6208.