Free Early Learning for 2 year olds and Working Parent Entitlement

Free early learning and childcare for 2-year-olds

Some 2-year-olds are eligible for up to 15 hours of free early learning and childcare a week. Find out if you’re eligible and how to apply.

For families receiving some additional forms of government support. This scheme is for parents who meet any of the following criteria:

are getting certain benefits and if working, the household income is less than £15,400 per year
have children with disabilities
have no recourse to public funds
are the guardian or parent of children looked after

How to apply

Before applying, please read the eligibility criteria and application instructions on this page.

Register with the Citizen Portal on Islington Council website . You will need to have an email address to register. This is not the same as your Islington My eAccount or My Islington account.

Log in and click on ‘Free early education for 2-year-olds’ from the Citizen Portal homepage.

Add details of the child you are applying for and your own details, including your National Insurance number.
When making your application, you will asked to choose the type of application you want to make:

Choose economic application if you receive benefits, tax credits, or are on a low income.
Choose non-economic application if your child is looked after, adopted or has special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

If you think you fit both types of application, only complete and submit an economic application.

Eligibility

If you get benefits or are on low income

Your child can get free early learning and childcare from the age of two if you live in Islington and you get one of these benefits:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Universal Credit – if you can get Universal Credit, you must have £15,400 a year after tax or less, checked on up to three of your most recent Universal Credit assessment periods
tax credits and you have an annual income of under £16,190 before tax
the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit four-week run-on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit).

You will choose ‘economic application’ when you apply.

If you are a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits

If your immigration status says you have ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF), you may still get free childcare for your 2-year-old. You must live in England and your household income 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 think you may be eligible under the non-UK citizen criteria, please contact Islington FIS on 020 7527 5959.

For children with disabilities, an EHCP, looked-after or other guardianship

Your child can also get free early learning at the age of two, if they:

are looked after by a local council
have an Education, Health and Care Plan (ECHP) or assessment for an EHCP has been agreed/is underway
get Disability Living Allowance
have left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order.

You will choose ‘non-economic application’ when you apply.

If you do not meet any of these criteria, and your child has special educational needs and disabilities, you might be able to get other support. For more information, contact Islington FIS on 020 7527 5959.

When you can start getting free hours for your child

You can start getting free hours for your child from the beginning of the term after their second birthday.

If your child’s birthday is before:

1 September, they can start in the autumn term
1 January, they can start in the spring term
1 April, can start in the summer term.

When to apply

You can check whether your child is eligible one term before you are able to start receiving free hours. For example, if your child turns two between 1 April and 31 August you can check from 1 April.

More help for families

If your child is eligible, you can choose where you want them to go, depending on spaces at the nurseries and childminders offering free early learning for 2-year-olds.
If you’re applying for a child who is looked after by Islington, please contact your supervising social worker to discuss what is best for the child.
If your 2-year-old is eligible for free early learning, you can also get free support and training courses to help you learn new skills to get ready to work.
Islington also offers free guidance and training in using your computer and getting online.
For help and advice, contact Islington FIS on 020 7527 5959 or [email protected].

How King Square Community Nursery offers free early learning places for eligible 2-year-olds.

Your child can start from the beginning of the term after they turn two, if their birthday falls on or before 31 March, 31 August, or 31 December.

The free entitlement is available for 38 weeks per year (term-time only).

Available Session Options

Five half-day sessions per week
- 9:00am – 12:00pm or
- 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Two and a half days per week
- 9:00am – 3:00pm on two days
- Plus one half-day (9:00am–12:00pm or 1:00pm–4:00pm)

Parents may secure additional hours if required to suit their childcare needs.

To apply for Free 15 hours for 2 year olds please click here.

Free Childcare for Working Parents

You may be able to get 30 hours of free childcare a week through the Free Childcare for Working Parents scheme.

Your child must be aged 9 months to 4 years old and you must live in England

Who can get free childcare

To be eligible for Free Childcare for Working Parents, you (and your partner if you have one) will need to be in work or about to start a new job. You (and your partner) will also need to earn over a certain amount.

You’ll need a National Insurance number to apply.

You can use a calculator to check how much help you could get with childcare costs.

When to apply

You can apply for 30 hours of free childcare from when your child is 23 weeks old.

Check the deadlines for applying.

How to apply

To apply, you’ll need to set up a childcare account.

If your application is approved, you’ll get an 11-digit code that proves you’re eligible to get free childcare. You’ll need to give this code to your childcare provider.

To keep getting Free Childcare for Working Parents,

You must sign in to your childcare account every 3 months to confirm your details are up to date.

What you’ll get

If your child is aged 9 months to 4 years old

We offer the 30 hour working parent entitlement 38 weeks per year (term-time only).

If your child is 2 to 3 years old and you get extra support

You can get 30 hours of free childcare through 2 separate schemes if both of the following apply:

you’re eligible for Free Childcare for Working Parents
you or your child get extra support

You’ll get:

15 hours per week if you or your child get extra support (you’ll continue to get these hours even if you are no longer eligible for Free Childcare for Working Parents)
15 hours per week through Free Childcare for Working Parents

You’ll get these 30 hours for 38 weeks of the year (Term-time)

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

What counts as extra support

You’re classed as getting extra support if any of the following apply:

you get Universal Credit, and your household income is £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
your child has an Education and Health Care plan
your child gets Disability Living Allowance
your child has left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order

Check if you’re eligible

The amount of free childcare you can get through Free Childcare for Working Parents depends on:

your child’s age and circumstances
whether you’re working (employed, self-employed, or a director)
your income (and your partner’s income, if you have one)
your immigration status

You will not be eligible if either:

your child does not usually live with you
you or your partner have an expected adjusted net income of over £100,000 in the current tax year

Your child’s age and circumstances

If your child is aged 9 months to 4 years old you can get 30 hours per week of free childcare for 38 weeks of the year (Term-time).

If you’re working

You can usually get Free 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

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

Your income

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

£2,539.68 before tax if you’re aged 21 or over (equivalent to £195.36 per week)
£2,080 before tax if you’re aged 18 to 20 (equivalent to £160 per week)
£1,570.40 before tax if you’re under 18 or an apprentice (equivalent to £120.80 per week)

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

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

Example

You’re eligible if you’re 21 or over and do not have a regular income but earn £10,158 a year. This is the same as earning £2,539 every 3 months on average.

If you’re self-employed and started your business less than 12 months ago

You can earn less and still be eligible for Free 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.

Income that does not count toward your minimum earnings

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

Your immigration status

You (and your partner if you have one) 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 are not eligible for Free Childcare for Working Parents

You may be able to get other help towards childcare costs.

If your child is between 3 and 4 years old and you live in England, you can get 15 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year.

If you or your child get extra support, you may be eligible for free education and childcare for 2 year olds.

Your immigration status

You (and your partner if you have one) 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

When to apply

Find out when to apply for 30 hours of free childcare.

Check with your childcare provider to find out the exact date your free childcare starts.

When to apply for 30 hours of free childcare

You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old.

When your child turns 9 months old	When you can get your hours from	Deadline for applying
Between 1 September and 31 December	1 January	31 December
Between 1 January and 31 March	1 April	31 March
Between 1 April and 31 August	1 September	31 August

When to apply if you’re returning to work after maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave. The date you return to work will affect when you can apply for free childcare.

If you’re on paid annual leave and receiving your salary, this counts as having returned to work.

You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old.

Date of returning to work	When you can get your hours from	When to apply
Between 1 October to 31 January	1 January	1 September to 31 December
Between 1 February to 30 April	1 April	1 January to 31 March
Between 1 May to 30 September	1 September	1 April to 31 August

If you’re on shared parental leave for the child you’re applying for you can apply if both parents have either returned or will be returning to work within one month of the start of the autumn, spring or summer term.This means both parents must have returned or be returning to work by:

30 September (for autumn term)
31 January (for spring term)
30 April (for summer term)

When to apply if you start a new job you can apply for free childcare if you’re starting a new job. The date you start will affect when you can get free childcare. You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old.

Date of starting work	When you can get your hours from	When to apply
Between 1 October to 31 January	1 January	1 September to 31 December
Between 1 February to 30 April	1 April	1 January to 31 March
Between 1 May to 30 September	1 September	1 April to 31 August

What you need to apply

You’ll need your (and your partner’s, if you have one):

National Insurance number
Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), if you’re self-employed (if you have a UTR)

You’ll also need:

the UK birth certificate reference number (if you have one) of any children you’re applying for
the date you started or are due to start work (this can be approximate if it’s more than 3 months ago)

How King Square Community Nursery offers Working Parent Entitlement

from the start of the term after your child turns the relevant age by 31 March, 31 August, or 31 December.
for 38 weeks a year (Term-Time Only)
We offer the free entitlement from 8am to 6pm, three days a week, or 9am to 3pm, five days a week.
Parents may secure additional hours if required to suit their childcare needs.

To apply for Free Childcare for Working Parents

For more information about childcare entitlements, please visit: www.beststartinlife.gov.uk

For more information regarding paying for childcare and the council charging policy, please click here.

Free Early Learning for 2 year olds and Working Parent Entitlement

Free early learning and childcare for 2-year-olds

Some 2-year-olds are eligible for up to 15 hours of free early learning and childcare a week. Find out if you’re eligible and how to apply.

For families receiving some additional forms of government support. This scheme is for parents who meet any of the following criteria:

are getting certain benefits and if working, the household income is less than £15,400 per year

have children with disabilities

have no recourse to public funds

are the guardian or parent of children looked after

How to apply

Before applying, please read the eligibility criteria and application instructions on this page.

Register with the Citizen Portal on Islington Council website . You will need to have an email address to register. This is not the same as your Islington My eAccount or My Islington account.

Log in and click on ‘Free early education for 2-year-olds’ from the Citizen Portal homepage.

Add details of the child you are applying for and your own details, including your National Insurance number.

When making your application, you will asked to choose the type of application you want to make:

Choose economic application if you receive benefits, tax credits, or are on a low income.

Choose non-economic application if your child is looked after, adopted or has special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

If you think you fit both types of application, only complete and submit an economic application.

Eligibility

If you get benefits or are on low income

Your child can get free early learning and childcare from the age of two if you live in Islington and you get one of these benefits:

Income Support

income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Universal Credit – if you can get Universal Credit, you must have £15,400 a year after tax or less, checked on up to three of your most recent Universal Credit assessment periods

tax credits and you have an annual income of under £16,190 before tax

the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

Working Tax Credit four-week run-on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit).

You will choose ‘economic application’ when you apply.

If you are a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits

If your immigration status says you have ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF), you may still get free childcare for your 2-year-old. You must live in England and your household income 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 think you may be eligible under the non-UK citizen criteria, please contact Islington FIS on 020 7527 5959.

For children with disabilities, an EHCP, looked-after or other guardianship

Your child can also get free early learning at the age of two, if they:

are looked after by a local council

have an Education, Health and Care Plan (ECHP) or assessment for an EHCP has been agreed/is underway

get Disability Living Allowance

have left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order.

You will choose ‘non-economic application’ when you apply.

If you do not meet any of these criteria, and your child has special educational needs and disabilities, you might be able to get other support. For more information, contact Islington FIS on 020 7527 5959.

When you can start getting free hours for your child

You can start getting free hours for your child from the beginning of the term after their second birthday.

If your child’s birthday is before:

1 September, they can start in the autumn term

1 January, they can start in the spring term

1 April, can start in the summer term.

When to apply

You can check whether your child is eligible one term before you are able to start receiving free hours. For example, if your child turns two between 1 April and 31 August you can check from 1 April.

More help for families

If your child is eligible, you can choose where you want them to go, depending on spaces at the nurseries and childminders offering free early learning for 2-year-olds.

If you’re applying for a child who is looked after by Islington, please contact your supervising social worker to discuss what is best for the child.

If your 2-year-old is eligible for free early learning, you can also get free support and training courses to help you learn new skills to get ready to work.

Islington also offers free guidance and training in using your computer and getting online.

For help and advice, contact Islington FIS on 020 7527 5959 or [email protected].

How King Square Community Nursery offers free early learning places for eligible 2-year-olds.

Your child can start from the beginning of the term after they turn two, if their birthday falls on or before 31 March, 31 August, or 31 December.

The free entitlement is available for 38 weeks per year (term-time only).

Available Session Options

Five half-day sessions per week

9:00am – 12:00pm or

1:00pm – 4:00pm

Two and a half days per week

9:00am – 3:00pm on two days

Plus one half-day (9:00am–12:00pm or 1:00pm–4:00pm)

Parents may secure additional hours if required to suit their childcare needs.

To apply for Free 15 hours for 2 year olds please click here.

You may be able to get 30 hours of free childcare a week through the Free Childcare for Working Parents scheme.

Your child must be aged 9 months to 4 years old and you must live in England

Who can get free childcare

To be eligible for Free Childcare for Working Parents, you (and your partner if you have one) will need to be in work or about to start a new job. You (and your partner) will also need to earn over a certain amount.

You’ll need a National Insurance number to apply.

You can use a calculator to check how much help you could get with childcare costs.

When to apply

You can apply for 30 hours of free childcare from when your child is 23 weeks old.

Check the deadlines for applying.

How to apply