| AUTUMN 2025 CLAIM PERIOD
1 September to 31 December 2025
|
Estimates
The initial deadline is 14 July 2025 (but the portal will remain open until 9 August for adjustments)
Actuals
The initial deadline is 3 October 2025 to submit claims (recommended by 26 September 2025)
Eligibility and Age Range
under 2 year olds
1 September 2023 to 30 November 2024 | 2 year olds
1 September 2022 to 31 August 2023
| 3 and 4 year olds
1 September 2020 to 31 August 2022 |
- Children must meet the national criteria to be eligible to receive a funded place
- Families planning to claim the working parent entitlement, must have a valid code on or by 31 August 2025 for this claim period
Documentation
Claim period documentation can be downloaded via the links in the Finance Newsletter or Early years funding webpage
Recommended Hours
The Local Authority will recommend a maximum number of hours that can be claimed for a child. This recommendation will depend on the child's date of birth (cycle of eligibility) and whether the entitlement is taken term time only or is stretched.
The actual number of hours to claim will be based on the child's pattern of attendance.
Where a family choose to take less hours or the pattern of attendance is less than the recommendation, it is possible within the same cycle of eligibility to claim the unused hours later provided –
- the national criteria is met
- where applicable a 30-hour eligibility code is valid
- it has not been necessary to pro rata the entitlement
Claims will be adjusted by the Local Authority where the national criteria is not followed. This includes where a claim exceeds the maximum weekly and/or annual hours.
Please remember that where families decide to access the entitlement with two or more providers, the national criteria must be met too.
The following table indicates the maximum hours recommended for a Term Time offer -
Up to 15 funded hours Up to the maximum of 570 hours per eligibility cycle Child Born: April to August Claim Period - ① 219 hours ② 162 hours ③ 189 hours Child Born: January to March Claim Period - ① 189 hours ② 219 hours ③ 162 hours Child Born: September to December Claim Period - ① 165 hours ② 189 hours ③ 216 hours | Up to 30 funded hours Up to the maximum of 1140 hours per eligibility cycle Child Born: April to August Claim Period - ① 438 hours ② 324 hours ③ 378 hours Child DOB: January to March Claim Period - ① 378 hours ② 438 hours ③ 324 hours Child Born: September to December Claim Period - ① 330 hours ② 378 hours ③ 432 hours
|
To calculate the maximum hours available for a Stretched offer -
- Divide 1140 or 570 by the total number of weeks funding is offered in a year [A]
- Multiply [A] with the number of weeks funding is offered this claim period
Early Years Payments
Providers will receive Early Education payments on or by 7th of each month and will be based on -
Estimates
- September - 25%*
- October - 25%
Actuals (records which have been downloaded)
- November - 25%
- December - Balance
* option to opt out and receive 80%
Successful SENIF and exception applications will be paid w/c 28 October
New and Amendments to bank or contact details
Please ensure a Provider Funding Update Form is completed to confirm
- new/amendments to bank
- contact details