Accessing these entitlements will depend on:
- a child’s age and circumstances
- whether the parent/carer is working (employed, self-employed, or a director)
- their income (and partner’s income if they have one)
- and immigration status
and having a valid HMRC eligibility code in place by the start of the claim period.
IMPORTANT: Whilst a family may be eligible for the entitlement, to claim, a valid code must be in place AND the child’s date of birth (DOB) must be within the DOB range for the claim period.
Claims for the Working Parent Entitlements will be accepted from:
| Spring 2024 | 3- and 4-year-old* |
| Summer 2024 | 2-year-old |
| Autumn 2024 | Under 2’s (9 months old and above) |
* currently exists for working families
Once all entitlements are available, the earliest start date for families to claim will be:
| Child is 9 months or has 2nd or 3rd birthday in | Earliest Start Date | 1st Claim Period |
| January, February or March | 1 April | Summer |
| April, May, June, July or August | 1 September | Autumn |
| September, October, November or December | 1 January | Spring |
Under 2’s
This entitlement will be available from 1 September 2024 for eligible working families whose child is at least 9 months on or before 31 August 2024. The deadline date to obtain a code for Autumn 2024 will be 31 August 2024.
The entitlement enables the family to receive up to 15 hours of funded childcare a week, to a maximum of 570 over three claim periods. Providers can offer the entitlement “stretched” where less funded hours are taken over more weeks. From September 2025 it will increase to 1140 funded hours.
Some providers have an admission age of 2. These children (a rising 2-year-old) may also be eligible for this working parent entitlement when they start their childcare arrangement on or after their second birthday, because they will be in their last (3rd) claim period before they transition to the working parent entitlement for 2-year-olds. Families will need to obtain a code by the deadline to claim for their child.
Providers will receive the under 2’s funding rate for these children until the transition to the working parent entitlement for 2-year-olds.
It may be necessary to re-submit your 2024-25 funding agreement where under 2’s funding has not been detailed as an offer available to families.
Other Funding Streams:
From September 2024, and where the criteria is met, these claims will also attract funding for –
- Disability Access Fund (DAF)
- Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) or EHCP funding
- SEN Inclusion Fund (SENIF)
- Deprivation Supplement
Do not forget those already in your care or due to start!
Some families that already have a childcare arrangement in place may be eligible for the working parent entitlements. They will need to obtain a code to claim for their child by the deadline.
2-year-old
This entitlement will be available from 1 April 2024 for eligible working families whose child will be or are aged 2 on or before 31 March 2024. These families will need to check their eligibility and have in place a valid code by the deadline date. The deadline date to obtain a code for Summer 2024 is 31 March 2024.
The entitlement enables the family to receive up to 15 hours of funded childcare a week, to a maximum of 570 over three claim periods. Providers can offer the entitlement “stretched” where less funded hours are taken over more weeks. From September 2025 it will increase to 1140 funded hours.
To obtain a code, families must open or access their existing HMRC online account.
Please remember:
- The current rules for 30 hours codes for 3- and 4-year-olds is the SAME for the working parent entitlements
- To regularly remind families to reconfirm their HMRC code (every 90 days)
- Missed deadlines for a code will affect the ability to claim the funded entitlement
Do not forget those already in your care or due to start!
Some families that already have a childcare arrangement in place may be eligible for the working parent entitlement. They will need to obtain a code to claim for their child by the deadline.
Rising 3-year-olds
Some providers have an admission age of 3. These children (a rising 3-year-old) may also be eligible for this working parent entitlement when they start their childcare arrangement on or after their third birthday, because they will be in their last (3rd) claim period before they transition to the working parent entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds. Families will need to obtain a code by the deadline to claim for their child.
Providers will receive the 2-year-old funding rate for these children until the transition to the working parent entitlement for 3- and 4-year-olds.
It may be necessary to re-submit your funding agreement where 2-year-old funding has not been detailed as an offer available to families.
Other Funding Streams:
From April 2024, and where the criteria is met, these claims will also attract funding for –
- Disability Access Fund (DAF)
- Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)
- SEN Inclusion Fund (SENIF) or EHCP funding
- Deprivation Supplement
3- and 4-year-old
This entitlement is currently available to eligible families, previously known as 30 hours or extended. The rules and criteria remain the same.
Please remember:
- The child must be within the DOB range of the claim period and a valid code must be in place to access the entitlement
- A grace period will apply for child whose family no longer meet the criteria unless the family decides to move to another provider
- Code re-confirmation is required every 90 days
- Families will no longer be able to claim the entitlement once their child starts in a stated funded reception class or reaches compulsory school age.
Other Funding Streams:
Children meeting the criteria, will continue to attract funding for –
- Disability Access Fund (DAF)
- SEN Inclusion Fund (SENIF) or EHCP funding
- Deprivation Supplement