Nursery Funding for 2-Year-Olds in England: Who Qualifies and How Much
A two-year-old in England can get up to 30 hours of funded childcare a week, through one of two routes. Which route applies depends on your family’s circumstances, not your child. Here’s how each works, and how to use it at funded nursery places in Fulham.
Two routes to funding at age 2
Route | Hours a week | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
Support for 2-year-olds | 15 | Families receiving certain support, working or not |
Working parent entitlement | Up to 30 | Eligible working parents |
Both are for 38 weeks a year. Many nurseries let you stretch the hours over more weeks; across 51 weeks, 15 hours becomes about 11 hours a week, and 30 hours about 22.
The 15 hours for 2-year-olds receiving support
Your two-year-old is likely to qualify if your family gets one of the following (check the current list on GOV.UK):
- Universal Credit, with household take-home pay from work below a set limit (currently £15,400 a year)
- Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Certain support under the immigration and asylum rules, or no recourse to public funds with a low income
Your child also qualifies, whatever your income, if they:
- are looked after by the local authority, or have left care through adoption, a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order;
- have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan;
- get Disability Living Allowance.
How to apply: through your local council. In Fulham, that’s Hammersmith & Fulham Council. The council confirms eligibility and you give the confirmation to your nursery.
Up to 30 hours for working parents
You, and your partner if you have one, must each expect to earn at least £2,643.68 over the next three months if you’re 21 or over (roughly 16 hours a week at the National Living Wage), and neither of you can have adjusted net income over £100,000. You apply online through the government’s childcare service, get a code and give it to your nursery, then reconfirm every three months. How to apply for 30 hours in Hammersmith & Fulham →
If you qualify for both routes, you can combine them up to a maximum of 30 hours a week.
When does funding start?
From the term after your child turns two (or, for the working parent route, the term after you’re eligible and have a valid code):
Child’s birthday | Funding from |
|---|---|
1 September – 31 December | 1 January |
1 January – 31 March | 1 April |
1 April – 31 August | 1 September |
Does funding cover everything?
The funded hours are free. Nurseries can charge for extra hours and for things like meals and consumables, but they must be clear about it and offer you alternatives rather than making extras a condition of your funded place. Always ask what’s included.
Funding at Caring Hands
We accept both routes for two-year-olds, and stretch funded hours over 51 weeks. Our toddler room is designed for two-year-olds, with a key person for every child and gentle settling-in. Nursery for 2 year olds in Fulham
Frequently asked questions
Can every two-year-old get free nursery hours?
No. At two, funding depends on family circumstances or on the working-parent rules. From three, every child gets 15 hours.
Can I get 15 hours and 30 hours together?
If you qualify for both, you can combine them, up to 30 hours a week.
Do I need to reconfirm?
For the working-parent route, yes, every three months. For the 15 hours for 2-year-olds, your council confirms eligibility once.