Entitlements

Funded childcare for children aged 9 months to 4 years – for working families

You may be able to get funded childcare for your child aged 9 months to 4 years old if you live in England and are working.

The amount of funded childcare you can get 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.

Currently children aged between 9 months and 2 years old will be entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare and children aged 3 and 4 will be entitled to 30 hours of funded childcare (the universal 15 hour entitlement plus this 15 hour working parent entitlement)

From September 2025, all working families eligible for this entitlement, will be able to access 30 hours of funded childcare from 9 months.

For more information, please visit Check you're eligible for free childcare if you're working.

15 hours of funded childcare for 3 and 4 year olds – universal entitlement for ALL children

All children that live in the UK are entitled to 15 hours of funded childcare from the term following their 3^rd birthday.

For more information, please visit Help paying for childcare.

Entitlements - Additional Charges

The Government funded hours are intended to cover the cost to deliver free, high quality, flexible childcare. It is not intended to cover the cost of meals, consumables, additional hours or additional services so you may have to pay additional charges. Please speak to your childcare provider about this.

Applying for Funded Childcare For Working Parents in England

For more information of when to apply, please visit Apply for free childcare if you're working.

Each term has an application deadline, please see below:

Check with your childcare provider to find out the exact date your funded childcare can start.

If you are starting a new job more than 31 days from now, you may still be eligible to apply. Please visit Apply for free childcare if you're working.

If you can apply now but are more than 31 days away from starting a new job, please contact us on 0300 123 4097 to access your code.

If you are eligible, you must reconfirm your details every 3 months, or your Eligibility code will expire.

15 hours of funded childcare for 2 year olds – for families that are in receipt of additional support

If you have a 2 year old and you claim certain benefits, you may be eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare.

For more information, please visit Free education and childcare for 2-year-olds.

Support with childcare costs

Universal Credit

You may be able to claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs if you’re eligible for Universal Credit.

You (and your partner if you live with them) will usually need to either:

• be working - it does not matter how many hours you or your partner work
• have a job offer.

For more information, please visit Help with childcare costs.

Tax-Free Childcare

If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll set up an online childcare account for your child. For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider. You can use it to pay for childminders, nurseries, after school clubs and play schemes.

You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 15 or 30 hours funded childcare if you’re eligible for both.

Your child must be 11 or under and usually lives with you.

For more information, please visit Tax-free childcare.

Contact Details

Organiser: Early Years Funding Team

Telephone Numbers: Jenny Jones - 0161 253 6917

Sue Garner - 0161 253 6967

Joanne O’Donnell - 0161 253 5414

Email Address: earlyyearsfunding@bury.gov.uk