Free early education for two-year-olds

It’s usually taken as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year.

The free early education and childcare:

• must be with an approved childcare provider

• starts from the term after your child’s second birthday. 

Who is eligible

Your two-year-old can get free childcare if you live in England and get any of the following benefits: 

• income support
• income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA)
• income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
• universal credit, and your household income is less than £15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments
• the guaranteed element of state pension credit

Extended criteria

Your two-year-old can also get free childcare if any of the following apply:

• they are looked after by a local authority 
• they have an education, health and care plan (EHCP)
• they get disability living allowance
• they have left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order

To apply under the extended criteria please:

• fill in the extended criteria application form below
• email it to early.entitlements@lewisham.gov.uk.
• Extended criteria application form

Your two-year-old can get free childcare if you receive specific types of support. Visit the childcare choices website to see what type of support you could be eligible for. 

If you’re a non-UK citizen who cannot claim benefits

If your immigration status says you have ‘no recourse to public funds’, you may still get free childcare for your two-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.

How the childcare is delivered

Providers usually deliver the 15 hours across:

• 14 weeks in the autumn term

• 12 weeks in the spring term

• 12 weeks in the summer term

When your child can start

Eligible children can get the free hours in the term following their second birthday.

Find a childcare provider

See a list of Lewisham childcare providers.