From April, lots of working parents will qualify for free childcare for their two-year-old

Many parents of two-year-olds in England will qualify for 15 hours of free childcare from April.

Last year, the Chancellor promised more help with childcare costs beginning this spring.

If we’re eligible, we’ll be entitled to 15 hours of free childcare per week if we have a two-year-old and live in England.

This will cover children aged nine months and over from September.

Many two-year-olds already get free hours of childcare in Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, free pre-school education is available for three and four-year-olds.

The free hours of childcare will be available for the 38 weeks of the school year. We’ll have to pay for any extra childcare we use.

At the moment, we qualify for free childcare for our two-year-old if we’re claiming Universal Credit or certain other benefits.

But from April, this will apply to families where both parents work and earn at least £167 each per week.

If our child is aged three or four, we may be able to get 30 hours of free childcare per week.

We can apply for the free childcare when our child reaches one year and 36 weeks old at the government website.

If we’re eligible, we’ll get a code to share with our childcare provider. (This must be an approved childcare provider like a nursery or registered childminder).

It’s a good idea not to delay applying. We’ll need to have our code by the end of the month before a new term starts – otherwise we may to pay.

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