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We have produced the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) guide below to help providers understand the changes to the early entitlement offers being implemented via the early entitlement expansion.

All information relates to early years provision in England only.

New early entitlements

What is the early entitlement expansion?

These are government plans to extend the existing 30-hour funded entitlement, which is currently available to eligible working families of three- and four-year-olds, to all eligible working families of children aged nine months and above by September 2025. 

When will the extended offers come into effect?

The government has confirmed that:

• as of April 2024, all eligible working parents of two-year-olds were able to access funding for 15 hours per week of education and care
• as of September 2024, all eligible working parents of children aged nine months up to three-years-old were able to access funding for 15 hours per week of education and care
• from September 2025, all eligible working parents of children aged nine months up to three-years-old will able to access funding for 30 hours per week of education and care

As with the current offers, all entitlements apply over 38 weeks of the year, though providers have the option of 'stretching' the offers over a longer period of time.

How soon after will children be able to access the new early entitlements, once they have reached the relevant age?

Children can access the two-year-old offer from start of the term after they turn two, and the nine-month-old offer from the term after they turn nine months.

Which families are eligible for the extended offers?

The new offers are for working families only, and the eligibility criteria will be the same as for the existing 30-hour for three- and four-year-olds.

This means that parents or carers need to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours at the minimum or living wage but no more than £100,000. This applies to each parent in dual-parent households, though there are exceptions where one parent is in receipt of Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Limited Capability for Work Benefit or contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance and their partner is working.