Working families funding for 2-year-olds
What is supported families funding for 2 year olds?
- For eligible 2 year olds, Somerset Council will pay for a place for up to 570 hours over a year at a registered childcare provider
- A maximum of 15 hours per week is available which could be taken as 15 hours a week for 38 weeks or ‘stretched’ so fewer hours are taken per week over more weeks
- Children become eligible in the funding period after their second birthday
The funding periods are:
- Spring: 1 January to 31 March
- Summer: 1 April to 31 August
- Autumn: 1 September to 31 December
Supported families funding for 2-year-olds eligibility criteria
Families can get funding for 2-year-olds if they receive any of the following:
- Income Support
- Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related) – not Contribution related
- Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance – not Contribution based
- Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Child Tax Credit with an annual taxable income (as assessed by HMRC) of less than £16190
- Working Tax Credit 4-week run on – the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit – if you and your partner have a combined income from work of less than £15400 a year after tax
2-year-olds can also get funding if they:
- get Disability Living Allowance
- have an Education, Health and Care plan
- are looked after by the Local Authority
- have been adopted
- have left care through special guardianship or child arrangement orders
Evidence does not need to be included with the application unless the child qualifies by receiving Disability Living Allowance. In this case, a copy of the latest award letter from the Department for Work and Pensions will need to be submitted before the application can be processed.
We recommend attaching the evidence to the form at the time of application. If applications are submitted online, a copy of the letter can be emailed to freeschoolmeals@somerset.gov.uk or posted to Entitlements Team, County Hall, Taunton, TA1 4DY.
If further information is required, the applicant will be contacted.
Use the online form below you can print and post a copy of the form which can be found in the downloads section of this page.
Apply for funding for 2-year-olds
No recourse to public funds eligibility criteria
Children of families who have no recourse to public funds, and therefore do not receive any of the above benefits, may also qualify for supported families funding for 2-year-olds if the family’s annual household income is no higher than:
- £26500 for families with one child
- £30600 for families with two or more children
And the family does not have more than £16000 in capital and savings.
Also if the parent or carer meets any of the following criteria:
- are a Zambrano or Chen carer
- a subset of failed asylum seekers supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- hold a British National (Overseas) passport
- are a spousal visa, work visa or student visa holder
- have no immigration status
- have a UK Ancestry Visa
- have claimed asylum in the UK and are awaiting a decision
- have temporary protection status under Section 12 of the Nationality and Borders Act
- have pre-settled status but do not meet the qualifying right to reside test
- are in a family who have no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights
- are in a family receiving support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 who are also subject to a no recourse to public funds restriction
If this applies to you, please complete this application form and return it with the appropriate evidence to fsm@somerset.gov.uk.
What happens next
All applications will be processed within 5 to 10 working days. You will be notified of the outcome in writing and claims will not be backdated. If you are successful, you will be sent a list of approved providers and the date your child is eligible.
If your application is successful, your details will be automatically used to check to see if you qualify for Early Years Pupil Premium. If you qualify for Early Years Pupil Premium, you will be notified separately. Details on Early Years Pupil Premium
You will need to contact a provider from the list and check if they have an available place for your child. The provider will ask to see the letter and a copy of your child’s birth certificate or passport.
If you have been offered supported families funding for 2-year-olds, this will continue, even if your circumstances change, until your child becomes eligible for the universal entitlement. The universal entitlement will fund up to 570 hours a year for 3- and 4-year-olds starting from the funding period after your child’s third birthday. This can be accessed through your childcare provider. Find out more on Early years entitlement page. Please also see our Finding childcare page for more information about what other support is available.
Some families will qualify for both the supported families and the working families entitlement. In this instance, families will receive 570 hours supported families entitlement and 570 hours working families entitlement per year.
