Nearly 30% of parents are missing out on free childcare because they don’t know they are entitled to it.
Fifteen hours of funded early education is available to children per week but it has been found that only 71% of parents are getting their entitlement.
The Department of Education has found that 4,450 eligible two-year-olds are not using this benefit that is available to parents who receive certain other benefits like Jobseeker’s Allowance or if they are already being looked after by a local authority.
The figures released were just from the Manchester area alone meaning thousands of more families across the country could be missing out.
The scheme was extended to two-year-olds which saw the take-up figures grow from 64% in the Manchester area.
However, the percentage of two-year-olds utilising this is still much lower than that of three or four-year-olds, 92% of whom availed of the free childcare.
Your two-year-old is entitled to free childcare if you get one of the following:
- Income Support.
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance.
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
- Universal Credit.
- Tax credits and you have an annual income of under £16,190 before tax.
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit.
- Support through part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act.
- The Working Tax Credit 4-week run on.
Two-year-old’s can also receive free childcare if any of these apply:
- They are looked after by a local council.
- They have a current statement of special education needs (SEN) or an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
- They get Disability Living Allowance.
- They’ve left care under a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or adoption order.
