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  6. Funded early years education
  7. Eligibility criteria for 2-year-old funding

Eligibility criteria for 2-year-old funded places

Two-year-old children will be eligible for a funded nursery place if they meet either criteria 1,2,3, or 4.

Criteria 1: Benefits

Children whose parents/carers are in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Universal Credit - if you and your partner have a combined income from work of £15,400 or less a year, after tax
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
  • Tax credits and you have an annual income of no more than £16,190
  • Working Tax Credit four-week run on (the payment you get when you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

Criteria 2: Looked after children

Children looked after by the Local Authority.

Either children currently in care or children who have left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order.

Social worker details are required to verify eligibility for this.

Criteria 3: SEND

Children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND) as defined by:

  • Children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • Child with a current Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEND)
  • Child with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan

Documentation is required to verify eligibility for Criteria 3.

Criteria 4: Other circumstances

  • Children of Zambrano Carers
  • Children of families with no recourse to public funds, with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of privacy/family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights
  • Children of a subset of failed asylum seekers supported under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Funded 2-year-old early years education online application

Check if you are eligible and apply online.

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Before you fill in this form

You won't be able to save this form to complete later, so please allow yourself up to five minutes to fill in the form.

Check your child's eligibility

If you are unable to find out if you qualify online, please go to a Sure Start centre or you can contact the Southampton Family Information Service.