The new entitlements for eligible working parents, or those with caring responsibilities, will start from April 2024. It is your responsibility to check if you are entitled, make an application, and reconfirm every three months.
It is important that if you have a child who will be two years old before 31 March 2024 that you apply to HMRC (Childcare Service) in good time.
Please set-up or visit your Gateway Account immediately to apply.
Please note that you may not be able to apply for the two-year-old funding for working parents immediately if you have a Tax Free Childcare (TFC) account. We have been advised that you will be able to apply when you receive your TFC reconfirmation reminder.
If you have recently reconfirmed your TFC and not made an application, please ensure that you are due to reconfirm again in March before the deadline.
It is important that you allow good time as any queries with new applications or reconfirmations could cause delays and any codes issued in April 2024 will not be funded in summer 2024. Any code with an ‘eligible from’ date of 1 April 2024 will not be funded until autumn 2024 and only then if you reconfirm by 31 August 2024.
The dates of your code are important, and you must reconfirm every three months to confirm eligibility!
If you have a previous application for an older sibling, please check the eligibility dates of any new codes as the reconfirmation dates can be aligned to the previous child which could mean you need to reapply before the normal 3-month reconfirmation period.
If you have a code for an older sibling that needs to be reconfirmed, this should also be completed now, and if you are unsure, it is your responsibility to log into your Gateway Account and check. If you are newly eligible or are given a new code at reconfirmation, you need to take your 11-digit code to your provider who will complete a verification check and then confirm your funded space.
When eligibility ends, two-year-old children can continue to access their entitlement in the Grace Period. However, new children, who are two or three before 31 March, or start at a new setting, cannot start to use this funding in the Grace Period if they are no longer eligible.
If the Grace period does not apply, or your Grace period ends, the entitlement will also end. If you continue to use childcare then this will then be charged for.
If you are making a new Gateway account with HMRC, you will be asked if you would like to register for Tax Free Childcare. If you do register, your Tax Credits may be stopped, and it can take several weeks to reapply and for Tax Credits to be reinstated.
If you have problems accessing the system or completing your check, please call the HMRC Helpdesk on 0300 1234 097 (your provider and Devon County Council cannot assist with new applications or reconfirmations).
Please visit Childcare Choices for more information on the help that is available for childcare costs.
If you are not working you may be eligible for our targeted two-year-old funding. For further information please visit Funded care and education for two-year-olds.