Funding Codes (30-Hour and 2-Year-Old)
Understanding and managing eligibility codes for funded hours
Types of Eligibility Codes
30-Hour Eligibility Code
For working parents of 3-4 year olds claiming extended (30 hours) funding:
- 11-digit code from HMRC Childcare Service
- Parents apply via gov.uk/childcare-calculator
- Code must be reconfirmed every 3 months
- Has an expiry date that must be tracked
2-Year-Old Eligibility Code
For disadvantaged 2-year-olds claiming funded hours:
- Code issued by the local authority
- Based on income-related eligibility criteria
- Typically valid for the funding year
Recording Eligibility Codes
Codes can be recorded in two places:
Child Level (Persistent)
In the child's Funding Information section on the Edit page:
- Navigate to the child's details page
- Click Edit
- Scroll to the Funding Information section
- Enter the code and expiry date
- Mark as verified once confirmed
- Click Save
These codes persist with the child record and are used as defaults for new submissions.
Submission Level
During the funding submission process, codes are captured in FundingDetails. Parents can update codes through the parent portal, or staff can enter them when creating/editing submissions.
Code Verification
Eligibility codes must be verified by staff:
- Open the submission review page
- Click the verification URL to access the local authority's Provider Portal
- Enter the parent's details and code
- Confirm the code is valid
- Back in the system, mark the code as verified
- Optionally upload a screenshot as evidence
- Add verification notes if needed
Viewing Code History
The child details page shows all codes collected from previous submissions in the 'Early Years Funding Codes' section. This includes:
- The code value
- Verification status (Verified, Pending, Invalid)
- Expiry date
- Which submission it came from
- EYPP and DAF consent status
- Verification evidence (with image viewer for screenshots)
- Verification notes and who verified it
Expiry Warnings
The system highlights codes that are:
- Expiring Soon - Within 30 days of expiry
- Expired - Past expiry date
Parents should be reminded to reconfirm their 30-hour code before expiry.
Tip: Set up notification reminders to alert parents before their 30-hour code expires. This helps ensure continuous funding.
Important: Never claim extended hours for a child whose code has expired. Verify codes before each funding period submission.