Free Childcare Funding in Lambeth: How to Get Your Code and Claim Your Spring Term Place Before 31 December

The deadline that catches families out most often is this one. If you want your free childcare funding in Lambeth to start in January, Lambeth's published deadline for submitting your application is 31 December. Miss it, and you are looking at an April start instead. So if you have a child aged nine months to school age and you have been putting this off, now is the time.

Parents in Stockwell, Clapham North, Vauxhall, South Lambeth and Wandsworth Road often ask us about this at the nursery, and the same questions come up again and again: which hours am I entitled to, where do I actually apply, and what happens after I get a code? I want to walk through the whole process clearly, because the entitlements changed significantly in recent years and a lot of the information still circulating online is out of date.

What you are entitled to

Every three and four year old in England receives 15 hours a week of free early education, with no conditions attached, regardless of whether parents work or what the household income is. That is the universal entitlement, and it begins the term after your child turns three.

Separately, eligible working families can access up to 30 hours a week. Since September 2025, this extended entitlement is available from when your child is nine months old right through to school age. To qualify, each parent (or the sole parent in a single-parent household) needs to be working at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum Wage, and neither parent can individually have an adjusted net income above £100,000. If you are self-employed and your business is less than 12 months old, there is some flexibility on the earnings calculation. The clearest way to check your exact eligibility is through Childcare Choices, which covers all the current thresholds.

For families of two year olds who receive certain qualifying benefits, including Universal Credit with a household income of £15,400 or less after tax, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, or income-related Employment and Support Allowance, 15 hours of free early education is available regardless of work status. Two year olds who are looked after, have an EHC plan, or receive Disability Living Allowance also qualify. Lambeth also runs a dedicated application route for families with no recourse to public funds whose two year old may still be eligible.

Step by step: applying for your code

The process has three stages.

1. Apply on GOV.UK

Go to GOV.UK and sign in to or create a childcare account. Before you start, have your National Insurance number to hand, or your Unique Taxpayer Reference if you are self-employed. Most parents find the application takes around 20 minutes. You may get a decision immediately, though it can take up to seven days. Once approved, you receive an 11-digit eligibility code, which will start with 500, 11 or 400.

2. Give your code to Lambeth

Once you have your code, you register it with Lambeth via their early years funding pages on the council website. Lambeth's published term deadlines for the 30-hours offer are 31 August for a September start, 31 December for a January start, and 31 March for an April start. The spring term deadline is the one that matters right now.

3. Give your code to your nursery

Bring your code to us at Unique Child Montessori Stockwell. We accept both 15 and 30 funded hours here, and we can take you through how we apply those hours across the 51 weeks we are open each year, or on a term-time-only basis if you prefer. We will explain what is covered, and what is not: government funded hours do not cover nappies, wipes, sun cream or trips, and Lambeth notes that providers may charge for certain extras such as meals. Our fees and funding page sets out exactly how this works for families here.

Reconfirmation: the step many families miss

Getting your code is not a one-off task. Both GOV.UK and Lambeth are clear that you must log in to your childcare account and reconfirm your details every three months to remain eligible. If you miss the window, your entitlement will lapse and you will need to reapply. The good news is that if your child already has a place when this happens, a grace period applies, giving you a short time to reapply before the place is affected. But it is much simpler to set a reminder and do it on time.

If you run into problems

If you have difficulties with the online application or cannot access your childcare account, Lambeth directs parents to the childcare service Customer Interaction Centre on 0300 123 4097. For funding questions more broadly, Lambeth's early years team can be reached on 020 7926 9558 or at earlyyearspupilpremium@lambeth.gov.uk.

Foster carers cannot use the standard online application and should speak to their social worker and contact Lambeth's early years team directly.

Securing your place

At Unique Child Montessori Stockwell, children aged three to five join our Oakleys Preschool Room, where they work within a prepared Montessori environment, choosing their own activities from materials like sandpaper letters and spindle boxes, progressing at their own pace with their Key Person observing and planning their next steps. Our older toddlers, from 24 months to three years, are in the Acorns Toddler Room. Places for spring term are allocated now, so if you are planning a January start, the time to act is before the end of December.

If you would like to see the nursery for yourself, I would encourage you to book a show-around. You can walk through the rooms, ask questions, and get a feel for how we work, which I always think tells you more than any webpage can.