How to Apply for 30 Hours Funding in Lambeth: Step-by-Step for the Winter Term 2026 Deadline

The deadline to secure 30 hours funding in Lambeth for the spring term is 31 December 2026. If your child starts at Blooming Years Nursery Streatham Hill in January, or you are hoping they will, now is the time to act. This guide walks you through every step, including what to do if you have already applied but need to reconfirm.

Who is eligible for the 30 hours?

Since September 2025, eligible working families in England can access 30 hours of funded childcare from the term after their child turns 9 months old, right through until they start school. That is a significant change, and one that many parents we speak to at our Streatham Hill nursery have not yet heard about.

To qualify, each parent in the household (or the sole parent in a single-parent family) must be working at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Living Wage. Neither parent can individually earn over £100,000 adjusted net income. Because the minimum earnings threshold shifts each April with the National Living Wage, I always point parents to Childcare Choices to check their exact figures rather than relying on a number quoted in a blog post.

It is worth being clear on one thing parents sometimes get confused about: the universal 15 hours entitlement, available to every 3 and 4 year old regardless of parental work status or income, is separate from the 30 hours. The 30 hours is conditional on meeting the working and income criteria above. We accept both 15-hour and 30-hour funded places at Blooming Years. You can find full details on our fees and funding page.

The key Lambeth deadlines

Lambeth Council aligns its funded places with the three school terms. The application deadlines are:

• 31 August for an autumn term start (September)
• 31 December for a spring term start (January)
• 31 March for a summer term start (April)

With the publish date of this post sitting between the passed autumn deadline and the 31 December cutoff, the immediate priority for most families reading this is the spring term deadline. If you want funded hours from January 2027, you need your eligibility code confirmed and shared with your nursery before 31 December 2026.

Step-by-step: how to apply

Step 1: Check your eligibility Go to Childcare Choices and use the eligibility checker. It covers the 30 hours as well as Tax-Free Childcare, so you can see everything you might be entitled to in one place.

Step 2: Apply through the government's childcare service If you are eligible, apply via your Government Gateway account at gov.uk. You will need your National Insurance number, your employer's details (or evidence of self-employment), and your child's date of birth. The application usually takes around 20 minutes.

Step 3: Receive your 11-digit eligibility code Once approved, you will receive an 11-digit code. Lambeth confirms that eligible parents receive a code beginning with 500, 11 or 400. Keep this safe.

Step 4: Share your code with your nursery Give your code to us before the term starts. We will validate it with Lambeth and confirm your funded hours. Do not leave this until the last week of December, as places fill up and validation takes time.

Step 5: Apply early enough for Lambeth to confirm your place Lambeth states parents can apply from when their child is 2 years and 36 weeks old. If your child is approaching that age and you want a spring term start, apply as soon as you can rather than waiting for the deadline itself.

The reconfirmation rule: do not miss this

This is the step that catches families out most often. Every three months, you must log back into your Government Gateway account and reconfirm that you are still eligible. If you miss the reconfirmation window, your code will expire.

The good news is that if your circumstances change and you temporarily stop meeting the criteria, Lambeth does allow a grace period. Your child does not immediately lose the extra 15 hours. That grace period gives you time to look for work again and reapply for the 30 hours if you regain eligibility. It is a meaningful safety net, but it is not indefinite, so do get back in touch with us if your situation changes and we can talk through the options.

I find it helpful to set a recurring reminder in your phone calendar the moment you receive your code, so the three-month check never slips.

What if your child has SEND?

Children with a current Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) may qualify for funding through separate routes. Lambeth's SEND local offer covers childcare funding for children with SEND, and it is worth speaking to Lambeth directly if your child has additional needs. We are experienced in supporting children with a range of needs at our Streatham Hill setting and are always happy to have that conversation.

Securing your place at Blooming Years Nursery Streatham Hill

Once you have your code, the next step is confirming that a funded place is available. We do have funded places at our Streatham Hill nursery, but they are not unlimited. If you are planning a January start and have not yet been in touch, I would encourage you to do that soon rather than waiting until late December.

If you would like to come and see the nursery before you commit, you are very welcome to book a show-around. It is a good chance to meet the team, see the rooms and outdoor space, ask any questions about how funded hours work in practice here, and get a feel for whether Blooming Years is the right fit for your family.