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Disability access fund

If you provide funded early education entitlement (FEEE) places for any children who receive disability living allowance (DLA), your setting is eligible to receive disability access funding (DAF). DAF applications can be submitted once a year for each year you are claiming FEEE for the child.

From April 2025 payment will be £938 per child per year. The payment can only be made to one provider and cannot be split so where a child receives provision at more than one provider the parent will need to decide which setting will receive the DAF payment and confirm this in section 6 of the Parent Agreement Form.

The purpose of the DAF is to help the childcare provider make reasonable adjustments at their setting to improve the child's access to funded early education. It is paid directly to the childcare provider and they need to work with the parent to decide how it should be spent. The DAF cannot be used towards childcare fees or providing more FEEE hours.

The process for qualification is as follows:

  • Parents of children qualifying for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will be required to provide you with evidence of this entitlement. You will need to take copy of any documentation that is provided to prove this.
  • The provider is required to submit an application via the Disability Access Fund process in the Provider Portal. Copies of the evidence and the parent agreement form will be required
  • A spot payment will then be made to that provider for their annual payment.
  • The parent will be required to provide evidence on an annual basis - payment in any further financial years will not be automatic. The process will need to be followed every financial year that the child qualifies for additional payment.

DAF Payment Dates

We make DAF payments twice each term. Depending on the date your application is submitted you will be included in the first or second payment as follows:

  • applications submitted before half term will be included in the first payment and will be paid by the second week after half term
  • application submitted after half term will be included in the second payment and will be paid by the end of term

Any questions should be directed to earlyyearsdata@essex.gov.uk in the first instance. More information is available on HM Revenue & Customs website. 

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