Disability Access Fund
The Disability Access Fund (DAF) is a yearly payment of £910, paid directly to the early years setting providing your child’s free early years entitlement.
This could be the working parent entitlements, disadvantaged 2 year old entitlement of the universal entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds.
Your early years setting could be a childminder, nursery, pre-school or school (as long as they are not in reception year); they must be Ofsted registered and on the council’s directory of early years education providers.
DAF can only be paid to one early years setting per child per a rolling 12 months; for example. if DAF was paid for your child in February 2023 it cannot be paid again until February 2024. If your child’s free hours are split between two or more settings, you will need to nominate which one you would like to receive the payment.
DAF cannot be transferred between settings. This means once it has been paid to the setting of your choice it will stay there for that year. For example if your child moves to a new early years setting, the new setting cannot ask for DAF until the next yearly claim.
The government has not specified what DAF can be spent on. Your setting can spend it as they see fit to support your child. However, it cannot be used to pay for additional hours of early education or childcare. Your early years setting should invite you in for a meeting to discuss your child’s needs and plan how this money can help support your child in their education.
Eligibility
DAF is only available to children that meet the following criteria:
- the child is in receipt of child disability living allowance and
- the child receives one of the free early years entitlements
Your child does not need to take all of their entitlement to be able to access the DAF.
If your child is 4 years old and is in a maintained, academy or free school reception class, they will not be eligible for the DAF.
Your childcare setting will apply for DAF on your behalf, you'll need to give them a copy of the letter from the Department for Work and Pensions which provides the evidence that your child is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
Please make sure this letter is up to date and covers the time period of your application.