Calculator›Guides›Free childcare hours

England

The hours are for 38 weeks a year (term time). Some providers let you spread them over more weeks, with fewer hours each week.

Working parents: 30 hours

• Each parent needs to expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the minimum wage over the next 3 months. That’s £2,643.68 if you’re 21 or over, £2,256.80 if you’re 18 to 20, and £1,664 if you’re under 18 or an apprentice.
• Each parent needs an adjusted net income of £100,000 a year or less.
• You qualify if you’re employed, self-employed or on leave. Self-employed people in their first year of business don’t need to meet the minimum earnings.
• If your partner isn’t working because of disability or caring, they can still count as meeting the test: check GOV.UK for the benefits that apply.
• If you’re on asylum support you can’t get the working-parent hours, but the 15 hours for 3 and 4 year olds still apply.

15 hours for 2 year olds

Your 2 year old can get 15 hours if you get Universal Credit and your household’s take-home pay is £15,400 a year or less (not counting benefits), or if you get Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance or the guarantee element of Pension Credit. Your child can also qualify if they get Disability Living Allowance, have an education, health and care plan, are looked after by a council, or left care through adoption, a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order. Some families with no recourse to public funds can qualify too, depending on income.

When they start and when to apply

Funded hours start at the beginning of the term after your child reaches the age, not on their birthday. You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old, and you should apply by these dates:

Miss a date and you usually wait for the next term, though it doesn’t affect whether you’re eligible. For the 30 hours you apply through a GOV.UK childcare account, which gives you a code to give your provider, and you need to reconfirm your details every 3 months or the place can be withdrawn. The 15 hours for 2 year olds on benefits are arranged through your council.

30 hours of free childcare in England (GOV.UK)
15 hours for all 3 and 4 year olds (GOV.UK)

Scotland

Every 3 and 4 year old gets 1,140 hours a year of funded early learning and childcare: about 30 hours a week in term time, or about 22 hours a week spread across the year. It doesn’t depend on your work or income.

• 3 year olds start in the term after their third birthday: August if they turn 3 between March and August, January if between September and December, and the summer term (March or April) if between January and February.
• 2 year olds can get the hours if you get Universal Credit (and, if you work, your household’s take-home pay is £885 a month or less), or other qualifying benefits, or you or your child has experience of care.
• If your child’s start at primary school is deferred, they keep their hours.

You arrange the hours through your council. Funded early learning and childcare (mygov.scot)

Wales

• Every 3 year old gets at least 10 hours a week of nursery education, in the term after their third birthday, whatever you earn.
• Working parents of 3 and 4 year olds can get up to 30 hours a week of early education and childcare combined, for up to 48 weeks a year including school holidays. That’s the 10 hours of nursery education plus up to 20 hours of childcare; you can’t swap one for the other. Each parent needs to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the minimum wage and have gross income of £100,000 a year or less. Parents on statutory leave and some students also qualify. Your circumstances are checked each term.
• Flying Start offers 2 year olds in some areas part-time childcare. It depends on your postcode, not on your income.

Providers can charge for food, up to £11.25 a day. Get 30 hours of childcare (gov.wales)

Northern Ireland

• Funded pre-school place: every child gets a free place in the year before they start primary school. It’s being standardised to 22.5 hours a week, though some settings still offer 12.5 hours. Applications are made through the Education Authority in one round each year, which opens in early January for a September start, so check the closing date.
• Childcare Subsidy Scheme: you can get 15% off registered childcare costs if you’re working, up to a monthly limit for each child. You need to have a Tax-Free Childcare account, and it isn’t available if you get Universal Credit.

Pre-school education places (Department of Education)

Tax-Free Childcare (all of the UK)

For every £8 you pay into a Tax-Free Childcare account, the government adds £2, up to £2,000 a year for each child (£4,000 if your child is disabled). That’s a top-up of up to £500 every 3 months, or £1,000 if your child is disabled.

• It’s for children under 12. It runs until 1 September after your child’s 11th birthday, or 16th if they get Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment or Adult Disability Payment.
• The same income rules as the 30 hours apply: each parent has to meet the minimum earnings and have an adjusted net income of £100,000 or less.
• You can use it with free hours, but not with Universal Credit, tax credits or childcare vouchers.
• You need to confirm your details every 3 months, or the top-ups stop.

Tax-Free Childcare (GOV.UK)

Extra charges

Free hours cover the childcare itself, not everything. Providers may charge for meals, nappies, extra hours and trips, and they should agree another arrangement with you if you don’t want to pay.

Official sources

• 30 hours of free childcare (GOV.UK)
• Free childcare for 2 year olds: extra support (GOV.UK)
• Funded early learning and childcare (mygov.scot)
• Childcare Offer for Wales (gov.wales)
• Tax-Free Childcare (GOV.UK)

More guides

• Universal Credit childcare costsUp to 85% of your childcare costs back if you’re working.
• The High Income Child Benefit ChargeAnother rule that looks at income over £60,000.

Benefits: UK Child Benefits is an independent calculator. It is not affiliated with GOV.UK, the Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland governments, HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions. This guide explains the rules in general and may not cover every situation; check the official page for your nation before you apply.