Funded childcare is now available to eligible working parents in England from the age of nine months. The offer can provide up to 30 funded hours a week, but the child does not normally begin receiving those hours on the day they turn nine months old.
Funding starts at the beginning of the next eligible period: January, April or September. Parents must apply by the relevant deadline, obtain a childcare code and find an approved provider with a suitable place.
The phrase “30 hours” can also be misleading if it is understood as 30 completely free hours during every week of the year. The entitlement provides 1,140 funded hours annually, commonly offered over 38 weeks. A nursery or childminder may stretch the same allocation across more weeks, leaving fewer funded hours in an average week.
This guide explains who may qualify, when the hours begin, how returning from parental leave affects an application and which costs families may still need to pay.
What is funded childcare from nine months?
Free Childcare for Working Parents is an entitlement for eligible families living in England. It covers children from nine months old until they start school, subject to the scheme’s work, earnings, income and immigration conditions.
Eligible families can receive up to:
30 funded hours a week for 38 weeks of the year.
This represents an annual entitlement of:
30 hours × 38 weeks = 1,140 funded hours.
The childcare must be provided by an approved provider participating in the scheme. This can include a registered nursery, preschool, childminder or certain school-based providers.
The offer applies in England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own childcare schemes and application processes.
Parents can check the current official rules through the government’s Free Childcare for Working Parents guidance.
Who is eligible?
Eligibility depends on:
- The child’s age and circumstances
- Whether the parent or parents are working
- Expected earnings
- Expected adjusted net income
- Household and relationship circumstances
- Immigration status
You and your partner, if you have one, must normally both be working or about to start work.
Employment, self-employment and work as a company director can count. Parents on annual leave, sick leave and certain types of family-related leave may also remain eligible.
A single parent does not need to meet a second-parent test. Their application is based on their own work, earnings, income and circumstances.
The child must usually live with the applicant. Only one person can hold a working-parent childcare code for the same child.
How much must parents earn?
Each parent must generally expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage applicable to their age.
This is an earnings test rather than a rule requiring exactly 16 hours of work every week. A parent with changing shifts or irregular income may still qualify if their expected earnings meet the threshold.
HMRC normally considers expected earnings over the three months after the application or reconfirmation.
The precise financial threshold depends on age and the current minimum-wage rate. As these figures can change, parents should check the current eligibility amounts before applying.
Earnings from more than one job can generally be combined. A parent may also combine employment and self-employment income where appropriate.
Some income does not count towards the minimum earnings requirement, including:
- Dividends
- Interest
- Property-investment income
- Pension payments
These forms of income may still affect other calculations, including adjusted net income.
Is there an upper income limit?
Yes. A family will not normally qualify if either parent expects to have adjusted net income above £100,000 during the current tax year.
This is an individual limit, not a combined household limit.
For example:
- One parent expects adjusted net income of £55,000 and the other expects £60,000. Their combined income exceeds £100,000, but neither parent is individually above the limit.
- One parent expects £105,000 and the other expects £25,000. The family will not normally qualify because one parent exceeds the individual limit.
Adjusted net income is not always the same as gross salary. It can include several sources of taxable income, while particular pension contributions and Gift Aid donations may affect the final calculation.
Parents close to the limit should check the official definition and consider seeking financial advice. Do not assume that the salary shown on a contract is automatically the figure HMRC will use.
Can self-employed parents and company directors qualify?
Yes. Self-employed parents and company directors can qualify if they meet the relevant conditions.
HMRC recognises that self-employed earnings may be uneven. A parent who works throughout the year but is paid irregularly may be able to use average expected earnings over the tax year.
A parent who started a self-employed business less than 12 months ago may qualify during a start-up period even if they do not yet expect to reach the usual minimum earnings threshold.
Company directors may need to provide evidence showing that they are working and expect to meet the earnings requirement. This could include:
- Payslips
- Bank statements
- Invoices
- Payroll records
- A statement from an accountant or tax adviser
A director paid annually or irregularly may need to submit evidence during the initial application and when reconfirming eligibility.
Allow extra time before the application deadline if HMRC may need to check non-standard earnings.
What if one parent is not working?
In a couple, both parents normally need to satisfy the work and earnings rules. However, exceptions can apply where one parent works and the other cannot work because of particular caring, disability or health circumstances.
A family may still qualify if the non-working partner receives certain support, such as:
- Carer’s Allowance
- The carer’s element of Universal Credit
- The limited capability for work element of Universal Credit
- Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance
- Certain National Insurance credits
- Other qualifying disability or incapacity support
The exact list matters. Receiving a benefit does not automatically create an exception, so parents should use the official eligibility service.
Students do not qualify merely because they are studying. A student who also works and meets the earnings conditions may be eligible. Separate childcare support may be available through student finance or an education provider.
When do the funded hours begin?
The child does not normally receive the hours from the exact day they turn nine months old. Funding begins at the start of the next eligible period.
| Child turns nine months | Hours can usually begin | Application deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September to 31 December | 1 January | 31 December |
| 1 January to 31 March | 1 April | 31 March |
| 1 April to 31 August | 1 September | 31 August |
For example, a baby who turns nine months on 20 November may begin using the hours from January, provided the family qualifies and applies by 31 December.
A baby who turns nine months on 2 April will normally wait until September. Reaching nine months shortly after the end of a date range can therefore create a gap of several months.
Parents can normally apply from when the child is 23 weeks old. Applying early within the available window gives HMRC time to resolve questions before the deadline.
Missing the deadline can mean waiting until the next funding period and paying the normal childcare fees in the meantime. The hours are not usually backdated simply because the family would have qualified earlier.
What if a parent is returning from maternity or other leave?
Parents on maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave may qualify, but the expected return-to-work date can determine when the hours begin.
For the child who is the subject of the leave, the application window is linked to both the funding period and the parent’s return date.
The usual pattern is:
| Return-to-work date | Hours may begin | Application window |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October to 31 January | 1 January | 1 September to 31 December |
| 1 February to 30 April | 1 April | 1 January to 31 March |
| 1 May to 30 September | 1 September | 1 April to 31 August |
Paid annual leave while receiving a salary can count as having returned to work.
Special conditions can apply where both parents are using shared parental leave for the child. Families should check the dates carefully rather than relying only on the child’s age.
If the online system does not reflect the return-to-work arrangement correctly, contact the childcare service before the deadline. Do not wait until the new funding period has already begun.
How do parents apply?
Parents apply through the government childcare service and create a childcare account.
You may need:
- Your National Insurance number
- Your partner’s National Insurance number, where applicable
- A Unique Taxpayer Reference if you are self-employed and have one
- The child’s UK birth certificate reference number, if available
- Your employment start date or expected start date
- Information about earnings and employment
If approved, you receive an 11-digit childcare code. Give this code to the chosen provider, along with any other information it requests, such as the parent’s National Insurance number and the child’s date of birth.
The provider validates the code through the local authority before claiming funding.
A code proves that the family is eligible. It does not:
- Reserve a nursery place
- Require a provider to offer the preferred days
- Guarantee that every booked hour will be funded
- Remove all additional charges
Parents should search for childcare separately and preferably well before the funding is due to begin.
How do the 30 hours work across the year?
The entitlement provides 1,140 funded hours a year. The standard term-time calculation is 30 hours a week over 38 weeks.
A term-time nursery or preschool might offer the full 30 hours during those weeks. This can work well for families following a school calendar but leaves school holidays uncovered.
Many day nurseries and childminders operate for most of the year and offer stretched funding.
If 1,140 hours are divided across 51 weeks, the weekly average is approximately 22 hours and 21 minutes. The family pays for booked childcare beyond that weekly allocation.
A provider’s calculation may differ because of:
- The number of weeks it opens
- Bank holidays
- Christmas closures
- Staff-training days
- The local authority’s funding arrangements
Ask for a written illustration showing exactly how many funded hours will be applied each week or month.
Our article on how 30 hours funded childcare works provides a fuller explanation of stretched hours, childcare codes and reconfirmation.
Why might parents still have to pay?
The scheme funds eligible childcare and early education hours. It does not necessarily cover every cost associated with a nursery place.
Parents may still be charged for:
- Attendance beyond the funded hours
- Meals and snacks
- Nappies and consumables
- Optional activities or trips
- Care during weeks not covered by the funding
- Late collection and other contractual charges
For example, a baby attending nursery for ten hours a day on three days each week has a 30-hour booking. If the provider stretches the annual funding across 51 weeks, only around 22 hours may be funded during an average week.
The family could pay for the remaining attendance, meals and any agreed extras.
Ask the provider for a written estimate based on:
- The child’s proposed start date
- The required days and hours
- Whether funding is term-time or stretched
- Provider closures
- Meals and consumables
- Any deposit or registration charge
A statement that the nursery “accepts funded hours” does not tell you what the monthly invoice will be.
Where can the hours be used?
The hours must be used with an approved provider participating in Free Childcare for Working Parents.
Depending on local arrangements, this may include:
- A registered day nursery
- A registered childminder
- A preschool or playgroup
- A registered school
- Another eligible early years provider
A provider being registered does not automatically mean it offers the working-parent entitlement. It may have only a limited number of funded places or may offer the hours within particular sessions.
Ask:
- Do you offer working-parent funded places for babies?
- When is your next available place?
- Which days and sessions can be funded?
- Do you stretch the entitlement across the year?
- What will we still need to pay?
- Can the attendance pattern change later?
Finding suitable baby care can take time. Begin visiting providers before the child becomes eligible if you know when you expect to return to work.
Our guides to choosing a nursery and comparing a nursery with a childminder can help families examine the practical differences.
What happens after the application is approved?
Parents must reconfirm their eligibility through the childcare account approximately every three months.
Reconfirmation is required even if nothing has changed. The account should display the next deadline, and HMRC may send reminders.
During reconfirmation, check information about:
- Employment
- Expected earnings
- Expected adjusted net income
- Your partner or household
- Contact details
Set a separate calendar reminder in case an HMRC message is overlooked.
If circumstances change and the family no longer qualifies, the child may receive a temporary grace period. This can allow time for the parent to return to eligible work or make another childcare arrangement.
A grace period for funding does not automatically cancel the childcare contract. Parents may remain responsible for fees until the provider’s notice period ends.
Tell HMRC and the childcare provider promptly about important changes rather than waiting until the next term.
Can the hours be used with other childcare support?
Funded childcare can be combined with certain other schemes for eligible costs that remain.
Tax-Free Childcare allows eligible families to pay money into an online account, with the government adding £2 for every £8 paid, up to the scheme limits. It may help cover additional nursery hours or other approved childcare.
When parents apply for Free Childcare for Working Parents, HMRC also checks whether they may qualify for Tax-Free Childcare.
Families receiving Universal Credit may be able to claim help with eligible childcare costs, subject to the scheme’s conditions and monthly limits.
You cannot normally receive Tax-Free Childcare and the Universal Credit childcare element at the same time. Compare the likely value carefully before switching.
You also cannot claim two forms of support for the same cost. Funded hours are applied first, with other assistance used towards eligible charges that remain.
Our guide to childcare funding in England compares the main forms of support available to families.
A simple checklist for parents
- Check when your child will turn nine months.
- Identify the first possible January, April or September funding date.
- Check the work, earnings, income and immigration rules for your household.
- Consider how maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave affects the application window.
- Begin searching for an approved provider early.
- Ask for availability on the exact days and hours you need.
- Apply through the government childcare service before the deadline.
- Give the 11-digit code to the provider.
- Confirm that the code has been validated and the funded start date agreed.
- Request a written cost estimate showing funded hours and additional charges.
- Read the childcare contract before paying a deposit.
- Reconfirm eligibility through the childcare account every three months.
Funding and finding a place are two separate processes. Completing both early reduces the risk of qualifying for the hours but having nowhere suitable to use them.
Frequently asked questions
Does every baby receive funded childcare from nine months?
No. The offer depends mainly on parental work, earnings, income and immigration status. It is not a universal entitlement for every nine-month-old.
Do the hours start on the day the baby turns nine months?
Usually not. They generally begin at the start of the next funding period: 1 January, 1 April or 1 September.
When can parents apply?
Parents can usually apply from when the child is 23 weeks old. The final deadline depends on the funding period in which the hours should begin.
Does the scheme provide 30 hours every week of the year?
No. It provides 1,140 annual hours, commonly presented as 30 hours a week over 38 weeks. A provider may stretch the hours across more weeks.
Can part-time workers qualify?
Yes. Parents do not need a full-time job. Each parent generally needs to expect earnings equivalent to 16 hours a week at the relevant minimum-wage rate.
Can self-employed parents qualify?
Yes. Irregular income can be averaged in some circumstances, and a start-up period may apply during the first 12 months of a new business.
Can a family qualify while a parent is on maternity leave?
It may qualify, but special timing rules apply when the leave relates to the child being claimed for. The expected return-to-work date affects when the hours can begin.
Does a childcare code guarantee a nursery place?
No. The code confirms eligibility. Parents must separately find a participating provider with a suitable vacancy.
Can grandparents provide the funded care?
Informal care by a relative cannot normally be paid for through the working-parent entitlement. The hours must be used with an approved provider under the scheme’s rules.
Can the hours be divided between two providers?
They may be split between participating providers, subject to local rules and the total annual entitlement. Both providers must know about the arrangement.
What happens if the application deadline is missed?
The family may have to wait until the next funding period and pay normal childcare fees in the meantime. Funding is not usually backdated.
What happens if parents forget to reconfirm?
The code may stop being valid for a future funding period. Sign in to the childcare account immediately and speak to the provider. A grace period may sometimes apply.
Can families earning over £100,000 qualify?
A family will not normally qualify if either parent expects adjusted net income above £100,000 during the current tax year. The limit applies individually, not to combined household income.
Funded childcare from nine months can significantly reduce a family’s childcare bill, but parents need to plan around the funding dates rather than the child’s birthday alone.
Check eligibility and return-to-work timing early, apply before the relevant deadline and begin searching for a provider before the code is issued. Most importantly, ask for a written explanation of how the annual entitlement will be applied to your actual childcare schedule.
