This guide covers funded childcare in England. Different schemes operate in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The information reflects the arrangements in place in September 2026.
Funded childcare can reduce the cost of nursery, preschool or childminder care, but the language used to describe it is not always clear. Parents may hear about 15 hours, 30 hours, working-parent funding and funded places for two-year-olds without knowing which scheme applies to their family.
The simplest answer is that there are several entitlements. Some depend on the child’s age alone, while others depend on whether parents work, how much they earn or whether the family receives additional support.
Even when a child qualifies, funded hours do not always make the whole childcare bill disappear. The hours usually cover early education and care during particular sessions. Meals, consumables, additional attendance and holiday care may still need to be paid for.
Funded childcare hours at a glance
There are three main funded early education and childcare offers in England.
Eligible working parents of children aged from nine months to four years can receive up to 30 funded hours a week for 38 weeks of the year.
All three- and four-year-olds can receive 15 funded hours a week for 38 weeks, whether or not their parents work.
Some two-year-olds receiving additional support can receive 15 funded hours a week. This entitlement may be based on family benefits, household income or the child’s circumstances.
The schemes overlap, but they are not added together without limit. A working parent of a three-year-old does not normally receive 30 working-parent hours plus another 15 universal hours. The universal entitlement forms part of the total 30-hour offer.
When taken over 38 weeks, 15 hours a week represents 570 funded hours a year. The 30-hour entitlement represents 1,140 hours a year. Some providers spread, or “stretch”, these annual hours across more weeks.
Who can get 30 funded hours for working parents?
The working-parent entitlement is available for children aged from nine months until they start school, subject to eligibility and application dates.
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 some types of family-related leave may also qualify.
Each parent must generally expect to earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the applicable National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage. The government looks at expected earnings over a three-month period rather than requiring parents to work exactly 16 hours every week.
This means that a parent with irregular shifts or changing self-employed income may still qualify. Earnings from more than one job can usually be combined. Special rules can also help a newly self-employed parent whose business began less than 12 months ago.
There is an upper earnings limit too. If either parent expects to have an adjusted net income above £100,000 during the current tax year, the family will not normally qualify. This is an individual limit, not a combined household limit.
For example, James earns £48,000 and Laura earns £42,000. Their combined income is £90,000, and neither earns above the individual limit. Provided they meet the other conditions, their child may qualify.
In another household, one parent earns £105,000 and the other earns £25,000. Although both work, the family would not normally qualify because one parent expects adjusted net income above £100,000.
Adjusted net income is not always the same as the salary shown in a job advert or on a payslip. Pension contributions, Gift Aid and other factors can affect it. Parents close to the limit may wish to check the government’s definition or seek financial advice.
Can a family qualify if one parent is not working?
In a couple, both parents usually need to meet the work and earnings rules. There are exceptions where one parent works and the other cannot work because of particular caring responsibilities, disability or health circumstances.
A family may still qualify if the non-working partner receives certain support, such as Carer’s Allowance or an eligible Universal Credit element connected to caring or limited capability for work. The exact list matters, so parents should use the official eligibility checker rather than assuming that any benefit creates an exception.
A single parent does not need to satisfy a second-parent test. Their eligibility is based on their own work, earnings, income and circumstances.
Students do not automatically qualify for the working-parent hours simply because they are studying. A student who also works and meets the earnings conditions may qualify. Other help may be available through student finance, education providers or schemes such as the Childcare Grant, depending on the course and family’s circumstances.
Parents on maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave can qualify in certain circumstances. Timing is important, particularly when applying for a child who is the subject of the leave. The date a parent returns to work can affect which term the hours begin.
Foster parents can sometimes claim the working-parent entitlement where they are in paid work outside their fostering role and meet the relevant income conditions. They normally need to apply through their social worker and local authority rather than using the standard online route.
Who gets the universal 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds?
Every three- and four-year-old in England can receive 570 hours of funded early education a year. This is normally taken as 15 hours a week over 38 weeks.
Parents do not need to be employed. There is no minimum earnings test and no £100,000 upper income limit for the universal entitlement.
The hours start from the funding period after the child’s third birthday, rather than on the birthday itself. The usual start dates are 1 January, 1 April and 1 September.
For example, a child who turns three on 20 February can normally begin receiving the universal hours from 1 April. A child who turns three on 2 April usually waits until the September funding period.
The entitlement continues until the child begins Reception or reaches compulsory school age, if later. Parents should speak directly to their chosen nursery, preschool, registered childminder or local authority about using the hours.
The fact that all children qualify does not mean every provider must have a place available. A popular nursery may have no remaining funded sessions on the days a family wants. Parents may need to consider another provider, a different attendance pattern or splitting the hours between settings.
Who can get 15 funded hours for a two-year-old?
Some two-year-olds qualify for a separate 15-hour entitlement because their family receives additional support. This can help children whose parents do not meet the working-parent rules.
Eligibility may be linked to certain benefits and household income. Depending on the current rules, these can include qualifying levels of Universal Credit, Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance and other forms of support.
A child may also qualify because of their own circumstances. This may apply if the child:
- Is looked after by a local authority
- Has an education, health and care plan
- Receives Disability Living Allowance
- Has left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or child arrangements order
The two-year-old entitlement is usually handled by the local authority rather than HMRC’s working-parent childcare account. Councils have their own application and verification processes, so parents should contact the local Family Information Service or early years team.
Funding usually begins from the term after the child’s second birthday. Once a child has been accepted as eligible under this scheme, they can generally continue receiving the hours even if the family’s financial circumstances change. Parents should confirm the position with their council.
If a family appears eligible for both the additional-support entitlement and the working-parent offer, it is worth speaking to the local authority before applying. The child cannot receive two complete entitlements covering the same hours, and the route used may affect how support continues if the parent’s employment changes.
When do funded hours begin?
Funded childcare normally starts at the beginning of a funding period rather than immediately when the child reaches the qualifying age.
For working-parent childcare, the usual pattern is:
- If the child turns nine months between 1 September and 31 December, the hours can begin from 1 January.
- If the child turns nine months between 1 January and 31 March, the hours can begin from 1 April.
- If the child turns nine months between 1 April and 31 August, the hours can begin from 1 September.
The application should normally be completed by the final day before the new period: 31 December, 31 March or 31 August.
You can usually apply once your child is 23 weeks old. Applying early within the available window gives time to resolve questions about income, employment or identity before the deadline.
Consider a baby who turns nine months on 12 November. If the family qualifies and applies by 31 December, the funded hours can normally begin from January. The hours do not begin in November simply because the baby has reached nine months.
A family that misses the December deadline may have to wait until the April period. Providers cannot normally backdate the entitlement because a parent intended to apply earlier.
Returning to work after maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave can affect the application window. Parents should check the dates that apply to their return rather than relying only on the child’s birthday.
What do the funded hours pay for?
Funded hours are intended to provide early education and childcare with an approved provider. They do not necessarily cover every cost associated with attending nursery.
A provider may charge for additional hours outside the funded session. There may also be separate charges for meals, snacks, nappies, consumables, outings or optional activities.
For example, Maya attends nursery from 8am until 6pm on three days each week. Her family is eligible for 30 funded hours, but the nursery’s funded sessions do not cover every part of those three ten-hour days. Her parents pay for additional time and meals.
Another family might use the same annual entitlement differently. Their child attends for shorter days during 51 weeks of the year, with the funding stretched across those weeks. They receive fewer funded hours in an average week and pay for the remainder.
Providers should explain their arrangements clearly. Before accepting a place, ask for a written estimate based on the child’s actual attendance pattern. A general statement that the nursery “accepts 30 hours” does not show what the family will pay.
You should ask:
- Which times of day can be funded?
- Is funding offered over 38 weeks or stretched across the year?
- Which additional charges normally apply?
- Are any extras optional, and what alternatives are available?
- What would an average monthly bill look like?
Our guide to questions to ask when visiting a nursery covers fees, funded sessions, staff, meals and daily routines in more detail.
Where can funded hours be used?
Funded hours must be used with an approved provider participating in the relevant scheme. Depending on local arrangements, this can include a registered day nursery, preschool, school nursery or childminder.
A provider being registered does not automatically mean it offers every funded entitlement. Some accept universal 15-hour places but have limited working-parent places. Others offer funding only within particular sessions.
Ask the provider directly whether it accepts the entitlement your child will use. You should also check whether it can accommodate the days and hours you need.
Parents can sometimes divide funded hours between two providers. For example, a child might attend preschool for three mornings and spend another day with a registered childminder.
Both providers must know about the arrangement, and the total hours claimed must remain within the child’s entitlement. Local authorities may set conditions on how funding can be divided across a day or week.
Think about the arrangement from the child’s perspective as well as financially. Two settings may provide useful flexibility, but repeated journeys and transitions can be tiring for some young children.
Funded working-parent hours cannot simply be used to pay a relative for informal care. A grandparent who happens to look after the child does not become an approved provider because the family is eligible for funding.
How do parents apply?
Parents apply for the working-parent entitlement through the government childcare service. The application usually requires the parent’s National Insurance number and employment information. A partner’s details are also generally required where the parents live together.
If the application is approved, the parent receives an 11-digit childcare code. This code is given to the provider along with the parent’s National Insurance number and the child’s date of birth. The provider then validates eligibility through the local authority.
A code does not reserve a nursery place. Families should discuss availability with providers separately and preferably well before the funding begins.
Parents using the working-parent entitlement must reconfirm their details approximately every three months. This is required even where nothing has changed. The childcare account normally displays the deadline and HMRC may send reminders.
The universal 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds does not normally require the same HMRC application or three-month reconfirmation. Parents arrange it with a participating provider or through the council’s local process.
The additional-support entitlement for two-year-olds is usually claimed through the local authority. Search the council’s website for “funded childcare for two-year-olds” or contact its Family Information Service.
If you are unsure which scheme applies, the government’s childcare support calculator can provide a useful starting point.
What happens if a parent’s circumstances change?
Parents using the working-parent offer should update their childcare account if their work, income, relationship or household circumstances change.
Losing a job does not always mean that a child’s funded place ends immediately. A grace period may allow the hours to continue temporarily, giving the parent time to return to eligible work. The exact end date depends on when eligibility changes and the funding period.
If a couple separates, the child normally remains on one parent’s childcare account. Parents who share responsibility should decide who will apply. HMRC can decide if both parents apply and cannot agree.
If adjusted net income is likely to rise above £100,000, do not wait until the end of the tax year to consider the effect. Update expected income through the appropriate service and seek advice if the calculation is unclear.
A child who loses the working-parent entitlement at age three or four can still receive the universal 15 hours. The provider and council may need to adjust the funded claim, but the universal entitlement does not depend on parental employment.
Parents should also tell the nursery about changes that affect attendance. Funding and the nursery contract are related but separate. A grace period may preserve eligibility for hours while the contract still requires notice before reducing or ending paid sessions.
Can funded hours be used with other childcare help?
Yes. Funded hours can be used alongside some other forms of help for the childcare costs that remain.
With Tax-Free Childcare, the parent pays money into an online account and the government adds £2 for every £8 paid in, up to the scheme limits. The account can be used to pay an approved provider for additional nursery hours, holiday clubs and other eligible childcare.
Families receiving Universal Credit may instead be able to reclaim up to 85% of eligible childcare costs, subject to monthly limits and other conditions. This may provide more help than Tax-Free Childcare for some households.
You cannot normally receive Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare support at the same time. Starting one scheme can affect entitlement to another, so check before switching.
Funded hours should be applied first. Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit then helps with eligible childcare costs that remain; parents cannot claim support for a cost that has already been paid through funded hours.
Some families may also have access to an older employer-supported childcare voucher scheme. These schemes are closed to new applicants, but existing members may be able to continue if they meet the conditions.
For a fuller comparison of these options, read our complete guide to childcare funding in England.
Frequently asked questions
Does every child receive 30 funded hours?
No. The 30-hour offer depends mainly on parental work, earnings, income and immigration conditions. All three- and four-year-olds receive 15 universal hours, while some two-year-olds qualify for a separate 15-hour entitlement.
Do funded hours begin on a child’s birthday?
Usually not. They generally begin at the start of the funding period after the child reaches the qualifying age. The main start dates are 1 January, 1 April and 1 September.
Why are the hours sometimes called “free childcare”?
The government commonly uses this phrase because parents are not charged for the funded early education hours themselves. However, families may still pay for additional attendance, meals, consumables and other services. “Funded childcare” can therefore be a clearer description.
Can a parent who works part-time qualify for 30 hours?
Yes. Eligibility is based on expected earnings rather than requiring a full-time job. A parent must generally expect to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the relevant minimum wage.
Can self-employed parents qualify?
Yes. Self-employed parents can qualify if they meet the conditions. Earnings may be considered over a longer period where income is irregular, and a start-up period can apply during the first 12 months of a new business.
Can a parent earning more than £100,000 qualify?
A family will not normally qualify for the working-parent hours if either parent expects adjusted net income above £100,000 for the tax year. The universal 15 hours for three- and four-year-olds remains available regardless of parental income.
Can a child receive both the universal 15 hours and the working-parent 30 hours?
The universal hours form part of the 30-hour total for an eligible three- or four-year-old. The child does not normally receive 45 hours.
Do parents have to use all the funded hours?
No. Families can use fewer hours if that suits them. Unused hours are not paid to the parent and usually cannot be saved for a later year.
Can funding be stretched across the year?
Some providers allow this. The same annual allocation is divided across more weeks, resulting in fewer funded hours per week. Not every provider offers stretched funding, so ask how its calculation works.
Can two nurseries claim funding for the same child?
Funding can sometimes be divided between two providers, but they cannot both claim the full entitlement. Parents must declare the arrangement and keep the combined total within the available hours.
What happens if a parent forgets to reconfirm?
The working-parent code may stop being valid for future funding periods. A grace period may apply, but parents should sign in to their childcare account immediately and speak to the provider. Reconfirming before the deadline is the safest approach.
Does an eligibility code guarantee a nursery place?
No. The code confirms that the family qualifies for funding. It does not require a particular nursery to have space or provide the preferred session pattern.
Funded childcare becomes much easier to understand once the entitlement and the nursery place are treated as two separate things. The government decides whether a family is eligible, while the provider explains when and how the hours can be used.
Check eligibility early, apply before the relevant deadline and ask for a written cost estimate based on your actual schedule. That will give you a much clearer picture than the headline promise of 15 or 30 hours alone.
