Skip to main content
GovMath.

Benefits · September 2025 expansion

Free Childcare Hours Calculator

From September 2025 working parents in England can get 30 hours of funded childcare from when their baby is 9 months old. We map your child’s age and your work status to the right entitlement.

£

Weekly funded hours

30 hrs

30 hours/week (15 universal + 15 working-parent extension).

Annual value

  • Funded hours / year
    £1,140
  • × £8/hr nursery rate
    £9,120

How we calculated your result

We match your child’s age and your work status to the four-tier entitlement: 30h for working parents from 9 months, 15h for low-income 2-year-olds, 15h universal for 3–4 year olds, 30h for working 3–4 year olds.

Official UK rules in simple English

  • Working = each parent earns ≥ £166/week (~16h × NLW) and < £100,000/year.
  • Funded hours apply 38 weeks/year (term time) by default.
  • Can be ”stretched” to ~22 hours/week across 51 weeks if your nursery supports it.
  • Apply via childcarechoices.gov.uk — get an 11-digit code each quarter.

Common pitfalls to watch out for

  • ⚠ Code re-validation

    Working-parent codes must be reconfirmed every 3 months. Miss it and the nursery has a 4-week grace period — then bills you the full rate.

  • ⚠ ‘Free’ isn’t always free

    Nurseries often add charges for meals, nappies and consumables on top of funded hours. Government rates don’t cover their costs.

  • ⚠ Income spikes lose entitlement

    Cross £100k taxable income (per parent) and the 30h vanishes. Salary sacrifice or pension top-ups can keep you under.

Frequently asked questions

Can grandparents claim?
Only if they’re the legal parents/guardians. They can register as informal childcare under Tax-Free Childcare though.
Does this work in Scotland/Wales/NI?
No — each nation has its own scheme. Scotland offers 1,140 funded hours for 3–4 year olds (also some 2 year olds).
What if I’m self-employed?
Self-employed parents qualify on the same earnings basis. First-year start-ups get a 12-month exemption from the minimum earnings test.

England rules only. Always confirm eligibility on childcarechoices.gov.uk and check your nursery’s funding agreement.

Related calculators

More tools in Benefits.