30 Hours Free Childcare: Who Qualifies, What It Covers and When to Apply

In England, working parents can get 30 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks a year for children from 9 months old until they start school. You and your partner must each expect to earn at least 16 hours a week at the minimum wage (£203.36 a week if you are 21 or over in 2026/27) and no more than £100,000 a year. Apply from when your baby is 23 weeks old and by the deadline before the term you need: 31 December, 31 March or 31 August. Reconfirm your details every three months.

Thirty hours of free childcare a week can knock hundreds of pounds a month off a nursery bill, and since September 2025 working parents in England can get it from when their baby is nine months old. The catch is the paperwork: you apply to HMRC, not the nursery, you have to do it by a fixed deadline, and you have to reconfirm every three months or the code stops working. Here is who qualifies, what it really covers and the dates that matter.

What you get

Working parents in England can get 30 hours of funded childcare a week for 38 weeks a year, from the term after their child turns nine months old until they start school. That is 1,140 hours a year. Most nurseries and childminders also let you “stretch” it, for example about 22 hours a week over 51 weeks, which suits families who need care in the holidays.

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What the hours cover, and what they do not

The hours themselves must be free. Providers can charge for extras such as meals, nappies, suncream and trips, and many do, often as a daily “consumables” fee. Those charges should be voluntary: if you would rather send a packed lunch or your own nappies, the provider should agree an alternative. If they insist, contact your local council’s early years team.

Who qualifies

You, and your partner if you live together, must each:

• Be working, or starting a new job, as an employee, self-employed person or company director.
• Expect to earn at least 16 hours a week at the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for your age, averaged over the next three months. In 2026/27 that is £2,643.68 over three months (£203.36 a week) if you are 21 or over.
• Expect adjusted net income of no more than £100,000 in the current tax year.
• Have a National Insurance number, and the person applying needs British or Irish citizenship, settled or pre-settled status, or permission to access public funds.

The earnings test is about the next three months, not the past. Self-employed parents can use an average over the tax year, and if you started your business less than 12 months ago you do not need to meet the minimum. Income from dividends, savings, property or pensions does not count towards it.

If you are on parental leave or one of you is not working

Being on maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave, sick leave or annual leave counts as working. If one parent is not working but gets Carer’s Allowance, the carer’s or limited-capability element of Universal Credit, contribution-based ESA or certain other benefits, the family can still qualify as long as the other parent works and meets the test.

When to apply

You can apply from when your baby is 23 weeks old, and you must apply by the end of the period in which they turn nine months. Miss the deadline and you wait until the next start date, which could mean paying full fees for a whole term.

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If you are going back to work after parental leave, the date you return decides the start date instead. For example, if you return to work between 1 February and 30 April, the hours can start from 1 April and you should apply between 1 January and 31 March. Aim to apply in the term before you need the place, and check the exact date with your provider.

How to apply, step by step

1. Gather your and your partner’s National Insurance numbers, any Unique Taxpayer Reference if you are self-employed, your child’s UK birth certificate reference number, and the date you started or will start work.
2. Apply online through the childcare account service on GOV.UK. It takes about 20 minutes, and the same account covers Tax-Free Childcare.
3. Most people find out straight away. If HMRC needs more checks, it can take up to 10 days.
4. Give your 11-digit eligibility code to your nursery, childminder or school, along with your National Insurance number and your child’s date of birth. The provider checks it with the council.
5. Every three months, sign in and reconfirm that your details are still correct. You will get a reminder, but if you miss it the code stops being valid and you could lose the funded place.

Combining it with other help

You can use the funded hours and Tax-Free Childcare together: the hours bring the bill down, and Tax-Free Childcare adds £2 for every £8 you pay towards the rest, up to £2,000 a year per child. You cannot get Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare costs at the same time, so if you are on Universal Credit compare the two with the GOV.UK childcare calculator before switching.

Working out the whole bill? Our guide to childcare costs in the UK explains what to ask each provider, and our back-up childcare guide covers the days nursery is closed or your child is ill.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

This scheme is for England only. The other nations run their own:

• Scotland: 1,140 hours a year of funded early learning and childcare for all 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds, whether or not you work. See mygov.scot.
• Wales: the Childcare Offer for Wales gives working parents of 3 and 4 year olds up to 30 hours a week of early education and childcare for up to 48 weeks a year, including some school holidays. See GOV.WALES.
• Northern Ireland: working parents who use Tax-Free Childcare can also get the Northern Ireland Childcare Subsidy Scheme, which cuts childcare costs by a further 15%. See nidirect.

Quick questions about 30 hours free childcare

When can I get 30 hours free childcare?

In England, working parents can get it from the start date after their child turns nine months old: 1 January, 1 April or 1 September. It lasts until the child starts school.

Do both parents have to work to get 30 hours?

Usually yes, and each must expect to earn at least 16 hours a week at the minimum wage. There are exceptions if one parent gets certain carer or disability benefits.

Is 30 hours free childcare really free?

The hours are free, but providers can charge for meals, nappies, trips and other extras. Those charges should be optional, with an alternative such as bringing your own food.

What happens if I earn over £100,000?

If either parent’s adjusted net income is expected to be over £100,000 in the tax year, you cannot get the working-parent hours or Tax-Free Childcare. The universal 15 hours for 3 and 4 year olds still apply.

Can I use 30 hours in the school holidays?

Yes, if your provider offers a stretched pattern: fewer hours a week spread across more weeks, up to the same 1,140 hours a year.