The number of hours of free childcare you can get depends on the age of your child. If your child is aged 9 months to 2 years old Children aged 9 months to 2 years old currently get 15 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year. From September 2025 this will increase to 30 hours per week. As the deadline for applying for 15 hours of free childcare has passed, you鈥檒l now be applying for 30 hours instead. You may be able to get free childcare for more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks. Check with your childcare provider to find out if this is something they offer. If you鈥檙e already getting 15 hours of free childcare You鈥檒l automatically get 30 hours of free childcare from September, as long as you鈥檙e still eligible . You鈥檒l need to confirm your details are up to date in the usual way and give the code to your childcare provider. If your child is 2 to 3 years old and you get extra support You can get 30 hours of free childcare through 2 separate schemes if both of the following apply:听听 you鈥檙e eligible for free childcare for working parents听 you or your child get extra support From September 2025 you鈥檒l get:听 15 hours per week through free childcare for working parents听 15 hours per week if you or your child get extra support (you鈥檒l continue to get these hours even if you鈥檙e no longer eligible for free childcare for working parents) You鈥檒l get these 30 hours for 38 weeks of the year. You may be able to get free childcare for more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks. To apply, you need to speak to the early years team or Family Information Service at your local council .听 What counts as extra support You鈥檙e classed as getting extra support if any of the following apply:听 you get Universal Credit, and your household income is 拢15,400 a year or less after tax, not including benefit payments your child has an Education and Health Care plan your child gets Disability Living Allowance your child has left care under an adoption order, special guardianship order or a child arrangements order If your child is 3 to 4 years old You can get 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year. You may be able to get free childcare for more than 38 weeks a year if you take fewer hours over more weeks. Check with your childcare provider to find out if this is something they offer. Things you may have to pay for Although the childcare is free, you may have to pay for some extra costs, such as: meals nappies additional hours additional activities, such as trips Your provider should not charge you a non-refundable registration fee or any top-up fees to cover the cost of your free childcare. Ask your provider what extra costs you will have to pay for.

Check if you're eligible

The amount of free childcare you can get depends on: your child鈥檚 age and circumstances whether you鈥檙e working (employed, self-employed, or a director) your income (and your partner鈥檚 income, if you have one) your immigration status You will not be eligible if either: your child does not usually live with you you or your partner have an expected adjusted net income of over 拢100,000 in the current tax year Your child鈥檚 age and circumstances The number of hours of free childcare you can get depends on the age of your child. If your child is 9 months to 2 years old Children aged 9 months to 2 years old currently get 15 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks of the year. From September 2025 this will increase to 30 hours per week. If your child is 3 to 4 years old You can get 30 hours per week of free childcare for 38 weeks of the year. If they鈥檙e being fostered by you You can claim free childcare if you鈥檙e working as long as: you鈥檙e in paid work outside your fostering role听 your 鈥� adjusted net income 鈥� is under 拢100,000 You cannot use the online application to get free childcare. Speak to your social worker and your local authority if you want to apply. If you鈥檙e working You can usually get free childcare for working parents if you (and your partner, if you have one) are: in work or starting a new job on sick leave or annual leave on shared parental, maternity, paternity or adoption leave If you鈥檙e not currently working You may still be eligible if your partner is working, and you are on carer鈥檚 leave or if you get any of the following:听 Incapacity Benefit听 Severe Disablement Allowance听 Carer鈥檚 Allowance听 Limited Capability for Work Benefit听 contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance Your income Over the next 3 months you and your partner (if you have one) must each expect to earn at least: 拢2,539 before tax if you鈥檙e aged 21 or over (equivalent to 拢195 per week) 拢2,080 before tax if you鈥檙e aged 18 to 20 (equivalent to 拢160 per week) 拢1,570 before tax if you鈥檙e under 18 or an apprentice (equivalent to 拢120 per week) This is the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week on average. You can use an average of how much you expect to earn over the current tax year if: you work throughout the year but do not get paid regularly you鈥檙e self-employed and do not expect to earn enough in the next 3 months Example You鈥檙e eligible if you鈥檙e 21 or over and do not have a regular income but earn 拢10,158 a year. This is the same as earning 拢2,539 every 3 months on average. If you鈥檙e self-employed and started your business less than 12 months ago You can earn less and still be eligible for free childcare for working parents. If you have more than one job You can use your total earnings to work out if you meet the threshold. This includes: earnings from any employment earnings from any self-employment If you鈥檙e both employed and self-employed, you can use just your self-employment income if this would make you eligible. Income that does not count toward your minimum earnings Certain types of income will not count towards the minimum amount you must earn to be eligible. These include: dividends interest income from investing in property pension payments Your immigration status You (and your partner if you have one) must have a National Insurance number.听 The person who applies must also have at least one of the following: British or Irish citizenship settled or pre-settled status , or you have applied and you鈥檙e waiting for a decision permission to access public funds - your UK residence card will tell you if you cannot do this If you are not eligible for free childcare for working parents You may be able to get other help towards childcare costs. If your child is between 3 and 4 years old and you live in England, you can get 15 hours of free childcare a week for 38 weeks of the year . If you claim certain benefits, you may be eligible for free education and childcare for 2-year-olds under a separate scheme.

Check when to apply for 30 hours of free childcare. As the deadline for applying for 15 hours of free childcare has passed, you鈥檒l now be applying for 30 hours instead. If you鈥檙e already getting 15 hours of free childcare, you鈥檒l automatically get 30 hours from September as long as you鈥檙e still eligible . You鈥檒l need to confirm your details are up to date in the usual way and give the code to your childcare provider. Check with your childcare provider to find out the exact date your free childcare starts. When to apply for 30 hours of free childcare You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old. When your child turns 9 months old听 When you can get your hours from Deadline for applying Between 1 September and 31 December 1 January 31 December Between 1 January and 31 March 1 April 31 March Between 1 April and 31 August 1 September 31 August 鈥媁hen to apply if you鈥檙e returning to work after maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption leave The date you return to work will affect when you can apply for free childcare.听 You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old. Date of returning to work When you can get your hours from When to apply Between 1 October to 31 January 1 January 1 September to 31 December Between 1 February to 30 April 1 April 1 January to 31 March Between 1 May to 30 September 1 September 1 April to 31 August If you鈥檙e on shared parental leave for the child you鈥檙e applying for You can apply if one of you goes back to work within one month of the start of the autumn, spring or summer term. This means one of you must return by: 30 September 31 January听 30 April听 The other parent can then remain on parental leave until a later date. When to apply if you start a new job You can apply for free childcare if you鈥檙e starting a new job. The date you start will affect when you can get free childcare.听 You can apply from when your child is 23 weeks old. When you can get your hours from will depend on the date your child turns 9 months old. If you apply more than 31 days before you start your new job, you need to contact the Childcare Service helpline for help with your application. Date of starting work When you can get your hours from When to apply Between 1 October to 31 January 1 January 1 September to 31 December Between 1 February to 30 April 1 April 1 January to 31 March Between 1 May to 30 September 1 September 1 April to 31 August

Get free childcare if you're working: Overview

Q: Confirm your details are up to date

To keep getting free childcare if you鈥檙e working you must sign in to your childcare account every 3 months and confirm your details are up to date. You鈥檒l then get an 11-digit code to give to your childcare provider. You can also use this service to sign in to your Tax-Free Childcare account to: pay money into your account pay your childcare provider apply for a new child There鈥檚 a different way to sign in to your account if you鈥檙e a childcare provider . Sign in Sign in to confirm your details are up to date. Sign in If you鈥檝e been unable to use the service You may be able to claim compensation if you鈥檝e had technical problems with your account.

Get free childcare if you're working

Overview

You may be able to get free childcare if your child is aged 9 months to 4 years old and you live in England.

There are:

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

You can get up to 30 hours of free childcare a week.

The childcare must be provided by a registered provider, such as a registered nursery, playscheme or school. This is known as 鈥榓pproved childcare鈥�.

Who can get free childcare

To be eligible for free childcare, you (and your partner, if you have one) need to be in work or about to start a new job and earn over a certain amount.

You鈥檒l need a National Insurance number to apply.听

You can use a calculator to check how much help you could get with childcare costs.

When to apply

You can apply for 30 hours of free childcare from when your child is 23 weeks old.

Check the deadlines for applying.

How to apply听

To apply you鈥檒l need to set up a childcare account.听

If your application is approved, you鈥檒l get an 11-digit code that proves you鈥檙e eligible to get free childcare. You鈥檒l need to give this code to your childcare provider.

If you鈥檙e already getting 15 hours of free childcare

You鈥檒l automatically get 30 hours of free childcare from September, as long as you鈥檙e still eligible. You鈥檒l need to confirm your details are up to date in the usual way and give the code to your childcare provider.

Confirm your details are correct

To keep getting free childcare, you must confirm your details are up to date by signing in to your childcare account every 3 months.

Other help you may be able to get

As well as getting free childcare if you鈥檙e working, you may be able to get either:

HMRC will check if you鈥檙e eligible for Tax-Free Childcare when you apply for free childcare if you鈥檙e working.

You cannot get both Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit childcare at the same time.听

View a printable version of the whole guide

Step 1
1. Check what help you could get with childcare costs
You can only get help with 'approved childcare'.
1. Find out what 'approved childcare' is
and
Step 2
You can get help with childcare costs for children under 18. You might be able to apply for:
You could also get free childcare when your child is aged 9 months to 4 years. You might be able to apply for:
You can only get childcare vouchers if you have already joined a scheme.
1. Check the rules for childcare vouchers
Step 3
1. If you're getting Universal Credit, tell government straight away if your circumstances change
If you're getting free childcare if you're working or Tax-Free Childcare you have to confirm if your details are up to date every 3 months.
1. Sign into your childcare account to find out when you next have to check your details
Your eligibility for support with childcare costs might also change.
1. Check if your eligibility for help with childcare costs has changed
Step 4
1. Apply for a primary school place
2. Find before and after school and holiday clubs
You might be able to use Tax-Free Childcare to pay for childcare like wraparound care, after school clubs or other activities.

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Get free childcare if you're working

Overview

Who can get free childcare

When to apply

How to apply听

If you鈥檙e already getting 15 hours of free childcare

Confirm your details are correct

Other help you may be able to get

Step 1

and

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

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Get free childcare if you're working

Overview

Who can get free childcare

When to apply

How to apply听

If you鈥檙e already getting 15 hours of free childcare

Confirm your details are correct

Other help you may be able to get

Part of Get childcare: step by step

Step 1: Find out if you can get help with childcare costs , Show this section

and Find where you can get childcare , Show this section

Step 2: Get help paying for childcare , Hide this section

Step 3: Check what to do if your circumstances change , Show this section

Step 4: Check what to do when your child reaches school age , Show this section

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